Short Term Contract coming to end - time off for interviews?

[titchy]

I'm doing a maternity cover ATM so my contract will end in three months time. I'll have had a year's service.

The question is, if I was formally being made redundant I would be allowed paid time off for interviews, but I'm not being made redundant - my contract is just ending, so am I entitled to paid leave to go to an interview or do I have to use what little holiday I have left?

Also do I have to right to ask my employer to 'red-circle' possible vacancies and give me preferential treatment, again like they would have to in a redundancy situation?

Flowery, Ribena, anyone?

Sorry should have added thanks in advance!

It's very long-winded but have a read of BERR here about fixed term employees.

The reason for the termination of a fixed term contract is often redundancy, even if it's the end of the contract, although not always and in the situation where you are covering for a temporarily absent permanent member of staff like you have been, it wouldn't be redundancy, so you don't get redundancy rights.

Regardless of that, an employer is obliged to make fixed term employees aware of permanent vacancies, give them access to apply for them, but not preferential treatment I'm afraid. You ought to have been made fully aware of how to find out about permanent vacancies.

HTH

Ok that's clear - thanks! (And yes I do know how to apply for jobs here).

Now just got to find a new job that pays well, uses my skills and fits in with school run....