Contracts that
protect you.

Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees and workers are entitled to a written statement of their main terms, including pay, hours, holiday, notice and job details, from their first day. Missing or incomplete paperwork can add to the compensation awarded in some tribunal claims. A well-drafted contract does more than meet the minimum: it records what has actually been agreed, so there is less room for argument later.

The terms that matter most often only come into focus when something goes wrong. Notice periods, payment in lieu of notice, garden leave, sick pay, bonus and commission, confidentiality and restrictive covenants all need to be drafted with your business in mind. Generic templates rarely fit the way you actually work, and a poorly worded clause can be difficult or impossible to rely on.

Contracts also need to work for different kinds of staff. Employees, workers, fixed-term staff, people on zero-hours or variable-hour arrangements and senior managers each have different rights and risks. Employment status depends on the reality of the relationship, not just the label in the document, so it is worth getting the structure right at the outset.

Changing terms later usually requires the employee’s agreement and a fair process. The Employment Rights Act 2025 is reforming the law in this area, including on dismissing and re-engaging staff to change their terms and on zero-hours work, with changes being phased in. We review existing contracts, update them for current law and help you introduce changes properly.