What must be in an employment contract?
Compare the main types of employment contract, what they mean for your hours and job security, and the rights your employer cannot sign away.
The type of employment contract you have tells you about your hours, how long the job lasts or who hires you. It does not, on its own, decide your rights. Before accepting a care, retail, kitchen or warehouse job, check the hours promised, the pay and any end date. Keep the offer somewhere your employer cannot delete it.
- 5.6 wks
- statutory annual holiday for year-round workers
- Day 1
- main written terms due for eligible Great Britain workers
- 12 wks
- qualifying agency workers gain equal-treatment rights in Great Britain
Types of employment contracts in the UK
Read the labels together. “Permanent” describes a job with no set end date. “Full-time” and “part-time” describe hours, not how long the job will last. Neither tells you whether the employer’s claim that you are self-employed is right.
| Contract type | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Permanent | No set end date; can be full-time or part-time. | Your agreed hours and notice terms. |
| Full-time or part-time | Your hours compared with the employer’s full-time pattern. There is no statutory hours cut-off. | Normal days, hours and how either can vary. |
| Fixed-term or temporary | A job with an expected duration or end date. | When it ends and whether you receive the same treatment as comparable permanent employees. |
| Zero-hours or casual | An arrangement with variable hours. | What hours, if any, are guaranteed and how shifts can vary. |
| Agency | Work arranged through an agency for a hirer. | The agency’s Key Information Document and who employs you. |
| Term-time | Work follows school terms; pay may be spread over the year. | Working weeks, holiday calculation and how pay is spread. |
| Apprenticeship | An apprenticeship agreement alongside written employment particulars. | Your pay rate and required training. |
| Self-employed contractor | Genuine self-employment has different rights from employment. | Whether the actual working arrangement supports that label. |
The rights below mainly concern England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has separate employment law, including different written-statement rules. A job title or contract heading is not enough to establish your legal status.
What is a full-time contract? How part-time contracts differ
A full-time contract sets out the employer’s full-time working hours. There is no legal rule that full-time starts at 35 hours, or any other fixed number. Part-time means working fewer hours than the employer’s comparable full-time pattern. Either arrangement can be permanent or fixed-term.
In Great Britain, comparable part-time workers must not be treated less favourably without objective justification. Working fewer days does not mean losing paid holiday: a year-round worker on a three-day week normally gets 16.8 days’ statutory leave, compared with 28 days for a five-day week. See your part-time worker rights.
Fixed-term and temporary contracts: what rights do you keep?
Check the expected duration or end date. Temporary employees still receive statutory holiday and, if eligible, pension auto-enrolment and sick pay. An employer cannot use the job’s end date as a reason to strip out those rights.
In Great Britain, less favourable treatment than comparable permanent employees needs objective justification. Successive fixed-term contracts normally become permanent after four years unless continued use is justified. Check fixed-term contract rights if your contract keeps being renewed.
Term-time contracts: how pay and holiday work
A term-time contract means working during school terms. Pay may be spread across 12 months even though you do not work throughout the year. Ask for the working weeks, pay calculation and holiday arrangements in writing so you can see what each payslip covers.
In Great Britain, for leave years beginning on or after 1 April 2024, part-year workers accrue statutory leave at 12.07% of hours worked. Check whether your working pattern falls within those rules, rather than assuming every term-time job has the same calculation. Rolled-up holiday pay is permitted for part-year and irregular-hours workers under these rules; check whether your employer uses it and what holiday pay is owed when you leave.
Zero-hours and casual contracts: check the hours promised
Read what the contract says about hours and how days and shifts can vary. In Great Britain, a zero-hours clause banning work for another employer is unenforceable. Guaranteed-hours, shift-notice and short-notice-payment rights are planned, with timings to be updated after consultation; they are not yet in force. Do not budget on a promised reform. Check your current zero-hours contract rights and save your rotas.
Agency contracts: who gives you the terms?
In Great Britain, the agency must give you a Key Information Document before agreeing terms. If it employs you, it also owes you the written statement. After 12 weeks in the same role with the same hirer, qualifying agency workers gain equal-treatment rights for basic working and employment conditions. See agency worker rights before assuming the agency label means fewer rights indefinitely.
Apprenticeship contracts, internships and remote work
Apprentices need an apprenticeship agreement as well as the written particulars. They can be 16 or older, with no upper age limit. The apprentice minimum wage is £8.00 an hour from 1 April 2026 if you are under 19 or aged 19 or over in the first apprenticeship year.
An intern who is legally a worker must receive the applicable minimum wage, £12.71 an hour for those aged 21 or over from 1 April 2026. Genuine work shadowing and volunteering can be different. Remote and hybrid work describe where you work, not a separate legal status; the employer must still identify the workplace in the statement and meet health-and-safety duties.
Employment contract types and employment status are different
Your status determines which rights you can enforce. The label on an agreement does not settle it. Look at who controls the work, whether you must do it personally and how the job works in practice.
Employee
- Day-one statement in Great Britain; statutory notice, redundancy and unfair-dismissal protections, subject to eligibility
- Minimum wage and paid holiday; Statutory Sick Pay if eligible
Worker
- Day-one statement in Great Britain if the work began on or after 6 April 2020
- Minimum wage and paid holiday; sick pay only if classed as an employee for SSP purposes
- No general unfair-dismissal, statutory-notice or redundancy-pay right
Genuinely self-employed contractors have no statutory employment statement and ordinarily no minimum-wage or paid-holiday entitlement. An employer cannot settle the question by printing “self-employed” on a delivery or cleaning contract. Check your employment status if the paperwork and the job disagree.
Employment contract or written statement: what is the difference?
A contract is the whole agreement. It can extend beyond the sheet headed “Employment contract”. An accepted, unconditional offer can form one before your first shift. An unsigned offer letter, a promise about pay made in an interview and terms established through conduct may all matter. If an offer is conditional, the conditions must be met first.
The written statement of employment particulars is the employer’s statutory record of specified terms. It can be part of a contract but is not necessarily all of it. Other agreed terms may be in an offer letter, a collective agreement or an accessible handbook. Do not assume every workplace policy is contractual.
What must be in your written employment terms?
In Great Britain, employees are entitled to their main written particulars by the beginning of work. Workers whose work began on or after 6 April 2020 also have that right. These section 1 particulars apply in England, Scotland and Wales. If an item has no applicable terms, the statement must say so rather than leave it out. A complete offer letter can meet the duty; the law does not demand a second form.
| Particular | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Employer and worker names; start date; continuous-employment date for employees | Beginning of work |
| Rate or method of calculating pay; pay intervals | Beginning of work |
| Normal hours and working days; whether and how either may vary | Beginning of work |
| Holiday including public holidays, holiday pay and enough detail to calculate accrued pay on leaving | Beginning of work |
| Sickness and sick-pay arrangements; other paid leave; benefits other than pensions | Beginning of work |
| Notice you must give and receive; job title or description; workplace and employer address | Beginning of work |
| Expected duration or end date if not permanent; any probationary period and its conditions | Beginning of work |
| Mandatory training and any required training the employer will not pay for; working-abroad terms where relevant | Beginning of work |
| Pension arrangements; collective agreements; other training entitlements | May follow within two months |
| Disciplinary and grievance note, including whom to contact | May follow within two months |
“Day one” means not later than the beginning of work, not the end of your first week. Section 2 allows certain sick-pay, pension and training particulars to point to another reasonably accessible document; notice can refer to law or an accessible collective agreement. You must still be able to find the terms. If you are sent abroad for more than a month within the first two months, any outstanding instalment is due before you leave. Your employer must put a later change to a listed particular in writing within a month.
Are verbal or unsigned employment contracts binding?
They can be. Express promises, whether written or spoken, sit alongside statutory minimums and terms implied by law, such as mutual trust and confidence in employment contracts. A consistent, well-known workplace practice may become contractual, but a repeated perk is not automatically an entitlement.
If an offer letter says £15 an hour but payroll pays £13, save the offer and payslips. When records conflict, what you agreed and how the arrangement worked matter more than the document’s heading.
For example, a care worker can compare the promised hours with the rota and payslip; a warehouse or delivery worker can check their recorded hours against pay. Keep those records alongside the written terms.
Which employment contract terms can you challenge?
A signature cannot take away the minimum wage or statutory holiday. Zero-hours exclusivity clauses preventing work for another employer are unenforceable. A wage deduction usually needs statutory authority, a relevant contract term or your prior written consent. Non-compete clauses face a reasonableness test tied to a legitimate business interest; no general three-month statutory cap is in force.
Discriminatory terms cannot override equality law. An ordinary job contract cannot simply sign away a statutory claim. A qualifying settlement agreement requires prescribed safeguards, including independent advice. Confidentiality and post-employment restrictions need to be checked on their own terms. Do not assume they are always valid or always void.
Can your employer change your contract?
Most changes need agreement. A valid flexibility clause may allow some adjustments, but its wording and use matter. Being told about a new shift pattern is not the same as consenting to it. If your employer proposes a pay cut or move:
- Get the proposal. Ask what changes, when and why. Your employer must also record a change to a section 1 or section 3 particular in writing within one month.
- Check the existing terms. Find any applicable flexibility clause and get advice on its scope. A general clause does not give your employer unlimited powers.
- Respond in writing. Negotiate, refuse or make clear if you are working under protest. Silence or continuing to work can amount to acceptance.
- Consider the consequences. Refusal may lead to dismissal and an offer to re-engage on new terms. Restrictions on that practice are scheduled for March 2027; they are not in force yet. Raise a grievance or contact Acas promptly if talks fail.
No written employment contract: what can you do?
Ask your employer for the statement first, then raise a grievance if necessary. Even without a second claim, a tribunal can decide what disputed particulars should say. The missing statement alone does not attract a separate compensation award. If you succeed in a qualifying tribunal claim while the employer is in breach of the section 1 or change-notice duty, section 38 of the Employment Act 2002 generally requires a further two weeks’ pay and permits four. Its exceptions and the statutory weekly cap still apply.
- After your shift, save the proof. Take screenshots or copies of the offer, messages, rota, payslips and your own hours. Note what you were promised and what you were paid. Keep copies somewhere you control.
- Ask for the missing terms in writing. Say which details are missing or wrong and ask your employer to confirm them. Do not wait for a meeting if a claim deadline may be running.
- Get backup and use the right route. Contact your union: UNISON for care or health, Usdaw for retail, or Unite and GMB across hospitality and logistics. Acas, Citizens Advice and a law centre can help you understand the next step. For minimum-wage underpayment, complain to HMRC. Report serious exploitation at work through the Fair Work Agency. Tell the HSE about a serious safety concern; for shops, restaurants, bars, nurseries and care homes, contact your local council. For a discriminatory term, get individual advice from a union, Citizens Advice or a law centre; the EHRC publishes guidance and can enforce equality law.
Example: Maya’s missing statement
Maya earns £400 a week, wins an unlawful-deductions claim and was not given the required statement. The additional award is normally £800 (two weeks), or £1,600 if the tribunal orders four. For someone earning £900 a week, the Great Britain cap of £751 per week from 6 April 2026 makes the corresponding figures £1,502 and £3,004. These sums are separate from what Maya is owed in wages.
For most Great Britain tribunal claims, the normal deadline is six months less a day where the relevant act, failure or termination falls on or after 1 October 2026. Earlier events stay under the old limits; the change does not revive an expired claim. Scottish tribunal breach-of-contract claims keep the three-month limit for terminations before 9 November 2026. The written-particulars declaration has its own procedural rules. Check how to bring an employment tribunal claim and your precise deadline. Notify Acas for early conciliation within your time limit; it pauses the clock, but an internal grievance does not.
Employment contracts in Northern Ireland: different rules
Employment law is devolved in Northern Ireland. Article 33 of the Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 provides for a statement to employees, not limb-(b) workers generally, within two months. nidirect describes the right for employees employed for longer than one month. The NI list lacks Great Britain’s separate headings for probation, training, other paid leave and other benefits. The Northern Ireland week’s-pay cap for relevant awards is £783 from 6 April 2026; the ordinary unfair-dismissal qualifying period is one year. Do not assume Great Britain’s day-one rule, SSP changes or tribunal deadline applies in NI.
What the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes
The government’s commencement timetable separates reforms already in force from measures still planned. These dates concern Great Britain. They do not mean every existing contract has been rewritten.
- In force: sick pay and leave changes
In Great Britain, eligible employees can get Statutory Sick Pay from the first qualifying day with no lower earnings limit, at the lower of £123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings. Paternity and unpaid parental leave no longer require prior service.
- In force: longer claim period
Most Great Britain tribunal claim limits are now six months less a day where the relevant date is on or after 1 October. Earlier events stay under the old limits. Scottish breach-of-contract claims changed on 9 November 2026.
- Scheduled: dismissal and union reforms
The union-rights statement is planned for 1 January. For dismissals from 1 January, the ordinary unfair-dismissal qualifying period is due to fall from two years to six months and the compensatory-award cap is due to end. Fire-and-rehire restrictions follow separately in March 2027.
Under the timetable updated on 22 October 2026, umbrella-company regulation is planned for December 2027, flexible-working changes for October 2027 and restrictions on misuse of non-disclosure agreements for September 2027. Guaranteed hours for qualifying zero- and low-hours workers, plus shift-notice and short-notice-payment rights, still have no confirmed date. None is a current right.
What to check before accepting a job contract
Before accepting, compare the offer with the written particulars. Can you calculate your pay, normal hours and any variable shifts? Does the holiday wording explain how bank holidays count and what accrued pay you get on leaving? For employees, notice must meet the statutory floor. The employer must give at least one week after a month’s service, rising by completed years to a maximum of 12 weeks. If a sick-pay term points to another document, open it. Ask about any training costs, probation conditions or post-employment restrictions before they become a dispute.
Employment contract types: questions people ask
Is a verbal or unsigned contract binding?
Yes, if the parties have agreed binding terms. An accepted unconditional offer may form a contract before work starts; starting work can also establish one by conduct. A signature is useful evidence, not a universal requirement.
What does “contract” mean as a job type?
The word alone does not tell you enough. Check whether the job has an end date, who employs you and what hours are promised. A fixed-term employee and a genuinely self-employed contractor have different rights. The contract label does not decide your legal status.
Is a full-time contract always permanent?
No. Full-time describes hours; permanent means there is no set end date. A full-time job can be fixed-term, and a permanent job can be part-time. There is no statutory 35-hour dividing line between full-time and part-time work.
Does a term-time contract mean I am paid only in term time?
Not necessarily. Pay may be spread across 12 months even though the work follows school terms. Check the pay calculation and holiday arrangements in your written terms, including whether the part-year holiday rules apply.
Can an employer cut pay or hours without agreement?
Not simply by announcing it. A relevant contractual clause may allow limited changes; its wording and how it is used matter. Object promptly in writing if you disagree, and get advice before resigning or relying on working under protest.
Can you ask for a statement if you never received one?
Yes. Ask for your current particulars. The Great Britain duty for limb-(b) workers began for work starting on or after 6 April 2020; an older worker is not automatically entitled under that extension. A tribunal can decide disputed particulars. An additional pay award requires a separate successful qualifying claim.
Sources
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 1, legislation.gov.uk
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 2, legislation.gov.uk
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 86, legislation.gov.uk
- Written statement of employment particulars, GOV.UK
- Problems with a written statement, GOV.UK
- What an employment contract is, Acas
- Changing an employment contract, Acas
- Employment Act 2002, section 38, legislation.gov.uk
- Employment Rights (Increase of Limits) Order 2026, legislation.gov.uk
- Employment Rights Act implementation timetable, GOV.UK
- Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996, article 33, legislation.gov.uk
- Written statement of employment particulars, nidirect
- Northern Ireland increase of limits order 2026, legislation.gov.uk
- Holiday entitlement, GOV.UK
- National Minimum Wage rates, GOV.UK
- Statutory Sick Pay: manually calculate payments, GOV.UK
- Agency worker key information, GOV.UK
- £6 million repaid to workers as Government cracks down on employers underpaying their staff, Department for Business and Trade
- National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage: government evidence on enforcement and compliance in 2024 to 2025, HMRC and Department for Business and Trade
- Pay and work rights helpline and complaints, GOV.UK
- How to report serious abuse or exploitation at work, GOV.UK
- Work advice, Citizens Advice
- Find a law centre, Law Centres Network
- UNISON, trade union
- Usdaw, trade union
- Unite the Union, trade union
- GMB, trade union
- What early conciliation is, Acas
- Contact HSE, Health and Safety Executive
- Equality and Human Rights Commission, EHRC
- Find your local council, GOV.UK
- Employment Rights Act 2025 (Commencement No. 5 Amendment) Regulations 2026, regulation 4: transitional rules, legislation.gov.uk