Contracts of Employment

Employment contracts. Legal guidance for your business.

Clear, well-drafted employment contracts protect your business and support effective workplace relationships.

Our employment solicitors help you create employment contract documentation that assist with the day-to-day running of your business and could prove invaluable if a dispute arises.

Expert employment contract services

At Morr & Co, our employment law specialists develop contracts that protect your business while ensuring you meets your legal obligations to your employees.

Whether you need standard templates or bespoke employment contracts, we provide practical solutions tailored to your business.

Our contract services include:

• Employment contracts and staff handbooks
• Directors’ service agreements
• Consultancy agreements
• Post-termination restrictions
• Complex bonus arrangements
• Contract reviews and updates

Employment contracts for a modern workplace

With the rise of remote and hybrid working, employment contracts need careful consideration. Our employment solicitors help you navigate these changes, ensuring your documentation reflects modern working practices while protecting your business interests.

Employment status and contractual arrangements

Understanding whether to engage individuals as employees, workers, self-employed contractors, directors, partners or consultants is crucial. Our employment law team guides you through:

• Determining appropriate employment status
• Assessing risks and benefits
• Creating suitable contractual arrangements
• Managing legal obligations effectively
• Implementing contract changes compliantly

Contract reviews and updates

Regular contract reviews ensure your employment documentation remains current and effective. In the event that you want to change a contract of employment, our employment solicitors help you:

• Update existing contracts to reflect legal changes
• Implement best practice approaches
• Manage consultation requirements

See our page on Changing terms and conditions for more details.

Employment contracts FAQs

Is a handwritten contract legally binding?

Any contract is binding provided it contains the key elements required for a legally binding agreement. These include offer, acceptance, consideration, intention to create legal relations, certainty of terms and of course that each party has the mental capacity to do so.

This means that a handwritten contract can be binding, as indeed can an oral contract. Nevertheless, having a professionally drafted written and comprehensive contract limits the likelihood of a dispute arising as to the precise terms agreed between the parties.

What does the law say must be included in a contract of employment?

The minimum information which must be included in a contract of employment is set out in Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act (1996). Most of the required terms are likely to come as no surprise (for example details of pay, hours and holiday entitlement).

However, there are some that are less obvious (such as details of training requirements and applicable collective bargaining by trade unions).

When must an employee receive a contract of employment?

A Section 1 statement must be given to the employee or worker ‘not later than the beginning of the employment’ although this is subject to some qualifications:

• Some particulars must be contained in a single document given by the beginning of employment
• Some particulars may be contained in a reasonably accessible document that the section 1 statement refers to
• Some particulars may be given in instalments but no later than two months after the start of the employment (or engagement)

It should be noted that the particulars to be provided are not confined to contractual matters only. So, for example, if the employee is eligible for a non-contractual bonus, this information should be included in the statement.