People working on fixed term contracts for four years will now automatically become permanently employed. The reason is that Regulation 8 of the Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 has now come into force.
Within a month of the termination of the contract, employers now need to give employees a statement detailing the changes in their terms and conditions.
The sanction for not doing so is a tribunal award of 2-4 weeks' pay.
As ever, there is an exception, that being if the continuation of the fixed term contract can be 'objectively justified'.
© Workrep 26 / 09 / 2006