What does the term “fire and rehire” mean?

The term “fire and rehire” is usually used to describe the practice where an employee’s contract of employment is terminated before that same employee is immediately re-employed by the same employer on new terms and conditions of employment. There has been calls for introducing new legislative protections in this area that continue to be rejected by the Government, however there has been a significant development out of the High Court in England in the case of USDAW & others v Tesco Stores Limited. Whilst not being binding in Northern Ireland, it is perhaps a sign of the increasing scrutiny employers might face across the UK if they seek to rely on 'fire and rehire' as a route to change