Employment Contracts For Employers
At Cocks Lloyd Legal, our employment law solicitors specialise in drafting, reviewing, and updating your organisation’s employment contracts.
An employment contract is a legally enforceable agreement between an employer and employee that outlines the various conditions of the employment relationship.
Employment contracts include details such as the employee’s contact information, place of work, working hours, pay, duties, and rules regarding sickness and absence. It is crucial to ensure that an employment contract is carefully tailored to meet the business’s needs, ensuring clarity, relevance, and legal soundness. Additionally, by entering into an employment contract, an employer agrees to implied terms that may not be documented, such as the duty to provide work, pay wages, and ensure the employee’s health and safety. Our specialist Employment Law Solicitors, recognised in the Legal 500, are well-regarded for drafting employment contracts for businesses in Nuneaton and Warwickshire.
From our Nuneaton city centre offices, Cocks Lloyd Legal operates as a diverse, multi-lingual law firm, utilising advanced technology to deliver streamlined, modern, and highly effective employment law advice and representation. Our solicitors have extensive experience in employment law and have built a strong reputation for excellence with the UK’s top Barristers, King’s Counsel, Accountants, and Counsellors, who can support our employment law department when required. Our clients also benefit from our ability to instruct the country’s most respected expert witnesses.
Common Questions About Employment Contracts
Do I Need to Provide a Written Contract of Employment?
While there is no legal requirement to provide a full written employment contract, not having one can lead to misunderstandings about the terms of employment, potentially resulting in disputes. Therefore, it is important for businesses of all sizes to have well-drafted employment contracts that provide the necessary clarity and protection.
What Should Be Included in an Employment Contract?
There is no single definition of what should be included in an employment contract, but at a minimum, it should contain:
- Contact details of the employee
- Role title
- Place(s) of work
- Hours/days of work
- Overtime policy
- Details of remuneration, including base salary, bonuses, and other incentives
- How and when you will be paid
- Notice period (including details of any probationary period)
- Annual leave and absence policy
- Redundancy terms
- Dispute process
- IT equipment
- Working from home policy
- Restrictive covenants – such as non-compete clauses preventing an ex-employee from working for a competitor for a period after leaving
Depending on the specific employer, the role’s nature, and the type of employment, additional sections can be added to ensure clarity from the outset. The contract may also set out more general conditions regarding data protection/privacy, intellectual property rights, and monitoring.
Can Employment Contracts Be Changed During Employment?
If an employment contract is already in place, it may be possible to vary the conditions of employment, but only if the contract permits such a change, the employee agrees to the change, or the employee’s representatives agree to the proposed change. Some contracts contain ‘flexibility’ clauses that allow certain changes without seeking consent from the employee, e.g., where the contract states that the employer has the right to vary the employee’s hours of work. Even where a flexibility clause exists, it is still advisable to consult with the employee before making the change. If you wish to add specific flexibility clauses, ensure they are clear and concise to avoid potential future disputes.
Can You Assist with Employment Contracts After a TUPE Transfer?
Yes, under a Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE), where staff move from one business to another (e.g., during a merger or takeover), employees transfer on their existing terms and conditions of employment. Cocks Lloyd Legal can assist with all aspects of TUPE transfers, including updating employment contracts.
Why Choose Us?
One key element of business success is having a positive and productive team motivated to achieve the business’s growth objectives. Our Solicitors are businesspeople themselves, so they understand that every decision must encompass commercial reality. We receive most of our instructions through word-of-mouth recommendations because employers in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, and across the Midlands are confident that we have the knowledge and dedication to protect their best interests.
We focus on results and achieving them in the swiftest, most cost-effective way possible. Our Employment Law Solicitors handle your legal concerns, allowing you to concentrate on your organisation’s future.
Cocks Lloyd Solicitors provides exceptional Employment Contracts For Employers and Employment Law services to clients. People choose and recommend us not just in Nuneaton, Tamworth, Atherstone, Hinckley and Leicester, but across Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Leicestershire and the West Midlands, and the whole of the UK, because we get results.
To receive expert advice and representation regarding Employment Contracts For Employers and Employment Law, please contact us using the form below, call us on (0247) 6641642, email via the Request a Callback form on this contact page.