Employment contract

About this employment contract

Employers in the construction sector are required to comply with the terms set out in the Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2017. This order fixes the statutory minimum pay, pension and sick pay entitlements for workers employed in the construction sector. 

This employment contract covers all legal requirements for information to be given to an employee. It is a carefully considered framework for fair and full protection of the employer and compliance with organisational requirements. Use of plain English makes editing easy and allows it to be understood by all parties.

The size of the employer organisation is not important, nor is the position of the employee (this contract can be used for management too, but Net Lawman does provide employment contract documents written more precisely for senior staff.)

Specifics for different jobs, such as duties and training provision, can be added easily if required, either within the existing text, or by reference to a job description. In this "information age", all Net Lawman employment contracts are very strong on protection of the employer's secrets and confidential information.

When to use this employment contract

• for any new employee;
• to replace your existing contracts which may be out of date;
• for any level of employee, though most appropriate to junior and mid-level staff;
• the employee may be permanently employed (full or part-time) or temporary;
• for organisations of any type: companies, charities, trusts, partnerships, governmental organisations and others.

Employment contract features and contents

• Standard employment contract complying with current law. All standard terms of written statement as described by the Terms of Employment (Information) Acts 1994 and 2001;
• Complying with statutory requirements under the Sectoral Employment Order (Construction Sector) 2017;
• Provisions to allow you to comply with the Data Protection Act 2018;
• Compliant with Organisation of Working Time Act 1997, Organisation of Working Time (Records)(Prescribed Form and Exemptions) Regulations 2001, Sick Leave Act 2022 and the European Union (Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions) Regulations 2022;
• Strong on protection of employer's confidential information;
• Specifics for different jobs, such as duties and training requirements, can be added easily - either within the text, or by reference to a job description;
• Structured so as to minimise the administrative burden of legal compliance.

The contract of employment includes the following paragraphs:

• Start and continuity;
• Probationary period (also called trial period);
• Job title and description;
• Training; 
• Place of work;
• Hours of work;
• Salary;
• Overtime
• Expenses;
• Leave for holidays and other reasons;
• Sickness and sick pay;
• Pension;
• Other business and employment;
• No competition;
• Confidentiality;
• Intellectual property;
• Collective agreements;
• Staff handbook and company policies;
• Disciplinary and grievance procedures;
• Termination;
• Procedure after termination;
• Summary termination;
• Reconstruction or amalgamation;
• Data protection;
• Severance and invalidity.

Practicalities this employment contract covers

A contract, written or verbal is made as soon as the employee accepts a job offer. So as to minimise future misunderstandings, we recommend providing a written employment contract with the offer letter, so that the employee can return an acceptance letter with a signed copy of the contract.

The employer must give basic information to all employees within 5 days of starting a job. This is known as a “written statement of terms of employment”. This information includes names and addresses of both employer and employee, place of work, duration of the contract, the rate of pay and pay reference period, as well as the working hours and week, job title, probationary period etc. Other than these core terms, the employer has a legal obligation to provide the employee with the remaining terms within one month of starting a job such as an employee’s remuneration, overtime pay, entitlement to annual leave and sick leave, pension and a reasonable notice period of termination. This employment contract includes all the necessary information to act as a written statement so that you don’t need to provide this information separately in a letter or another document.

Other employment policies and procedures not within the written statement of terms and conditions of employment (such as data protection) could be included in the employment contract. However, especially when you have many employees, changing each employee’s contract of employment (and ensuring consistency between employees) every time a new law changes can be time consuming and difficult. It is usual, therefore, to place all procedures and policies common to all staff in an employee handbook and refer to the handbook in the employment contract. This is the approach Net Lawman recommends.