The Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/2034) are a UK statutory instrument aimed at protecting employees who have fixed-term contracts of employment.

The regulations are in part intended to implement the European Union's Fixed-term Work Directive 1999 (99/70/EC) on fixed term workers.

[1] The principle of the Directive on which the Regulations are based is that a person with a fixed-term contract should not be treated less favourably than a comparable permanent co-worker.

But in a decision by the European Court of Justice, Macarthy v. Smith [1980] ECR I-01275, it was held that a woman could compare herself for the purpose of Art.

141, the equal treatment provision on which the FTW Directive is based) with her predecessor in employment.