Employers must provide a written statement of terms and conditions (Employment contract) to an employee within two months of them starting work. They must treat staff fairly and reasonably and not discriminate against a member of staff for any ‘protected’ reasons e.g. race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, part-time status, fixed term status etc. Employers should also follow a fair procedure prior to dismissing members of staff.

Contract law

A written statement of Employment particulars must include:

• the name of the organisation
• the employee’s name, job title or a description of work and start date
• if a previous job counts towards a period of continuous employment, the date the period started
• how much and how often an employee will get paid
• hours of work (and if employees will have to work Sundays, nights or overtime
• holiday entitlement (and if that includes public holidays)
• where an employee will be working and whether they might have to relocate
• if an employee works in different places, where these will be and what the employer’s address is

As well as the principal statement, a written statement must also contain information about:

• how long a temporary job is expected to last
• the end date of a fixed-term contract
• notice periods
• collective agreements
• pensions
• who to go to with a grievance
• how to complain about how a grievance is handled
• how to complain about a disciplinary or dismissal decision

Take a look at Contracts of Employment.
For more information see www.acas.org.uk

Staff handbooks

Alongside Contracts of Employment, Staff Handbooks contain all the key policies to help Employers to fairly manage their staff. We prepare bespoke Staff Handbooks to include the following policies as a minimum:

• Absence
• Adoption leave
• Anti-bribery
• Disciplinaries
• Grievances
• Health and safety
• Holidays
• Internet and Email
• Maternity leave
• Parental leave
• Paternity leave
• Performance management
• Shared Parental Leave
• Whistleblowing