A doctor was employed on a series of fixed-term contracts.Her last contract was not renewed because her employer decided to make a permanent appointment to the role she had been performing. She interviewed for the position but was unsuccessful after a competitive recruitment process. Her employer mentioned an alternative role in a lower ranking post but did not discuss it with her. The doctor was given three months’ notice in writing of the end of her fixed term contract, without mention of a right of appeal or the possibility of alternative employment. She raised a grievance and requested an appeal against the termination of her employment. Her employer acknowledged that it should have offered a right of appeal against the non-renewal of her contract, but did not think that it would have changed the outcome. The doctor brought a succesful claim for unfair dismissal in the ET. Her employer appealed, arguing that informing her of vacancies as required by the Fixed Term Employee Regulations satisfied the requirements of fairness, or at least provided evidence in support of it having acted fairly.The EAT dismissed the appeal and concluded that compliance with the FTER doers not of itself create a defence to an unfair dismissal claim. The Tribunal was entitled to find that the dismissal was unfair due to the employer’s failure to expand upon its initial discussion with the doctor regarding alternative roles, and not providing a right of appeal against the non-renewal of her contract.
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