Contract terms - is this standard?

[TheCobra]

Hello there, I have been at Royal Mail since 4th December on a 3 month contract.

Today I got in the post a new 3 month contract for 5th March til 4th June. Fair enough I though it's just a 3 month rolling contract.

but what worried me was something in the wording, it says:

"Period of Employment:

Subject to CLause 13, your appointment will be for a fixed term, commencing on 05/03/2012 and expiring on 04/06/2012. The reason for your contract being for a fixed term is that it is anticipated the requirmenet for your employment is likely to cease on or about the expiry date because of business reorganisation.

This date reflects our expectation of when the need for your services is likely to come to an end but this could be sooner or later. If sooner, notice will be given under Clause 13."


So obviously this has not filled me with any sort of feeling of job security at all. I'm wondering is this wording standard for 3 month contracts, or am I to read more into this that I will be got rid of at the end of 3 months??

[clashcityrocker]

What counts is not the wording on your contract but the level of revision activity where you work.
If there is no revision activity, then it is likely your contract will be renewed.
If there is revision activity then the fixed term contracts would be the first to go if the revision creates surplus staff.
Alternatively it may show that your job should be made permanent.
Are there any vacancies in the office? The more vacancies, the safer you are.

[fishtank]

This date reflects our expectation of when the need for your services is likely to come to an end but this could be sooner or later. If sooner, notice will be given under Clause 13."

It means nothing.
A fixed term contract legally has to state the expiry date and the probable reason for expiry.
It's a standard clause in every Fixed Term Contract.
If they didn't they could be accused of using FTC's which are supposed to be a short term resourcing solution to replace substantive positions.
They would never do that.

[Stella102]

regarding this topic. We have a revision soon and may lose staff is it done on seniority? there are a few 3 month contracts and i presume the new staff will be asked to leave first???

[TrueBlueTerrier]

regarding this topic. We have a revision soon and may lose staff is it done on seniority? there are a few 3 month contracts and i presume the new staff will be asked to leave first???

There are many different answers some are dependant on local conditions so its hard to generalise.

Before the revision there is usually a preference exercise and sometimes this will allow for volunteers to apply for VR (Redundancy) or EVR (retirement).

There will also be a period of bedding in (sometimes for up to a year) and surplus staff will probably be required anyway.

If you have fixed term contracts at your office I think its likely that they will kept on till the end of their contract, and also a chance it will be extended during the bedding in. However they are the most vulnerable to being let go. As to if seniority applies to them, I am not sure, I don't remember any agreement specifically mentioning it.

As to permanent staff as far as I know the BT2010 and various other agreements no one will be compulsory made redundant and no one will be forced to accept a contract of fewer hours.