Employment Contracts and Handbooks

Helping you and your team to deliver the essentials.

An extension of your team

Our Employment Team advises businesses large and small, helping you to deliver a confident employee experience for staff and one which you can rely on if and when issues arise.

Getting the basics right

We’ll ensure that you meet the requirements of employment law, for example in relation to the terms that employment contracts must include. We can work with you to prepare employment contracts, other documents and policies which your business needs to operate smoothly.

We’ll ensure these documents reflect the particular requirements and nature of your operation.

The employment contract

You must provide all your employees with a written employment contract of employment from the first day of their employment. These include, but are not limited to

  • Job title and date of commencement
  • Hours to be worked and rates of pay
  • Details of any probationary period
  • Place of work, and whether work is expected outside of the UK
  • Holiday and sickness entitlements
  • Pension and any other benefits
  • Length of notice (or length of contract if a non-permanent position)
  • Training entitlements or requirements
  • Disciplinary and grievance rules
  • Whether collective agreements apply

Additional terms to consider should a dispute arise

  • Confidentiality
  • Data protection
  • Warranties
  • Restrictive covenants
  • Compliance with various policies
  • Lay-off and short term working

Our expert Employment Team will help you draft your employment contracts, ensuring they are compliant with relevant legislation to avoid potential disputes.

Related Areas

  • Employment Status
  • Equal Pay and Gender Gap Reporting
  • Harassment at Work
  • Redundancy Processes
  • Settlement Agreements
  • TUPE
  • Disciplinary Action

    • FAQs
    Can I change the terms of an Employment Contract?

    An employment contract may only be changed in the following ways:

    • In accordance with a flexibility clause contained in the contract itself
    • By express or implied agreement
    • By terminating the original contract and replacing it with another (in certain circumstances)

    You can find more information about varying the terms of an employment contract here.

    What is an Employee Handbook and what are the benefits?

    An employee handbook sets out policies and procedures that staff are expected to follow, and can supplement employment contracts.

    Having an employee handbook is not a legal requirement, however having one in place can help to set standards of behaviour, employee entitlements, and reduce the risk of disputes.

    Generally, the employee handbook will be contained in a document quite separate to the contract to seek to avoid creating additional contractual obligations.

    What should an Employee Handbook include?

    Employee handbooks can cover a wide variety of issues, including:

    • Anti-bribery and money laundering policy
    • Anti-harassment and bullying policy
    • Dress code
    • Expenses procedure
    • Equal opportunities policy
    • Mental health policy
    • Social media
    • Data Protection rules

    Got a question?

    Complete our enquiry form

    Ready to talk?

    03330 150960

    What our clients say

    Clients tell us how we deliver peace of mind.

    Contact us
    Rabika was very professional, friendly and easy to work with. Everything was done within the timeframe that I needed, highly recommend
    Client of Rabika Basran
    I was impressed with the quickness of replying to my initial query and the considerate and helpful manner of Rabika, along with her good advice, leading to a quick settlement and speedy resolution. Am already using Gardner Leader for a different matter as so pleased with their services.
    Client of Rabika Basran

    Meet the Employment Contracts Team

    Meet the Employment Contracts Team

    Related insights

    Related insights