New job, new terms?

[El D]

Hi all, am curious - a friend of a friend works for the LA in one of the local secondary schools. It has just been rebranded in the govt initiative as a specialist school - this means that her job post has changed. Contingent in her contract is the standard 6 month probationary period - she is not happy about this as she thinks the hiring and firing boss will use it to shake things up in a few months. She has worked at the LA for almost 15 years now.

Is there any way in which, as the job change was mandatory, she can ask for the 6 months probation to be removed, or could she, if dismissed, have some recourse in employment law due to her long service and enforced job change?

[NiceCupOfTea]

So she's doing the same job but for a different employer? If so, were there no TUPE agreements? Not knowing all the ins and outs, I'd advise she contacts her Trade Union rep. I'm cynically unsuprised that they're trying to bring in a Probationary period, as it's much easier to lay people off if they're 'still' in their probationary period.

[brachiopod]

Just a small point, but I believe you have something like 90 days to accept changes to your Terms and Conditions in circumstances like this. So hold off signing, and use the time to get some advice.

[El D]

No its the same employer (LA) but the job has changed (ie they are making her do more for the same money) so technically it is a new job subject to this period - but as mentioned above there are other factors at work. I don't know whether support staff have a union as the teachers do.