Contracts of employment come in all shapes and sizes, but if you're in full time employment and not a freelancer there are certain guarantees you should be entitled to. If your contract doesn't contain these things, your employer is breaking the lawy – and if you're the employer, well – you could be leaving yourself open to costly legal battles should your employees feel litigious. Take a look through your employment contract and make sure you're covered in these key areas:



Must Have an employment contract

Would you believe that having a contract of employment is actually first on our list? Within 2 months of starting work, an employee is legally obliged to be given a written statement of their employment terms.

Employees must get an itemized payslip

At every pay interval, the employee is entitled to an itemized payslip which should outline earnings and deductions for that period. The law also protects the employee against unauthorized deductions and guarantees him/her a minimum wage. For adults over 22 in the UK, this is currently £5.52 per hour, and due to change to £5.73 from October 1st.

An Employee is entitled to time off

Since last year, employees are guaranteed a minimum of 24 days holiday time – though that includes bank holidays. Workers are also entitled to leave for union activities and parental duties. Under-18s are allowed time off for study and training, and if the employee is facing redundancy, they're entitled to paid leave to look for work. An employee's time off should be clearly written in their contract of employment.

The employee's rights to a safe and healthy environment

There's certain legislation in place that all employers must adhere to that ensures that the employee's work environment is as free of dangers as is possible. This covers the obvious from building safety codes to enforcing rest breaks and a maximum number of hours per week (currently 48, though workers can opt out).

The employee's rights to be free of discrimination

From the second a potential employee attends an interview until the day they leave the job; it's within an employee's rights not to be discriminated against based on race, religion, age, sex or sexual orientation.

The employee's right to not be dismissed unfairly

All employers are currently required to follow a set procedure for the sacking of staff, and must provide reasons. If the procedure is not followed, then the employee's rights allow him/her to claim compensation.

There are many more ins and outs, but these are the main ones. Remember that there are many different conditions depending on your sector (members of the police automatically give up their right to a maximum number of hours, for example), so if you have any doubts, don't be afraid to take your contract of employment to your Citizens' Advice Bureau. If you're an employer and are concerned that your employment contracts aren't up to scratch, it may be time to hire a lawyer to make sure you're all in check. It may be costly – but not as costly as being sued!