united-kingdom contract-law employment
Verbal confirmation of contract extension but fell through?
<p>I have been working as an apprentice in a workplace for 1.5 years now in the UK. I was told verbally that I'd be kept on for the next level alongside another apprentice.</p>

<p>Shortly after this a message on teams and an email went around the department stating</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>"I'm delighted to say I have confirmed with the apprentices that subject to successful completion of their Level 3 qualification, they will be continuing with us and we will be supporting them through the Level 4 apprenticeship programme from 1st February 2019."</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Now 3 months down the line - 1 month before my original contract ends we have been told that we will not be being kept on even though we were told otherwise previously</p>

<p>Legally can my company do this in the UK?</p>

<p>Unless you can make a case for being dismissed under any of the "<a href="https://www.gov.uk/dismiss-staff/unfair-dismissals" rel="nofollow noreferrer">automatically unfair</a>" reasons laid out in employment law, then as you were employed after April 6th 2012 and have been employed for less than 2 years, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/dismiss-staff/eligibility-to-claim-unfair-dismissal" rel="nofollow noreferrer">you have no right in law to claim unfair dismissal</a>.</p>

<p>So yes, what the company did is entirely legal, unless you can establish your dismissal occurred under the aforementioned automatically unfair reasons.</p>

<p>You are either a worker or an employee under <a href="https://www.gov.uk/employment-status/employee" rel="nofollow noreferrer">UK employment law</a> and are protected from <a href="https://www.gov.uk/dismissal/unfair-and-constructive-dismissal" rel="nofollow noreferrer">unfair dismissal</a>. This means your employer must follow the procedures for dismissing you contained in your contract and must have a <a href="https://www.gov.uk/dismissal/reasons-you-can-be-dismissed" rel="nofollow noreferrer">valid reason</a>.</p>

<p>The fact that you were earlier promised ongoing employment is only relevant if it was not genuine at the time. Unfortunately circumstances change in business and what was true then may not be true now. Notwithstanding, they still need a reason.</p>
