Contracts For Employees

With over 20 specialist highly experienced employment lawyers, based in many locations around England & Wales, we are an excellent choice for employers who need employment contracts drafted, updated or are dealing with issues relating to existing employment contracts, policies or procedures.

We also advise employer clients who need director service contracts or who incentivise employees with employee share schemes or performance related pay.

If you already have employment contracts but your business is expanding quickly it is worth reviewing your employee contracts, employee handbooks, and other documentation such as rules for bonus entitlements. This is because employment law is always changing and you may need a range of different contracts for differing levels of seniority.

Please get in contact to find out more about our specialist, cost effective employment lawyers.

Key terms for employment contracts

In addition to terms and conditions detailing job description, salary, holidays and place of work, it is generally important to consider and include clauses relating to :-

• Trade secrets and confidential information - a key protection for employers, specifically ensuring that employees are strictly bound.

• Employer ownership of IP – for many aspects of employee work, it is not necessarily the case that legal rights to IP are owned by the employer, so specific contractual provisions are strongly recommended.

• Employee restrictive covenants – especially important for senior employees or those in a sales role or with access to key information such as customer databases. Restrictive covenants are intended to protect the employer after the employee leaves, and to prevent direct competition or poaching of staff. Clauses must be proportionate.

• Remote working – in it's various forms, either where employees are mobile or work from home, this area has become increasingly important. Clear rules and policies, including permitted employer monitoring, use of personal devices, and data protection, are essential. Consistency between employees is also very important because otherwise employers risk discrimination claims.

• Pay in lieu of notice and gardening leave – Including a PILON gives the employer the option to pay up the employee's contract and keep them away from work, the idea being, in addition to restrictive covenants, that the employee is kept away from key customers and staff in the notice period. Including a garden leave clause gives employers the legal right to exclude the employee from the workplace and make them stay at home during their notice period.

To learn more about our employment contract drafting service, please get in touch.