HL Deb 18 January 1995 vol 560 cc39-40WA
Earl Russell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether, in cases in which workers leave a job when offered a change of contract involving worse terms and conditions, they will not be treated as voluntarily unemployed.

Lord Inglewood

When people leave employment because their employers want to impose on them, other than by general agreement, a change in the terms and conditions of their employment which makes them substantially less favourable than before, the employment may have been brought to an end because of a breach of contract by the employer. In these circumstances we would not consider the person to have left employment voluntarily.

Where an alteration does not amount to a breach of contract, the person may have left voluntarily, but the imposition of the new conditions may provide just cause for leaving.

This information is contained in the Adjudication Officers' Guide, which is available in the Library.