We are regularly asked to advise on contracts of employment and would be happy to review your contract of employment if you are about to accept a new role or if your employer is trying to make changes to an existing contract.

There are many considerations and areas that you will need to be clear about.  

If you have the benefit of commission or bonus schemes, you should ensure these are documented and you are clear as to how much will be paid and when. 

You will want to know that the benefits you have been offered are reflected in the contract along with the level of cover/benefit whether; pension, life insurance, health insurance, income replacement, shares etc. If your employer offers you a car, this often has various strings attached as to how it can be used, and who is responsible for the various costs associated with the running of the car.

Linked to your benefits are your entitlements to holiday and sickness. There may be steps you need to follow to secure these benefits, but those steps are now common and generally uncontroversial.

Another area we are regularly asked to advise on is the validity of post-termination restrictive covenants, which allow your employer to prevent and limit your activity when your employment ends; usually around poaching clients and colleagues. 

Confidential information and intellectual property rights can also cause concern, and you need to understand what you can and cannot do with this information, the impact they have on you and how you should behave during and after your employment.

There may also be other onerous clauses in your contract of employment, including clauses that require you to report any breach or wrongdoing; whether by you or a colleague. These are very onerous, so ones to watch out for.

Equally, if you work from home, there may be clauses requiring you to insure your employer’s property and allowing your employer to enter your home at any time to inspect or recover its property. 

If you wish to seek advice on a revised or new contract, then please contact us and one of our expert employment law Solicitors will be happy to assist.