Fixed term employment contracts

**Scoobos** · 14 August 2012, 15:22

Before I begin, I'm no expert.

IMO, you have very little rights on employment until you are there 24 months anyway .

This is a permanent contract, in that it is a contract of Full Time Employment.

Everyone has a contract of employment, this is not what "contracting" means, it means a Business 2 Business contract not an employment one.

If you want the job take it, if not don't - thats the only way I see it.

**BigTime** · 14 August 2012, 15:22

You're effectively a temp. You should be paid more to cover any benefits that a permie would get that you'll be missing out on here. Most perm jobs have a probation period of 3 months whereas this one appears to have 12.

**Robinho** · 14 August 2012, 15:27

I did 6 months of this one.

After that was up they gave me a permanent job.

A month later they made me redundant and i got a 15k payout.

That was a good summer.

**Gentile** · 14 August 2012, 15:40

Originally posted by thecolour View Post

Hello folks!

I am considering a job offer where the employer is having significant difficulty getting sign off for a permanent contract.

They are offering me a 12 month fixed length contract instead which they assure me will be converted to a permanent contract once the 12 months is over.

I have read on ukgov that these are very insecure (one weeks notice of termination during first three months). My question is has anyone had any experience of these contracts? Are they comparable in any way to either perm or "proper" contract (with daily rate, etc)

Is it worth my while doing this (accepting a permy salary for what is in effect a contract). Advice welcome...

Many thanks in advance.

It really depend on your situation. When I worked in the Police seven years or so ago (so, during boom time), everyone was on 2 years Fixed Term Contracts, which were always renewed (although a high percentage chose to leave because of the bureaucracy, and because it was easy enough to get a job elsewhere). In other parts of the Civil Service, once you're in you're free to stay where you are, or apply for other internally-advertised only roles; it's all but impossible to lose your job.

Right now, times are tough in certain geographic areas, and I could well understand a recent graduate taking a 12 month contract as a way of getting their career started and their foot in the door somewhere. I could even understand more experienced candidates considering it, depending on their situation. As ever, you need to evaluate the whole opportunity, and decide whether it's right for you as an individual based on what the opportunity represents to you and on what other options you have.

Do you mind explaining a bit more about the role?

Is it Private or Public sector?
Is it a job doing what you want to do? (Albeit you'd like to be retained on a more permanent basis).
Is it your first real job after Uni?
Is it your first offer after a while spent looking?

For me, the answers to these questions would be key to deciding whether it represented a 'good' opportunity or not.

**northernladuk** · 14 August 2012, 15:40

This type of a contract is a disgrace in my opinion. I believe Bupa for one and many other large companies do it and can roll it over for a number of years before they are obliged to make a full time offer. All the responsibilities of a full timer but with no perks. I don't believe the BUPA temps even get the full health cover during this fixed period contract period.

If this type of practice takes on there won't be such thing as a permies unless you have been there for 2 years giving companies free reign to chop when they want with no come back. Dangerous ground IMO.

**Robinho** · 14 August 2012, 15:44

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

This type of a contract is a disgrace in my opinion.

It's just an offer, nobody's forced to take it.

When i did it i got permie perks. Hols, pension, training etc.

**SupremeSpod** · 14 August 2012, 16:18

Do you like films about Gladiators?

**d000hg** · 14 August 2012, 16:23

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

This type of a contract is a disgrace in my opinion. I believe Bupa for one and many other large companies do it and can roll it over for a number of years before they are obliged to make a full time offer

I thought once you'd been somewhere two years in this way you became a permie automatically (as far as rights go), sort of like how you can be common-law husband & wife. In teaching it works this way so I assumed that was a general law but perhaps it's specific to teaching/public-service contracts, I never read one to check!

**northernladuk** · 14 August 2012, 16:27

Originally posted by d000hg View Post

I thought once you'd been somewhere two years in this way you became a permie automatically (as far as rights go), sort of like how you can be common-law husband & wife. In teaching it works this way so I assumed that was a general law but perhaps it's specific to teaching/public-service contracts, I never read one to check!

I don't know in the intricacies of this but yes I think you are right. Doesn't stop them giving you a 6 month contract 4 times which if you are the type that just wants a job and not to worry isn't much use.

Fixed term employment contracts