A FORMER managing director has lost her unfair dismissal claim after falling just short of the 52 weeks’ continuous service needed to qualify for statutory protection.
Samantha Olliver joined trust and corporate services provider RFS Jersey on 13 January 2025.
On 14 November 2025, the company gave her 12 weeks’ notice of dismissal, meaning her employment was due to end on 3 February 2026 – after she would have completed a year’s service.
However, her employer later confirmed it was ending her employment earlier, on 31 December 2025 – while paying her for the remainder of her notice period.
Ms Olliver argued the letter was unclear and that her employment should be treated as ending on 3 February 2026, giving her the right to bring an unfair dismissal claim.
But the Jersey Employment and Discrimination Tribunal ruled the second letter “clearly communicate[d]” that the termination date had been brought forward to 31 December 2025.
As a result, Ms Olliver had not completed 52 weeks’ continuous employment and did “not have sufficient length of service to qualify for the right not to be unfairly dismissed”, the tribunal found.
