Redundancy

The ending of a fixed-term contract can be a redundancy situation, triggering entitlement to a redundancy payment after two years and a duty for the employer to look for redeployment opportunities, but only if the contract is ended or not renewed because the employer needs fewer employees to carry out work of a particular kind, or in a particular place (section 139 Employment Rights Act 1996). For example, in Pfaffinger v City of Liverpool Community College [1996] IRLR 508, there was a redundancy situation since Mr Pfaffinger’s contract was not renewed because the employer needed fewer part-time lecturers.