Contract renewed again and again, then not renewed?
You worked contract after contract, and now there is no new one.
You signed contract after contract, each for a few months. The job felt permanent in everything but paper.
Then no new contract came.
A contract that keeps being renewed can look like ongoing employment, even though each one ends on its own. Non-renewal after a long pattern raises real questions under unfair dismissal law.
Can non-renewal of a fixed term contract be a dismissal?
In some circumstances, yes. Renewals that were frequent or automatic, or that you were led to expect, can make non-renewal count as a dismissal.
A single, genuinely time limited contract that simply expires is different from a long pattern used to avoid giving someone permanent status. The renewal history matters.
What should you look at in your own history?
Count the renewals in your contract history and whether there were ever gaps between contracts.
Note anything said about future renewal, such as a verbal assurance, an email about next year’s contract, or a review that assumed you would stay.
Who has to justify a non-renewal like this?
If your non-renewal is treated as a dismissal, your employer must show a genuine reason not to renew.1
A vague or unexplained non-renewal after years of automatic renewal is harder to defend than the end of a clearly time limited project contract.
How much time do you have to act?
If you treat non-renewal as a dismissal, you have 60 days from your last contract’s end to file a Section 20 representation.2 This is the written claim you lodge to say your dismissal was unfair, and it goes to the Director General of Industrial Relations.
If a claim succeeds, remedies can include reinstatement, meaning getting your job back, or back wages, the salary you lost while out of work. The same caps apply as in other unfair dismissal claims.3
What should you do this week?
Gather every contract you signed, in order, with any renewal letters or emails about your ongoing role.
If you were treated as an employee despite a different label on paper, read about being classified as a gig worker when you are really an employee. Then use the deadline calculator to check your window.
If you plan to claim and want a lawyer to handle it, request lawyer contact first; only after an identified independent lawyer has contacted you and specifically requested the material, send your contract and renewal dates directly to that lawyer. They can review whether it is a case they can act on.
Your fixed-term contract was renewed repeatedly and then ended. An independent employment lawyer can review the renewal history and take it forward if you have grounds for a claim.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.
Common questions
Does a fixed term contract just end automatically with no rights?
Sometimes, if it was genuinely time limited and always meant to end on that date. Repeated, near automatic renewal over a long period changes that and can support treating non-renewal as a dismissal.
How many renewals does it usually take before this matters?
There is no fixed number, so the full pattern matters more than any one renewal. A long history with short or no gaps between contracts strengthens the argument.
What if my last contract said clearly that it would not be renewed?
A clear, written statement that the contract would end without renewal makes your position harder, though not automatically impossible depending on when it was given. At an agreed consultation with an identified lawyer, bring the exact wording and timing for review.
Can I still claim if I was called a contractor, not an employee?
The label in your contract does not always decide the question, because courts look at how the relationship worked in practice. A lawyer can assess whether it points to real employment.
Sources
- In an unfair dismissal case the burden of proof rests on the employer to show just cause or excuse for what happened. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
- An employee who believes they were dismissed without just cause may file a Section 20 representation within 60 days of the dismissal. Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
- Back wages awarded by the Industrial Court are capped at twenty four months for a confirmed employee and twelve months for a probationer. DNH
Keep reading
Your fixed-term contract was renewed repeatedly and then ended. An independent employment lawyer can review the renewal history and take it forward if you have grounds for a claim.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.