Regaining seniority after time away?

[anTi]

Can someone please tell me how long you have to have left the job for in order to loose your seniority and after this time is there any way of getting it back.

[Woody Guthrie]

The minute you leave the building It's gone.
In very, very exceptional and compassionate circumstances you can have two periods of service treated as one but it's incredibly rare.

[priority102]

Previous service will count towards holiday entitlement only but otherwise seniority is lost. You have left the company, so if you come back you start again just like any other company.

[ConeHater]

Oh dear, the grass on the other side wasn’t so green after all ?

[DaintyDiva]

People have left our office & come back & regained their seniority & when this was questioned by others they were told it was because they returned within 6 months

[Woody Guthrie]

From the Way Forward Agreement...

6 All service within an appropriate grade, whether on permanent or temporary basis, will count for seniority purposes, with the exception of any periods worked on a casual contract, or during a career break or sabbatical. Unpaid leave will count provided there is no break in contract. Service after age 60 will continue to count. However service must be continuous for seniority purposes, with periods prior to any break in contract (due to re-employment, for example) not generally included, unless there are exceptional circumstances applying to particular cases that are agreed at local level.

There is certainly no six month rule.