Employment Contracts and Policies Advice for Employees
If you are an employer looking for advice on a contract, please visit our employer contracts page as this service page is for employees.
Whether you are: taking on a new role; your terms and conditions or employment policies are changing; or if you are unsure about what your terms of employment or employment status are, we are here to guide you.
When can we help you?
We can advise you whatever your level of seniority, before your employment begins, during your employment or after your employment ends.
Before your employment, we can assist you:
- to negotiate your terms of employment;
- to check whether the contract provided matches what you agreed and expected;
- by guiding you through the terms, some of which may contain legal terminology or be complex. We can draw your attention to some of the more onerous clauses and those that might continue after you leave employment, like confidentiality, IP and other post termination restrictions;
- by reviewing additional employment documents such as a bonus scheme document or policy documents and provide clarity on their terms.
If we are involved before you sign the contract and start work this is before you are legally bound by your employment contract and so there is time to rectify anything you do not agree with or you would like to improve. We are also able to make you aware of your additional obligations if you are a director signing a service agreement.
If a matter arises during your employment or after your employment has ended which you would like our assistance with, we can review your employment documents at that stage and advise you, depending on the facts in your case.
Who can we help?
We can help advise on your employment documents or policies whether you are:
- An employee;
- A worker;
- A self-employed contractor;
- A partner in a partnership of LLP; or
- A director.
If you are unsure of your employment status, we are able to assist you with that too.
What types of employment document can we help you with?
We can assist with a variety of employment documents, whether these be an employment contract, consultancy agreement, director’s service agreement, contract for services or zero-hour contract. Where appropriate, we are also able to offer guidance on your employer’s employment policy and procedure documents and their implementation of these.
What if my employer is trying to change the terms of my contract of employment?
With the working environment changing in recent years and the growth of hybrid working or working from home, it may be that your employer is looking to make changes to the location of your work, or other elements of your contract.
If your employer is looking to change your terms and conditions of employment, it may or may not have the contractual right to make the proposed change in the manner proposed. We can review your employment documents and discuss your individual circumstances and whether the changes might disadvantage you. You may have a claim for breach of contract or even unfair or constructive unfair dismissal if you are dismissed because you do not agree to the changes or if you resign in response to them, which we can assist you with.
Whether you are starting work with a new employer, starting a new role in the same business, or your role is being changed, if a change in circumstances at work mean you would like guidance on your employment situation and how your employer’s policies apply to you, we can help to ensure that you are receiving what you should be under your contract, whatever your employment status.
Go back to: Employment Advice for Employees
How to Get in Contact
Key Contact:
Samantha Jolliffe
Partner