ACAS Contracts of Employment Templates: A Guide for Employers

As an employer, it is important to have well-drafted contracts of employment in place for your staff. Not only does this ensure that your employees understand their rights and responsibilities, it can also protect your business from potential legal disputes.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) provides a number of free templates that can be used to create contracts of employment. These templates cover a range of employment scenarios, from full-time employees to part-time and fixed-term contracts.

Here are some key things to consider when using ACAS contracts of employment templates:

1. Tailor the template to your business

Although the templates provided by ACAS are comprehensive, it is important to tailor them to your specific business needs. This includes adding in any additional clauses that may be relevant to your industry or company culture.

2. Ensure compliance with employment law

It is crucial to ensure that any contract of employment you create complies with UK employment law. This includes adhering to minimum wage requirements and ensuring that your staff are given the appropriate notice periods before termination.

3. Clarify job roles and responsibilities

The contract of employment should clearly outline the job roles and responsibilities of each employee. This ensures that everyone is on the same page and helps to manage expectations.

4. Include information on benefits and perks

It is important to clearly set out any benefits and perks that your staff are entitled to, such as pension schemes, flexible working arrangements and bonus schemes.

5. Be transparent about employee rights

ACAS contracts of employment templates provide a clear breakdown of employee rights, such as holiday entitlement and sick pay. Make sure that your staff are aware of their entitlements and how to access them.

Overall, using ACAS contracts of employment templates can be a helpful starting point for any employer looking to create legally compliant and comprehensive contracts of employment. However, it is important to ensure that these templates are tailored to your specific business needs, and that your employees fully understand their rights and responsibilities.