Redundancy with 4+ years fixed term contract

britbat

I've been working at my current employer for over six year on a series of fixed term contracts which have been extended / renewed on a number of occasions. The work I have done has remained broadly the same for the past couple of years and on previous occasions employer has extended the FTC so I can continue to do the ongoing work. My most recent FTC was justified as 'cover' for a colleague, but this was misleading - as it turned out, I didn't cover much of their role at all, but mostly continued doing the job I'd previously been doing.

The current contract expires in a short while. This time, employer is intending to end the contract. They have been through the appropriate processes so far. However, I know that the work continues, so I'm struggling to understand how they can get away with ending the contract on redundancy grounds.

In addition, a part-time job doing essentially the same work (at same pay level, with same title, and I believe with very similar duties) is being advertised, to start immediately upon my redundancy. The hours are substantially less than my current hours and so this has not been deemed as 'suitable alternative employment'.

Can this redundancy be fair? Under these circumstances can the employer rely upon the expiry of this latest FTC to dismiss me, even when all of this work continues and there is a very similar job to go into?

I'm not sure what, if any, protections my 4+ years affords me in this case. What I do know is that I am the only person at my work and in my role currently at risk of redundancy, and the only thing which seems to differentiate me from everyone else is my fixed term employment.

Thanks in advance

sharpe106

It looks like they have decided that the role you are doing is going to be a part time role going forward. So therefore the postion that you are doing is no longer there, i.e. nobody will be doing exactly as you do now. You could always apply for the part time job whilst you find something else in the meantime.

britbat

That's exactly what I intend to do.
However ... I'm not the only person who performs this role.

sharpe106

As long you have not had a break after 4 years you basically become a permanent employee anyway. So if there are others doing a similar role then everybody should be at risk of redundancy not just you.

 

 You are also entitled to a written statement why your contract is not being renewed.

 

https://www.gov.uk/fixed-term-contracts/renewing-or-ending-a-fixedterm-contract

 

https://www.hrlaw.co.uk/site/infobank/infobankarticle/five-myths-about-fixedterm-employment-contracts