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Employment contracts

Employment contracts – the legal side and what it all means

Now, we’re sure you’ve come across several an employment contract or two during your time on this planet. Nonetheless, here are a few key points about employment contracts that you may not be aware of:

• An employment contract does not necessarily need to be in writing to be valid (although you should have written contracts)
• An employment contract begins as soon as an offer of employment is made (whether orally or in writing)
• Amendments can be made to employment contracts as long as both parties agree
• The majority of employees are entitled to a written statement of the primary terms and conditions of employment, even if you don’t issue a written contract

Plus, there can still be other factors that can be considered contractual even if these aren’t included in a written contract to your employees. Confused? Then please don’t panic.

Many employers have acquired several new wrinkles and lost quite a bit of hair over the legalities of employment contracts. We don’t what that happening to you, which is why we’re here to help.

Terms & conditions vs the employment contract

Whether you decide to issue a written employment contract or not, all of your employees are entitled to a written statement of their terms and conditions (Ts & Cs) of employment within two months of starting work. It doesn’t matter if they work one hour a week or forty. There are several areas you MUST cover in your Ts & Cs, these include:

• The date employment started
• Where the job is based
• The rate of pay and when this will be paid
• Holiday entitlement
• Sick pay

If you don’t cover everything you need to in your Ts & Cs then you could put your business at risk of employment tribunal claims. And we’re pretty sure you’ll want to avoid that nightmare.

How we can help

Our experienced and helpful HR team know a thing or two about employment contracts, and we’re more than happy to help create a watertight contract that works for you. We have the ability to:

• Review your current employment contracts
• Explain best practices and what’s useful to include
• Provide a template contract
• Create specifically tailored employment contracts for any employee / job

Having an employment contract that meets all the necessary legal duties can bring a sigh of relief and help you sleep at night. And if you’re anything like us, you’ll love a good night’s sleep.