An individual has been employed on a number of fixed term employment contracts (consecutively, without any break in service) over a four year period in an organisation which has made a voluntary redundancy option available to its employees. Is this employee entitled to apply and to be considered?

If a fixed term employee has their contract renewed or if they are engaged on a new fixed-term contract when they already have a period of four or more years of continuous employment, the renewal or new contract takes effect as a permanent contract (unless employment on a fixed term contract was objectively justified or the period of four years has been lengthened under a collective or workplace agreement). Therefore the employee in question will be entitled to the voluntary redundancy option. Furthermore, a fixed term employee has the right not to be treated less favourably than a comparable permanent employee. Therefore, a fixed-term employee (whether or not permanent in status) should