With the new year now upon us many of our clients will be seeking guidance with regards to taking on new employees to cope with an anticipated increased workload in 2018.
We are frequently instructed by our clients to advise on and prepare formal contracts of employment for new starters and our team of employment law solicitors have the knowledge and expertise to ensure that you comply with your duties as an employer under the Employment Rights Act 1996.
It has been the law for some time now to provide your new employees with a statement of written particulars of employment. Such a document is crucially important as it will govern the majority of the working relationship between you and your employee. Not all contracts of employment are equal and there are important considerations to think about before writing a contract of employment such as:
1. The employee’s seniority in the organisation;
2. Whether a probation period is appropriate with a built-in period for review after a set number of months;
3. The confidential information that your new employee will have access to and how the information could potentially be miss-used if the information fell into the wrong hands;
4. Any applicable company pension scheme;
5. Whether you wish to restrict the activities of your employee after they have left your company e.g. with post termination restrictive covenants; and
6. Periods of garden leave (i.e. notice periods where the employee remains on the payroll but is not required to attend work)
As specialist employment law solicitors, we will be able to advise you as to the most appropriate terms for inclusion in the contract of employment. Taking on new members of staff is always an exciting time and it is worth taking advice if you are unsure as to how to draft a contract of employment. We have the experience to draft contracts of employment for directors, shareholders and managers regardless of their level in your organisation.
Should you require assistance please do get in touch by telephoning our office on 01858 414284.
Summerfield Browne have offices in London, Birmingham, Oxford, Cambridge and Leicester.
