A comprehensive employment contract is central to your working life. Ensuring that it is fair and binding, and accurately reflects your expectations and obligations is crucial. Employment contracts solicitors from Simply.Law are able to offer you expert advice on the content or construction of your employment contract to ensure your rights are protected.

At Simply.Law, our member lawyers are well-used to giving fast, effective advice to employees seeking reassurance about their employment contracts. Our years of experience in employment law mean that we are ideally placed to swiftly identify and anticipate anything which is likely to cause you problems in the future.

Our service is dedicated to providing you, the individual, with the right lawyer for your situation, via a method which suits you best. We can connect you instantly with a solicitor who will able to begin advising you straight away.

Legally binding, yet not necessarily written down

Contrary to popular belief, an employment contract does not need to be written. It’s possible to have a verbal employment agreement too. If this is the case then you can legally request a written statement of employment within two months of beginning your work. Whilst this does not form a legal contract, it can be good to have as evidence of your role in the case of any disputes.

The basic idea behind an employment contract is to give both you and your employer a document to refer to, should any problems arise.

What is covered by an employment contract?

In a nutshell – everything! And probably far more than you think. All of the essential components of your working life, plus some which will have a wide-ranging effect on life outside work. As a bare minimum your employment contract should contain:

• the legal name of your employer
• your full name
• the address of your employer
• starting date of your employment
• all of your salary details; how much, when and where to, etc.
• details of any period of notice that you must give to leave your employment
• the full job title of your role

This list can be expanded upon according to circumstance. For example, it should set out if you are allowed to work from home for a period of time or whether you will be expected to work in different locations.

Your hours of work will be governed by the Working Time Regulations and you should assess these carefully. If you are required to work extra hours then make sure it is clear how many and when.

Simply.Law member lawyers are able to give clear, practical contractual advice which is centred around you. There are lots of tactics that employers will sometimes try to use to keep a contract favourable for them, and our member solicitors are familiar with all of these. Before you sign the contract you must make sure that you are familiar with all of the contractual details. Your Simply.Law member employment contracts solicitor will be able to assist you and give you solid, effective advice.

Not employed yet?

Not a problem. We are also experienced in reviewing and advising on potential contracts. It’s far better to get everything sorted at the beginning, so that you fully understand what you’re embarking upon, rather than trying to rectify problems later on.

The golden rule is, don’t sign unless you’re certain; get employment law legal advice first.

Can the terms of my employment contract be changed?

There are strict rules governing when the terms of your contract can be changed. Employment contracts solicitors will be able to advise you specifically. But essentially, to alter the terms of your contract requires written permission from you, and this also applies to a verbal contract. Any changes that are made without your permission could lead to a fundamental breach of contract, which could constitute grounds for making a claim with an employment tribunal.

All changes to be made should be confirmed with the employee and a written statement of the changes must be issued within one month.

Can my new employer give me one contract to sign and then replace it with another before I start work?

No. Once a legally binding employment contract has been established, you are both bound by its terms.

Employment law can be confusing and contracts are notoriously hard to understand. With the experience of Simply.Law member employment contracts solicitors behind you, you will be in a strong position to ensure that everything goes according to your plan.

Contact Simply.Law today to access the right employment law support