01
Role and responsibilities
Job title, duties and reporting arrangements
Employment & people
Employment Contract Legal Advice for UK Employers
A good employment contract does more than record someone’s salary and job title.
- Fixed fees agreed first
- Direct access to the lawyer
- Non-reserved legal services
01 / Why it matters
What an employment contract sets out
It sets out the working relationship, responsibilities, confidentiality obligations, intellectual property rights, notice arrangements and the rules that apply when the relationship changes or ends.
UK employment law is also changing in stages. The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduced a number of reforms during 2026, with further changes planned for 2027. For employers, that makes keeping contracts and related employment documents under review increasingly important.
We draft and review employment contracts for UK employers at fixed fees, using clear language and practical terms designed around the business.
02 / Employment contract legal advice
Employment contracts drafted around your business
We help employers draft new contracts, review existing agreements and update employment documentation as the business and the law develop.
Our employment contract work can cover:
- New employee contracts
- Senior and executive employment contracts
- Directors’ service agreements
- Consultancy and contractor agreements
- Employment contract reviews
- Contract updates following changes to employment law
- Restrictive covenants
- Confidentiality provisions
- Intellectual property provisions
- Bonus and incentive arrangements
- Probation and notice provisions
- Flexible working and workplace arrangements
- Offer letters and onboarding documentation
03 / What to include
What should an employment contract include?
A properly drafted employment contract can go further by setting out the contractual framework that protects the employer and gives the employee clarity about the relationship.
Written statement of employment particulars
Employers must provide employees and workers with a written statement of employment particulars, with the principal statement provided on or before the first day of employment. The required information includes matters such as:
- Pay
- Working hours
- Holiday entitlement
- Place of work
- Probation arrangements
Additional information must also be provided about matters such as sick pay, paid leave and notice.
What a contract can cover
Contract area · What it can cover
02
Pay
Salary, payment arrangements and contractual benefits
03
Working arrangements
Hours, location and flexibility
04
Holiday and leave
Holiday entitlement and relevant contractual leave
05
Probation
Length, review arrangements and notice
06
Sickness
Contractual sick pay and sickness procedures
07
Confidentiality
Protection of confidential business information
08
Intellectual property
Ownership and use of work created during employment
09
Notice and termination
Notice periods and contractual termination provisions
10
Restrictive covenants
Appropriate post-termination restrictions
11
Benefits
Contractual benefits and relevant conditions
12
Bonus and incentives
Bonus arrangements and other contractual incentives
The appropriate provisions depend on the employee, the role and the business.
04 / Drafting
Employment contract drafting
We can draft contracts for different levels of employee and different types of working relationship.
Junior and standard employees
A straightforward employment contract can establish the basic terms of the working relationship while covering the protections your business needs.
Senior employees and executives
Senior appointments often require more detailed provisions around remuneration, bonuses, confidentiality, intellectual property, notice and post-termination restrictions.
Directors
Directors can require a more detailed contractual framework reflecting their position within the company.
A director’s service agreement can deal with employment terms alongside provisions relevant to their role as a director.
Consultants and contractors
A consultancy agreement can document the commercial relationship with an independent consultant or contractor.
The contractual wording should reflect the actual working arrangement. Simply describing someone as a contractor does not determine their legal status.
For businesses that need specific advice on off-payroll working and IR35, see our IR35 & Contractor Status service.
05 / Which document
Which employment document do you need?
Situation · Document that may be appropriate
01
New employee joining the business
Employment contract
02
Senior or executive appointment
Senior employment contract
03
Company director who is also an employee
Director’s service agreement
04
Independent consultant
Consultancy agreement
05
Contractor engagement
Contractor or consultancy agreement, with status considered separately
06
Business needs consistent HR documentation
Employment contract and supporting policies
07
Existing contract needs updating
Employment contract review and variation
08
Confidential information needs protection
Confidentiality provisions or separate NDA
09
Senior employee has access to customers
Contractual restrictive covenants, where appropriate
The right document depends on the actual relationship and the role. Contract wording should not be used to disguise a different working arrangement.
Existing contracts can become outdated for several reasons.
06 / Reviews
Employment contract review
The business may have changed. Employees may have taken on new responsibilities. Working arrangements may have evolved. New legislation may affect the contractual framework.
We can review existing contracts for:
- Missing or outdated provisions
- Inconsistent wording across employees
- Notice arrangements
- Confidentiality
- Intellectual property
- Restrictive covenants
- Bonus and incentive arrangements
- Benefits
- Working arrangements
- Termination provisions
- Changes in employment law
The review can identify what needs to change and what can remain as it is.
A contract downloaded from the internet may contain the right headings but still fail to address the way your business actually operates.
07 / Changing law
Employment Rights Act 2025 and employment contracts
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is being implemented in stages rather than through a single change.
Several measures took effect during 2026. For example, from 6 April 2026 Statutory Sick Pay rules changed, including removal of the waiting period and Lower Earnings Limit. Day-one paternity leave and unpaid parental leave also took effect from 6 April 2026.
Further changes are scheduled for 2027. The current government timetable states that from 1 January 2027 the qualifying period for ordinary unfair dismissal protection is due to reduce from two years to six months.
The timetable remains subject to the relevant legislative and implementation processes, so employment documentation should be reviewed against the rules in force at the time.
In force and scheduled
A business does not necessarily need to replace every employment contract simply because the law changes.
We can review your existing documentation and identify the areas that need attention.
What this means for employers
Instead, employers should consider:
- Which provisions of existing contracts are affected
- Which statutory rights operate independently of the contract
- Whether policies and handbooks also need updating
- Whether new contracts reflect the current legal position
- Whether different employee groups need different contractual terms
08 / Restrictive covenants
Restrictive covenants
Businesses often need protection after a senior employee, director or key team member leaves.
Depending on the circumstances, an employment contract may include restrictions relating to:
- Competing activities
- Soliciting customers
- Dealing with customers
- Soliciting employees
- Confidential information
Drafted for the role
Restrictions need to be drafted carefully and in the context of the employee’s role and the legitimate interests the business is seeking to protect.
A restriction that is unnecessarily broad may be difficult to enforce. The appropriate drafting therefore depends on the individual circumstances rather than simply inserting a standard non-compete clause.
09 / Confidentiality and IP
Confidentiality and intellectual property
Employees can have access to commercially sensitive information, customer data, pricing, processes, software, designs and other valuable business material.
Employment contracts can include provisions dealing with:
- Confidential business information
- Customer and supplier information
- Intellectual property
- Work created during employment
- Return of company property
- Continuing confidentiality obligations
The wording should work alongside the business’s wider policies and procedures.
For a separate confidentiality agreement used with commercial parties, see our NDA & Confidentiality service.
10 / Staff policies
Employment contracts and staff policies
An employment contract is only part of an employer’s documentation.
Businesses may also need staff handbooks and workplace policies covering matters such as disciplinary procedures, grievances, absence, conduct, leave and other workplace issues.
We can provide employment contract drafting alongside wider employment documentation.
For businesses looking specifically for a staff handbook or workplace policy review, see our Employee Handbook service.
11 / Typical scenarios
Typical employment contract scenarios
01
The first hire
A business is taking on its first employee and needs more than an offer email.
We can prepare the employment contract and supporting onboarding documentation around the actual role and working arrangements.
02
A growing team using old templates
Different employees have contracts copied from different sources and the wording is no longer consistent.
We can review the existing documents and help create a more consistent contractual framework.
03
A senior appointment
A new senior employee will have access to customers, confidential information and commercially important projects.
The contract may need more detailed provisions around confidentiality, intellectual property, incentives, notice and post-termination restrictions.
04
A director appointment
A company is appointing a director who will also be employed by the business.
We can advise on the service agreement and how the contractual terms fit with the director’s role.
05
Employment documentation needs updating
The business has changed and existing contracts no longer reflect current working arrangements.
We can review the documents and identify the changes that need to be made.
12 / Our employment contract process
From the role to the final documentation
01Understand the roleWe establish the employee’s role, seniority, working arrangements and the commercial issues that matter to the business.
02Agree the scope and feeThe lawyer handling the work agrees the scope and fixed fee before drafting begins.
03Draft or reviewWe prepare a new agreement or review the existing contract against the agreed requirements.
04Explain the important provisionsYou receive practical explanations of the clauses that matter, rather than being left with a document full of legal wording without context.
05FinaliseWe incorporate agreed changes and provide the final documentation ready for use.
13 / Fixed-fee employment contract services
The fee is agreed before drafting begins
Single employment contracts and defined document packs are generally handled on a fixed-fee basis.
For businesses that need regular employment and HR legal support, our Employer Subscription can provide ongoing assistance, including contract drafting and updates.
Requirement · Fee approach
01
Employment contract
Fixed fee
02
Senior or director contract
Fixed fee based on scope
03
Contract review
Fixed fee based on scope
04
Contract update
Fixed fee based on scope
05
Employment document pack
Fixed fee based on agreed documents
06
Ongoing employment support
Employer Subscription
Indicative prices are available on our Pricing page.
14 / Growing businesses
Employment contracts for growing businesses
A business does not need a large HR department to have a proper employment documentation framework.
For owner-managed and growing businesses, the priority is often having a small number of well-drafted documents that reflect how the business actually operates.
We can help establish a consistent framework covering:
- Employment contracts
- Senior and director agreements
- Confidentiality
- Intellectual property
- Restrictive covenants
- Offer and onboarding documentation
- Staff handbooks
- Workplace policies
The documentation can then be reviewed as the business grows.
15 / Why work with us
Why businesses use Adroit Legal
You deal directly with the qualified lawyer handling your work.
Our approach is built around:
- Fixed fees for defined employment contract work
- Clear scope before drafting begins
- Plain-English explanations
- Contracts tailored to the role and business
- Practical advice on employment documentation
- Support for new hires and existing teams
- Ongoing employment support through our subscription service
- Tax input through Adroit Accountax where an employment matter has relevant tax implications
16 / FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can we just use a template employment contract?
A template can provide a starting point, but it may not reflect your business, the employee’s role or the current legal position.
A contract should contain the terms relevant to the actual employment relationship and should be reviewed when the business, role or legal requirements change.
Do existing staff need new contracts after the Employment Rights Act 2025?
Not automatically.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 is being implemented in stages, and different reforms affect different areas of employment law. Employers should review their existing contracts, policies and working practices against the changes that apply to them.
What is different about a director’s service agreement?
A director may have both employment responsibilities and duties associated with their position as a company director.
The appropriate contractual documentation depends on the individual’s role and the company’s arrangements. A director’s service agreement can address employment terms alongside provisions relevant to the directorship.
How quickly can you prepare an employment contract?
The turnaround depends on the role, complexity and scope of the contract. We can discuss the required timing during the initial call.
Do you draft contracts for senior employees?
Yes. Senior and executive contracts can include more detailed provisions covering remuneration, bonuses, confidentiality, intellectual property, notice and restrictive covenants.
Can you review our existing employment contracts?
Yes. We can review existing contracts individually or as a group and identify areas that may need updating or greater consistency.
Do you provide employment policies and handbooks?
Yes. Employment contracts can be supported by staff handbooks and workplace policies. For dedicated handbook and policy work, see our Employee Handbook service.
Can you help with contractor agreements?
Yes. We can draft or review consultancy and contractor agreements.
Contract wording should reflect the actual working relationship. If the engagement raises IR35 or employment-status questions, our IR35 & Contractor Status service can address that separately.
17 / Contact
Talk it through with the lawyer who will do the work
If you are hiring someone, reviewing an existing employment contract or updating your employment documentation, start with a conversation about what the business actually needs.
Book a free 20-minute call. Fixed fees are agreed in writing before work starts.
Related services
IR35 & Contractor Status
Status reviews, contractor arrangements and determination statements for businesses engaging contractors.
Employee Handbooks
Staff handbooks and workplace policies for growing businesses.
Subscription Legal Services
Ongoing legal support for employment documentation, contracts and wider business requirements.
Commercial Contracts
Broader commercial contract drafting, review and negotiation.