Employment contracts that matter: How to secure your business's future
Introducing the right employment contracts, policies, and procedures goes a long way to ensuring the long-term success and stability of your business.
Why is this?
Here’s a quick and effective example:
Having written employment contracts in place ensures you’re compliant with UK employment law, helps avoid any potential employment disputes, and safeguards your business’s assets and information.
Moreover, when your firm is ready to scale, these employment contracts and policies can also help you to secure investment.
You may have noticed that’s two reasons. There’s more where they came from.
Foundations of business success
Employment contracts
The success of your business is driven by the people in it.
For business growth, it makes sense to establish both strong and mutually beneficial employee relationships. One of the best ways to achieve this is through well-drafted employment contracts, comprehensive policies, and clear procedures.
It’s important to implement this baseline from the very beginning. Employment contracts deliver a transparent framework that defines the rights and responsibilities of both parties. As legally binding agreements, they not only protect your business but also instil a sense of security in your employees.
A comprehensive employment contract outlines key aspects of the employment relationship such as job roles, pay, working hours, benefits, termination procedures, and confidentiality clauses. Your employment contracts must also meet your relevant industry regulations and industry standards.
Because you must often provide your employees access to confidential company information, data, and trade secrets, including confidentiality terms or an NDA in your employment contracts is the best way to protect this information.
With a confidentiality clause in place, your business will have much better protection if your employees disclose confidential or sensitive data to others. You can detail the specifics – such as non-disclosure to the media, public or social media.
Depending on your business, you may also want to add additional restrictive clauses like non-compete, non-solicitation, non-poaching, and non-dealing clauses that limit the employee’s ability to engage in competitive activities for a period of time after their employment has ended.
Robust employment contracts protect you, your business, and your employees – giving you the building blocks to grow.
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Policies
In conjunction with robust employment contracts, well-crafted policies are the pillars of your business’s work culture.
Policies go beyond legal obligations; they encompass your company’s values and principles. They lay the groundwork for fostering an environment where every employee feels respected, included, and empowered.
Including policies such as harassment and anti-discrimination and workplace safety establishes clear expectations and order company-wide. Policies are not just words on paper; they are consistent reminders of your corporate culture and your commitment to a safe and inclusive workplace.
Procedures
Procedures deliver the practical guidelines that help you to carry out your employment contracts and policies.
Giving your employees access to well-defined procedures minimises friction and streamlines operations. For example, when employees need to request time off or report workplace problems, clear procedures empower employees to take action and understand their rights and obligations. The result is efficient conflict resolution and enhanced productivity and morale.
Reviewing your employment contracts
Your business needs will frequently change, so it’s important to regularly review and update your company’s employment contracts and policies to reflect changes.
For example, when you introduce new products or services, you may need to hire employees with a mix of different skill sets. By assessing your employment contracts, you can ensure that they align with both your current and future business goals.
Something else to consider is that employment laws and regulations in the UK are subject to change. Neglecting to update your contracts can result in legal complications, so a proactive approach reduces the risk of costly legal penalties and safeguards both your business and your employees.
Establishing a regular schedule for contract reviews is the easiest way to accomplish this task. Assign responsibilities to a dedicated team to ensure thoroughness, and seek input from key stakeholders (such as employees, managers, and legal advisors) to identify specific areas that may require revision.
How Arbor Law can help you with employment contracts and employment issues
As part of our legal solutions, we provide employment contract advice on:
If you’re looking for support with employment contract issues, our lawyers are experts at delivering legal advice on employment rights and disputes – including unfair dismissal – and drafting contracts for existing and new employees.
Contact us for more information.