TUPE stands for Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. These regulations aim to protect employees if the business they work for changes hands. TUPE applies to all businesses in the UK.   

TUPE applies to a “relevant transfer” which could be a business transfer a service provision change, or both. This guide aims to illustrate the differences between these different scenarios and the possible stages that a people professional may wish to follow before, during and after a TUPE process. Throughout this guide, we also use a case study based on a fictional medium-sized business, in order to illustrate common challenges people professionals are faced with in a TUPE situation.  

This guide is accompanied by the employment law page on TUPE. The law page describes the regulations, the legal remits around their application and how the courts consider cases in this area. The guide and the law page work together to establish the meaning and process of TUPE.   

Whilst this guide illustrates common examples of TUPE, no one TUPE process is the same. If you have individual queries regarding your organisation, or any possible TUPE transfer, the CIPD offer an employment law helpline for members. 

Member tool: CIPD Buddy BETA
Experiment with AI to find answers on this topic with our prototype. Login to explore CIPD Buddy

To continue reading, log in or become a member

Affiliate membership offers instant access to CIPD resources without the need for assessments or study, or explore your options to become a professional member of the CIPD to demonstrate your commitment to the world of work.

  • Access to exclusive, up-to-date resources
  • Become part of a community to learn, debate and connect with other people professionals
  • Free access to a series of CIPD learning courses and a discount on the rest of our catalogue

More on this topic

Employment law

Maternity, paternity, shared parental and adoption leave and pay

Explore our collection of resources around parental rights, including commonly-asked questions and relevant case law, and download infographics on what you need to know about maternity leave and pay

For Members
Employment law

Tracking UK law changes under the ERB

Keep up to date with what will change under the Employment Rights Bill, the Equality (Race and Disability) Bill and the plan to Make Work Pay

For Members
Thought leadership

UK employment law September 2025: Soon to be Employment Rights Act

This month: The soon to be Employment Rights Act, dismissal following personal use of a work computer and the Lidl GB and EHRC agreement

Data

Data hub

Explore the evidence behind workforce trends

Latest guides

Guide

Employee voice channels: Guide for people professionals

Practical advice for people professionals to maximise the impact of engaging with all employees through employee voice channels

For Members
Guide

People manager guide: Managing stress at work

Practical guidance for managers on preventing and reducing stress at work

For Members
Woman sitting at a laptop with notebooks
Guide

Learning and development for people professionals

This guide provides a practical introduction to the role of an L&D function in an organisation. It offers support on the key steps to offering effective L&D, including creating a learning strategy, undertaking a learning needs analysis, designing learning interventions and measuring the impact of learning.

For Members
Guide

Hiring overseas workers: Guide for HR professionals

This guide provides practical advice on carrying out key checks during recruitment to ensure an employee has the right to work, what visa considerations to make and practical aspects to consider when offering employment

For Members
All guides