The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

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.