Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment) Act 1985

20 Interpretation. U.K.

(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

• “former employer” has the meaning given by section 2;

• “permanent service” includes actual service, and calling out on permanent service includes calling into actual service;

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made under section 19;

• “regular forces” means the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines, the regular army and the regular air force or any reserve or auxiliary force which has been called out on permanent service, or which has been embodied;

• “reserve or auxiliary force” means the whole or any part of the Royal Naval Reserve (including the Royal Fleet Reserve), the Royal Marines Reserve, the Territorial Army, the Army Reserve, the Air Force Reserve, the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve or the Royal Auxiliary Air Force;

• “service in the armed forces of the Crown” means service in or with the regular forces;

• “umpire” and “deputy umpire” mean a person appointed as such under paragraph 5 of Schedule 2;

• “undertaking” includes any business, whether carried on by way of trade or not, and the activities of any body of persons, whether corporate or unincorporated;

• “whole-time service” means whole-time service in the armed forces of the Crown in the circumstances mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b) of section 1(1).

(2) Any reference in this Act to the performing of services shall be construed as including a reference to the undergoing of training.

(3) A period of whole-time service shall not be treated for the purposes of this Act as having ceased by reason of—

(a) any absence on sick leave; or

(b) any other absence on leave, unless it is leave on or pending release or demobilisation, or leave pending discharge.

(4) For the purposes of this Act, a person who—

(a) attends for the purpose of entering upon a period of whole-time service, but

(b) has been notified that he will not be immediately required to take up duty,

shall not be treated as having entered upon a period of whole-time service until he reports for duty; and any period before he is required for duty during which he is required to attend for purposes connected with his entry upon a period of whole-time service shall be disregarded.

(5) For the purposes of this Act, a person who is required to report for the purpose of being released, demobilised or discharged shall not, on reporting for that purpose, be treated as having entered upon a period of whole-time service under this Act.