Continuous service

Find a definition of continuous service, and whether it applies to a staff member who is moving between a maintained school and academy.

Last reviewed on 19 April 2022
School types: All · School phases: All
Ref: 30181
Contents
  1. What is continuous service?
  2. Moving between employers

What is continuous service?

It's when an employee has worked for 1 employer without a break.

Continuous service is calculated from the first day of work. Certain employee rights depend on length of service, including:

  • Maternity pay
  • Flexible working requests
  • Redundancy pay

Certain events which would ordinarily amount to a break in employment still count towards a continuous employment period and aren’t counted as a break in employment. These include:

Days when employees are on strike don't count towards continuous service, but this isn't treated as a break. For example, if an employee works for