Why Your Employees Should Have Written Employment Contracts

9 July 2018

Employer's Duty To Tell Employees Their Terms Of Employment

I often come across situations where employers have not given their employees written employment contracts. Or there is a contract, but it is based on one originally drafted many years ago, and no longer reflects the arrangements the employees work under. The problem is that properly drafted employment contracts and policies are not – or should not be – an optional extra for employers. They provide important protection for employers, as well as telling employees about the terms on which they are working.

In fact, giving your employees a written statement of their terms and conditions of employment is a legal requirement. That statement must be provided within two months of an employee’s start date, and can be in a formal contract, a list or a letter. The areas which need to be covered are job description, hours, holidays and sickness provisions, etc. If any of those change, then the employee must be given an updated statement within one month.

If you give your employees a comprehensive contract of employment it means that you are making it clear what’s expected of them. The contract can say what their duties are, and when and where they are to carry them out. It also means that you are on firmer ground if you have to take action against an employee because they’re not doing what they should do.

The next post will go into some of the details that should be in an employment contract.

Notes

To find out more about employment contracts and claims, click here.