Employment Contract Solicitors for Employers
Employment contract law is a tricky area for many employers. It’s important to get it right, for both your own security and that of your employees.
Employment contracts are usually a written document which both the employee and employer sign at the beginning of a period of employment. A properly written, signed contract is a legal document which binds both you and your employee to the conditions it contains, as long as those conditions are allowed by law.
Why should employers have a written employment contract?
Many employers (and employees) assume that if there’s nothing in writing, there’s no contract. This is not the case, however; a verbal contract of employment is still a contract under employment law. Many employers are often surprised by how many rights are given to employees by such informal arrangements.
For this reason, it’s recommended that, as an employer, you always have a written contract with each of your employees – it gives both of you more security and certainty.
If you’re unsure what to include in your employee’s contract, it’s worth speaking to an employment law solicitor. Once signed, an employment contract is legally binding upon you as well as your employee.
What should an employment contract include?
You can use an employment contract to be clear about your expectations and what the contractual and non-contractual benefits are. In addition, you can add clauses, such as restrictive covenants. These can prevent employees from poaching clients and key employees in your business, even after they leave your employment.
Blog | Restrictive covenants: are they enforceable?
Poorly drafted clauses may not be legally binding. It is therefore important that they are clear, considered and well drafted to ensure they are enforceable upon any employee you wish to restrict after they leave your employment.
Even though it’s possible to alter an existing employee’s contract or agree a new one with them, this requires you to follow correct procedure which can be complicated depending on the terms of the original agreement.
Get in touch with our employment contract lawyers in Bristol today
If you’ve got questions about contract law or want advice on writing an employment contract, our employment lawyers can help. We advise employers across the UK from our offices surrounding Bristol and South Gloucestershire, in Bedminster, Bishopston, Bristol city centre, Kingswood and Thornbury.
To speak to our specialist employment contract solicitors, call us on 0117 325 2929 or complete our online enquiry form.