The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Supplementary

The relevant date

180.—(1) For the purposes of the provisions of this Order relating to redundancy payments “the relevant date” in relation to the dismissal of an employee has the meaning given by this Article.

(2) Subject to the following provisions of this Article, “the relevant date”—

(a) in relation to an employee whose contract of employment is terminated by notice, whether given by his employer or by the employee, means the date on which the notice expires,

(b) in relation to an employee whose contract of employment is terminated without notice, means the date on which the termination takes effect, and

(c) in relation to an employee who is employed under a contract for a fixed term which expires without being renewed under the same contract, means the date on which the term expires.

(3) Where the employee is taken to be dismissed by virtue of Article 171(3) the “relevant date” means the date on which the employee’s notice to terminate his contract of employment expires.

(4) Where the employee is regarded by virtue of Article 173(4) as having been dismissed on the date on which his employment under an earlier contract ended, “the relevant date” means—

(a) for the purposes of Article 199(1), the date which is the relevant date as defined by paragraph (2) in relation to the renewed or new contract or, where there has been more than one trial period, the last such contract, and

(b) for the purposes of any other provision, the date which is the relevant date as defined by paragraph (2) in relation to the previous contract or, where there has been more than one such trial period, the original contract.

(5) Where—

(a) the contract of employment is terminated by the employer, and

(b) the notice required by Article 118 to be given by an employer would, if duly given on the material date, expire on a date later than the relevant date (as defined by the previous provisions of this Article),

for the purposes of Articles 23(3), 190 and 197(1) the later date is the relevant date.

(6) In paragraph (5)(b) “the material date” means—

(a) the date when notice of termination was given by the employer, or

(b) where no notice was given, the date when the contract of employment was terminated by the employer.

(7) Where an employee is taken to be dismissed for the purposes of this Part by virtue of Article 172(1), references in this Part to the relevant date are (unless the context otherwise requires) to the notified date of return.

Provisions supplementing Articles 173 and 176

181.—(1) In Articles 173 and 176—

(a) references to re-engagement are to re-engagement by the employer or an associated employer, and

(b) references to an offer are to an offer made by the employer or an associated employer.

(2) For the purposes of the application of Article 173(1) or 176(1) to a contract under which the employment ends on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday—

(a) the renewal or re-engagement shall be treated as taking effect immediately on the ending of the employment under the previous contract if it takes effect on or before the next Monday after that Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and

(b) the interval of four weeks to which those provisions refer shall be calculated as if the employment had ended on that next Monday.

(3) Where Article 173 or 176 applies in a case within Article 172(1)—

(a) references to a renewal or re-engagement taking effect immediately on, or after an interval of not more than four weeks after, the end of the employment are to a renewal or re-engagement taking effect on, or after an interval of not more than four weeks after, the notified day of return, and

(b) references to provisions of the previous contract are to the provisions of the contract under which the employee worked immediately before the beginning of her maternity leave period.