A contractual change that is authorised by a valid variation clause that already forms part of the contract of employment will not be affected by the new provisions on fire and rehire ...
Assuming there is no variation clause allowing the employer to make the change, if an employer proposes a "restricted variation" (for example a reduction in pay or a change in the number of working hours), the employees are entitled to refuse to agree to the change ...
The qualifying service required to claim unfair dismissal reduces from two years to six months for dismissals on or after 1 January 2027. This makes it more important for employers to identify a fair reason for dismissal on expiry of a fixed-term contract.
From 1 January 2027, employees will have the right to claim unfair dismissal if their contract is terminated after six months, even where they are on a fixed-term contract that comes to an end.