Employment Contracts

Since 6 April 2020, all employees must be provided a written contract of employment from the first day of their employment. There are certain terms that employment contracts must include by law. 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

Employers may also want to consider additional terms to ensure their protection should a dispute arise. These terms often include:

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

Can I change the terms of employment contracts?

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 here: Varying the terms of an Employment contract – Gardner Leader Solicitors (gardner-leader.co.uk)

What are the benefits of having an employee handbook?

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

For more information on how we can support you and your business, please contact our employment law team by selecting their profiles below or by calling 01635 508080.