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Employment contracts – arguably not the liveliest of topics to write about , but having advised businesses on employment matters for over twenty years I can tell you it is never boring when they are not fit for purpose . That goes for the business and the employee . But , in my opinion , getting them right is about much more than getting the legal protections in place , they are an opportunity for a business to demonstrate its commitment to delivering impact outside the financial bottom line .
Where to begin ? New start-up employers sometimes don ’ t even bother with written contracts at all but if you do not write it down , you open yourself to risk and , equally important , your employee does not have the security of a document confirming their employment and mutually-accepted arrangements around matters such as notice periods . In fact , it is a legal requirement to have certain employment information written
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down and if you don ’ t , you can face a claim .
When it comes to employment contracts , short and simple may look attractive ( especially for smaller companies ) but short and simple often means ambiguous and ill-defined . This can store up trouble down the line . It is unlikely that you can cater for every eventuality , but you can deal with the most common .
What to include will depend on the needs of your company and the level of seniority of your workforce but a good place to start is the basic information : hours , pay , holiday pay and the provisions around termination . Once all the basic requirements are in place , you can think about how your contracts can better complement and support the success of your business .
You can demonstrate , for example , your business ’ commitment to work / life balance by incorporating flexibility around working days , hours and location ; a generous
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holiday allowance ; gifting holiday during the festive season or an additional day for employee birthdays ; compensating for overtime ; an above-average fully paid allocation of parental leave , for male and female employees , would all be ways of demonstrating that yours is a business that cares for its employees . This , in turn , will attract the best employees and strengthen their overall commitment to the business .
If the source of a business ’ success is its people , then the secret to embedding success may be in your employment contracts . Conveniently , we have an employment contract self-assessment tool available for free on our website , so that businesses of all sizes , including start-ups , can self-assess whether their employment contracts reflect their commitment to delivering positive social outcomes .
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e : peterwoodhouse @ stoneking . co . uk t : 01225 326753 w : stoneking . co . uk twitter : @ StoneKingLLP |