Employee Contract & Staff Handbook Review

An employee contract review has never been more important than now. From 6 April 2020 the law requires employees and workers to be given a statement specifying certain particulars of employment – something commonly known as a section 1 statement.  This has to be provided no later than when the employee starts work.

Most employers will, however, want to issue employment contracts which, as well as fulfilling the legal requirements of s1 statements, tend to contain additional provisions which are usually favourable to the employer.

Assuming that every employee has signed an employment contract, it is then a question of periodically reviewing and updating them where necessary. For example, how many organisations have found themselves in a situation whereby a senior client-facing employee leaves in order to join a competitor but is not bound by any restrictive covenants because the only employment contract on file has not kept up with the employee’s evolving seniority over the course of many years?

With the COVID 19 pandemic there has been a massive shift towards both flexible and homeworking. Homeworking in particular raises a number of issues around health and safety, data protection and confidentiality. Most work based employment contracts do not deal with homeworking adequately.

Filor Solicitors can undertake a review of  employee contracts, directors’ service agreements, and staff handbooks making sure they are both fit for purpose, and reflect an organisation’s future business requirements.

Contracts which can be provided include full and part-time employment, fixed term,  flexible working, zero hours and directors’ service agreements.

For self-employed individuals, consultancy agreements based upon contractor only, or through third party service companies can also be provided. In April 2020 important new rules came into force for private sector organisations (subject to a small business exemption) whereby the onus for making sure IR35 does not apply has been shifted to the hiring company.

Filor Solicitors can provide over 20 different staff policies either for new staff handbooks, or for adoption into existing ones.