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If your company is taken over by another owner, the law protects many of your rights. When ownership of the business transfers, your terms of employment automatically transfer as well.

It should work as if your contract of employment had been agreed with the new owner when you started the job, although this doesn’t extend to pensions. Your rights come from the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006, which is commonly known as TUPE.

TUPE is extremely complex and time limits in the employment tribunal are very short. If your employer is threatening to downgrade your contract terms after a TUPE transfer, you should take legal advice as soon as possible.

If you’re a union member, you should consult your union so that a collective response and/or legal action can be considered.  

Common
questions
What are our rights when our company is taken over?
If a business is transferred from one owner to another, your terms and conditions of employment are automatically transferred as well. The position with regards to occupational pensions is more complex. 
How will a business transfer affect my pay and other terms and conditions of employment?
If a business is transferred from one owner to another, your terms and conditions of employment (except for pensions) are automatically transferred as well.
What happens to my pension rights in the event of my employment being transferred to a new owner?
Occupational pension rights are excluded from TUPE protection and do not transfer. However, there is some limited statutory protection under the Pensions Act 2004 and the Transfer of Employment (Pensions Protection) Regulations 2005. 
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