Mr. Rob Walsh:

The 12-month rule can be set aside in certain circumstances, for example, in the case of redundancy or where circumstances fundamentally change, such as location or hours or if there is a change to the nature of the work. In those circumstances, a person can move on within the 12 months. As Ms Ward said, normally, there is no restriction on changing employment after 12 months, but the protection is there to try to strike a balance for both the employer and the employee.