Workers who were enrolled under contractual enrolment (e.g. under their contract of employment) and entitled workers who asked to join a scheme do not have the right to opt out. If they want to leave the scheme, they must cease membership in accordance with the scheme rules.

Eligible jobholders and non-eligible jobholders can opt out after they have been enrolled.

The opt out period is one month which starts when the worker gives the opt out notice to the employer or the date of the active membership was achieved, whichever is later.

For the opt out notice to be valid it must contain information about the jobholder, statements and warmings and a section entitled “what you need to know”

If the opt out notice is invalid then the period is extended to 6 weeks.

The employer must refund the jobholder any contributions that have been deducted from pay by the refund date, which is either:

• 1 month after the valid opt out notice
• If payroll closes before the notice is served, by the last day of the second payroll period.