Is the end of a fixed-term contract retrenchment?
- No. The end of a fixed-term employment, or a contract not being renewed, is not retrenchment s. 2(zh)(iii)–(iv).
- Under the model standing orders, no notice or pay instead is due when the contract expires or is not renewed order 23(2).
- You do not need five years for gratuity SS s. 53(1), second proviso.
The model standing orders are for industrial establishments with three hundred or more workers (IR Code s. 28(1)), and your employer's certified standing orders may differ. Elsewhere, check your appointment letter, and see what applies at a smaller workplace.
The citations are to the service sector's model. These points read the same for manufacturing (order 22) and mining (order 23).
Last checked 1 Nov 2026 · written from the official text · not reviewed by a lawyer. This explains the law in general and does not decide your case.