Contracts of Employment – Employment Law
Verbal and written contracts in the workplace
Contrary to popular belief, a contract of employment does not need to be in writing. A contract of employment can be either written or verbal, however, at the very least an employee is entitled to a “written statement of particulars” of the terms of employment, after being employed for 2 months and assuming that a contract of employment isn’t already in place.
Whilst the written statement of particulars isn’t necessarily a contract, it does need to address the following points;
The following points aren’t a requirement for a written statement of particulars, although the statement does need to address where information regarding these points can be found;
If an employer doesn’t provide a written statement of particulars, an Employment Tribunal can determine what those particulars should be.
An employer will find difficulties in trying to alter the terms of employment without having the consent of the employee. Consent can be either verbal or written and can also be implied if you continue to work for a significant period of time under the new terms, so long as you are aware that the change in terms has taken place.
It is common in many contracts of employment for an employee to reserve the right to alter the terms and this is perfectly acceptable providing that it is stated in clear and unambiguous words.
Working under protest is a viable route and you can do one of the following:
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