At Ashtons Legal, our specialist employment contract solicitors can help employers navigate all types of employment contract matters and HR policies.
When dealing with employment law issues, we will always help you protect your best interests while considering your priorities as an employer. Our team will gain an in-depth understanding of your needs, allowing us to provide support that aligns with your objectives.
Our specialist team can provide advice on employment contracts and HR policies, such as:
- Drafting employment contracts
- Updating employment contracts
- Guidance on restrictive covenants
- Contract disputes
- HR policies
Contact our Employment Contracts and HR Policies Solicitors Today
To access employment contract advice, please contact our employment contract solicitors in Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich and Leeds.
When you work with us, we can provide HR consultancy support, as well as legal support, depending on your needs.
How our Employment Contract Solicitors can help
Drafting employment contracts
Our experts at Ashtons Legal can help employers draft employment contracts that align with the needs of their company and comply with the relevant employment laws.
With perfectly drafted contracts, you’ll lessen the likelihood of disputes later on and protect your interests as an employer.
We can help you create employee contracts that improve employee retention, as well as contracts that safeguard you when having to make redundancies. Whatever your specific requirements are, we can help.
At Ashtons Legal, we can help you to draft a wide range of contracts, such as:
- Employment contracts for new starters
- Employment contracts for existing staff, e.g. promotion
- Changing terms of employment
- Director’s service agreements
- Apprenticeships
- Casual worker contracts (staff who do not have employment status)
- Atypical working arrangements – volunteers, secondments.
To access employment contract legal advice for employers, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team.
Updating employment contracts
Our expert solicitors can help you to update employment contracts where necessary, for example, in response to changes in employment law.
We realise that it can be difficult to keep up with various legislative changes, which is why we help clients review their employment contracts at appropriate intervals, ensuring both compliance and protection.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of employment contract law, please get in touch with our experts at Ashtons HR Consulting.
Guidance on restrictive covenants
At Ashtons Legal, we can provide specialist advice on restrictive covenants. We can help you to establish your company interests that might require protection, whether that’s intellectual property or trade secrets, and then draft the relevant clauses to protect your company.
Clauses that might be appropriate depending on the circumstances include non-solicitation, non-compete, non-poach or confidentiality agreements.
To learn more, please get in touch with our employment contract lawyers for employers.
Support with contract disputes
If you are faced with contract disputes, we can help you solve them as quickly as possible whilst safeguarding your interests and following employment law regulations.
Our team can assist employers with various types of contract disputes, including, but not limited to:
- Breach of contract disputes, where either party has not adhered to the terms of the contract
- Disputes regarding salary or wage, for instance, where an employee does not believe they have been paid the correct amount
- Unfair dismissal claims
Our employment contract solicitors can often help clients solve contract disputes through alternative dispute resolution processes, saving you the stress and cost of Court proceedings.
HR policies
Our expert solicitors can help you draft and review your HR policies to ensure that you are compliant with employment law and have policies and procedures in place that work for your company.
Examples of HR policies that we can assist you with include:
- Health & safety policies
- Sickness and absence policies
- Disciplinary and grievance policies
- Whistleblowing policies
- Equality and discrimination policies
- Anti-harassment (including sexual harassment) and bullying policies
- Flexible working policies
- Maternity and paternity policies
- Data protection policies
Without the appropriate HR policies in place, employers are more likely to face disputes as a result of unclear rules, rights and processes.
Certain HR policies are required by law in the UK, such as health and safety and disciplinary and grievance policies. However, there are several policies that are not legally required but are well advised to protect both parties, such as social media policies or recruitment policies.
Our team can assist you with HR policy procedures, including making any necessary amendments to reflect changes in employment law.
For more information about HR policies in the UK, please get in touch.
Employment Contracts and HR Policies Fees for Employers
Our employment law fees vary depending on your circumstances and the kind of support you need. In some situations, we can provide fixed fees, other cases will be charged at an hourly rate. Be assured you will be provided with an accurate break down of your fees at the start.
When receiving employment law help, many companies like to do so on a retainer basis, if you would like to do so, we have three retainer options, including:
- A standard retainer
- A premium retainer
- A telephone helpline
If you have any questions about fees or related financial concerns, including employment tribunal penalties for employers, our experts would be more than happy to discuss these with you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Employment Contracts and HR Policies
What HR policies are legally required?
There are several HR policies required by UK law; these include:
- Health & safety
- Disciplinary, grievances and dismissal
- Equality, diversity and equal opportunities
- Whistleblowing
It is also strongly advised that employers adopt clear policies for various other areas, including policies for sickness and absence, maternity and paternity, and data protection policies.
These policies are not an exhaustive list of the recommended HR policies, and though not all are required under UK law, they are well advised to prevent disputes and legal claims.
To access employment contract legal advice for employers today, please get in touch with our specialist team.
Should HR policies be contractual?
HR policies are often non-contractual and rather included as part of a staff handbook. This is usually so that policies can be updated, if necessary, in response to changes in employment law without the requirement of adjusting an employment contract.
That said, certain HR policies, or specific elements of them may be necessary to include in employment contracts. For example, policies related to termination, holiday entitlement, pensions and pay.
To learn more about employment contract law in the UK, please get in touch.
How often should HR policies be reviewed in the UK?
It is recommended that employers review HR policies on an annual basis to ensure compliance and that the policies reflect the employer’s needs.
What needs to be included in an employment contract?
An employment contract must include a principal statement, which details the particulars of the employment, stating the following (though this is not an exhaustive list):
- The name of the employee and the employer
- A description of the employee’s job and the date that their employment will commence
- The amount that the employee will be paid, as well as when they will be paid
- The employee’s working hours/days/shifts
- How much holiday they are entitled to receive
- Details of the place/location that the employee will work
- Details of any probation period
The employer will also need to provide the employee with a more detailed written statement that details information such as:
- Any pension schemes
- Any training provided
- Disciplinary and grievance procedures
Are employment contracts legally required?
Employment contracts are not technically a legal requirement; however, employers are not advised to employ anyone without providing a contract. Ambiguous employment terms are more likely to result in disputes, costing the employer time, money and potentially their reputation.
Although employment contracts are not legally required, according to the Employment Rights Act 1966, employers are required to provide employees with details about their key terms of employment. Often, such terms of employment are easier stated in a legal contract, offering protection for both parties.
If you would like to discuss any aspect of employment or HR contracts, please get in touch with our specialists at Ashtons HR Consulting.
Why choose our Employment Contracts and HR Policies Solicitors?
At Ashtons HR Consulting, we have extensive experience supporting employers and HR managers with employment contracts and HR policies. We will always ensure to cater our support to your bespoke needs. It is always our focus to offer simple solutions, helping you to protect the interests of your employees and your business.
Keeping up with employment law requirements can be a challenge, yet rest assured, our team can support you to ensure compliance and safeguard your business.
If you would like to learn more about our team and our processes, please get in touch with our employment law team.
Contact our Employment Contracts and HR Policies Solicitors Today
To access employment contract advice, please contact our employment contract solicitors in Bury St Edmunds, Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich and Leeds.
When you work with us, we can provide HR consultancy support, as well as legal support, depending on your needs.