Employment Law and HR

Contracts and handbooks

Whether you have nothing in place or just need an expert review, our Employment Law specialists can carefully craft your employment contracts and employee handbooks to guarantee compliance and provide the flexibility you need as an employer.

Up-to-date, flexible, robust. Whatever contract or policy you’re drawing up, make sure these essential documents work for you by getting them drafted by a legally-qualified professional.

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How we help

Carefully crafted, compliant employment documents

When it comes to employment contracts and HR policies, relying on poorly drafted, off-the-shelf templates rarely ends well, leaving your business unable to take action where necessary and potentially exposed to legal risk.

At WorkNest, we can help you to ensure these cornerstone documents are fully fit for purpose and offer maximum protection for your organisation in any eventuality.

  • Tailored to company needs and internal processes
  • Manage different categories of workers with specific Contracts of Employment
  • Ensure compliance with an Employee Handbook of best-practice HR policies
  • Equip managers with process guides and letter templates from our Knowledge Hub, via myWorkNest
  • For immediate practical help, use our 24/7 advice line

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If your contracts and policies haven’t been updated in a while, chances are they’re not properly protecting your business interests. They may even be missing important information that means you’re not complying with the law, leaving you exposed.

As part of our Employment Law services, our team of highly-qualified legal experts will not only equip your business with all the documentation you need but will keep your contracts and policies under regular review, ensuring they reflect any major legal changes.

Plus, with access to our Employment Law advice line, you can uncomplicate any tricky contractual issues – and indeed any other employment-related issue – and get clarity on your legal obligations at any time.

Popular FAQs

Common contracts and handbooks queries and questions about our service, answered by our Employment Law and HR specialists.

What information should be included in an employment contract?

All written terms of employment have to provide a certain level of information to be compliant with legislation. Since the Good Work Plan came into force on 6 April 2020, the principal statement of employment terms must contain additional information. Download a full list of what needs to be included in an employment contract here.

What types of employment contract are there?

Permanent contracts, fixed-term contracts (either fixed by duration or a specified event), zero-hour contracts, contracts for workers and many more. Each will have its own specific requirements and it’s important to get them right to ensure your employee is on the correct type.

What policies should be included in an Employee Handbook?

There are no hard and fast rules but as a matter of best practice all handbooks should contain information on disciplinary and grievance procedures, absence management, holiday rules and entitlement, performance management, family friendly rights and policies, guidance on equal opportunities and data protection.

What are the risks of not having the right contracts in place?

Failing to provide an employee with a contract could lead to additional compensation being awarded to an employee who successfully makes another sort of claim against their employer. In addition, a number of practical problems could be caused by having incorrect contracts, such as paying too little (or too much) notice, getting holiday entitlement wrong and failing to protect legitimate business interests in the face of an employee leaving for a competitor.

I’m not sure whether my contracts are up to date or not. Can you help?

Absolutely. Employers often use the same contracts and policies for years, only realising they’re out of date when an issue arises. We can conduct a full MOT to assess any areas where they are outdated or fall short, then either replace or revamp them for maximum cover and effectiveness.

How often do HR policies need to be reviewed?

Whenever there are changes to UK employment legislation, such as the recent changes to bereavement leave or the Good Work Plan, it’s important to make sure your contracts, handbooks and policies are updated accordingly. We can take the pressure off by alerting you to any such changes and helping you to implement them in your documentation and practices.

Is there somewhere I can store these documents online?

Yes. Our online platform, myWorkNest, contains a secure area where you can house all your contracts, handbooks, policies and other important employment documents for easy access. That way, you can refer back to them at any time, ensure only correct versions are being used, and make them readily available to all new managers or HR personnel who might need them.

Where can I go for more advice on a particular employee issue?

If you’re not sure what you can and can’t do under your current contracts, thinking about changing an employee’s terms and conditions, or looking for guidance on carrying out a particular HR procedure, our fixed-fee Employment Law and HR service gives you unlimited access to dedicated experts for personalised, pragmatic advice.

Explore our fixed-fee Employment Law support

We do more than just contracts and handbooks...

Why choose us?

Experts in Employment Law & HR

At WorkNest, we’re known for our bespoke service and the quality of our support. Not only is our expertise unmatched, but we take the time to know you so that we can function as a true extension of your team.

  • Your own small team of dedicated experts
  • Commercial, pragmatic advice tailored to you
  • Bespoke contracts, policies and handbooks
  • Trusted by over 40,000 organisations
  • Recognised as a leading firm by The Legal 500

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