Thread: Fixed term contract?

Hi - I've got a bit of a weird problem.

I've been working in the NHS for about 2 years now, initially as a temp via an agency, and subsequently as actual staff since dec 07. This has all been good and I really enjoy my job, I've just had an excellent appraisal and get on well with my manager who says I'm well on the way to promotion.

The difficulty is that I'm likely to be mobilised with the TA in October and would then be away from work for roughly a year (this is complicated in that I didn't actually volunteer which I understand is in violation of MoD rules). I've told my manager and she's taken it well, but come back with a problem - she says my current contract is fixed-term for 2 years, though I have been under the impression that I'm fully permanent staff.

I've read through my contract and it doesn't say that I am employed on a fixed term, and nor does it state an end date. I recall speaking to the HR department about my contract, I think to get an ID card, and they said I was on a permanent contract. My manager has forwarded the advert for the job, which does state 2-year fixed term - but I've never seen it before as I was already working there and she asked me to apply for the job verbally. The job description I received states no fixed term.

Boss seems quite relaxed about this as I think she just wants to extend the fixed term until April then advertise and re-employ as permanent staff. However I'm pretty stressed about it as the Army might say I'm not definitely planned to be employed for the full year and therefore only pay me £15k, and then I might not even have a job when I got back!

So what I'd like to know is - does a fixed-term contract need to have the term specified? Am I actually permanent staff? What should I do?

Thanks

Originally Posted by TGFBeta

Hi - I've got a bit of a weird problem.

I've been working in the NHS for about 2 years now, initially as a temp via an agency, and subsequently as actual staff since dec 07. This has all been good and I really enjoy my job, I've just had an excellent appraisal and get on well with my manager who says I'm well on the way to promotion.

The difficulty is that I'm likely to be mobilised with the TA in October and would then be away from work for roughly a year (this is complicated in that I didn't actually volunteer which I understand is in violation of MoD rules). I've told my manager and she's taken it well, but come back with a problem - she says my current contract is fixed-term for 2 years, though I have been under the impression that I'm fully permanent staff.

I've read through my contract and it doesn't say that I am employed on a fixed term, and nor does it state an end date. I recall speaking to the HR department about my contract, I think to get an ID card, and they said I was on a permanent contract. My manager has forwarded the advert for the job, which does state 2-year fixed term - but I've never seen it before as I was already working there and she asked me to apply for the job verbally. The job description I received states no fixed term.

Boss seems quite relaxed about this as I think she just wants to extend the fixed term until April then advertise and re-employ as permanent staff. However I'm pretty stressed about it as the Army might say I'm not definitely planned to be employed for the full year and therefore only pay me £15k, and then I might not even have a job when I got back!

So what I'd like to know is - does a fixed-term contract need to have the term specified? Am I actually permanent staff? What should I do?

Thanks

Hi,

You are definitely on a permanent contract and you are permanent staff. A fixed term contract will have the subject line "Fixed Term Contract" and also in the note it should mention that .A contract without an end date is a permanent contract.

Great news. Thanks