Employment Contracts

Your obligations

All employers are legally obliged to give a written statement of the main terms of employment to new employees within two calendar months of their starting work. The document must contain basic details about the job.

Avoiding problems

The first question to ask is whether it is in your interest to limit yourself to providing such a statement, or if it would be better to have a more comprehensive employment contract for the employee to sign which deals in greater depth with the rights and obligations of both parties.

If the contract does not deal with certain issues, the law may imply terms into the contract, which could be more beneficial to the employee than you would like. By considering these matters before deciding to employ someone, you can avoid problems at a later stage.

For example, you can prevent an employee from poaching customers of the firm when the contract comes to an end by including carefully drafted restrictive covenants in the contract.

We can advise you on drawing up effective employment contracts for your employees.

Please email Richard Stephens to make an appointment or call 020 8370 2875.