{"id":1669,"date":"2022-01-11T04:53:16","date_gmt":"2022-01-11T04:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uk.legalvision.com.au\/?p=1669"},"modified":"2026-05-14T02:29:48","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T01:29:48","slug":"key-terms-employment-contract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/key-terms-employment-contract\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are the Key Terms to Include in Your Employment Contract in England and Wales?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Employment contracts <\/a>form the foundation of the relationship between you and your staff. Whether written or verbal, these legally binding agreements set out the rights and obligations of both parties and help prevent misunderstandings that could lead to disputes or employment tribunal claims. The law requires employers to provide detailed written information to employees and workers from day one of their employment. Understanding what must be included in your employment contracts- and what should be included as good practice, is essential for compliance and effective workforce management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article will explain the key terms in an employment contract and some others you may wish to include.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Types of Terms Should You Include in an Employment Contract?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ordinarily, an employment contract consists of the following types of terms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Express Terms<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These are agreed upon in writing<\/a> and are specific to the employee’s job, such as the pay rate<\/a> and the working hours.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statutory Terms<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Statutory terms are those that are found more widely in employment law.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Implied Terms<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These are generally obvious terms and are not required to be stated in writing, such as being polite to customers. They could also be custom and practice, such as things that tend to be known as good practice within your industry.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Incorporated Terms<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

These are terms that are placed elsewhere but are part of the employment contract. For example, those in the staff handbook.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written Terms Which You Must Include in Your Employment Contract<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your employees and any workers who started work on 6 April 2020 or after are legally entitled to written terms. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Written terms are formally called a \u2018written statement of employment particulars<\/a>\u2019. This is not the entire employment contract but just one part of it. These summarise the main terms of the employees\u2019 employment such as their working hours and their pay rate. Everything contained within them must be legally correct.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several elements make up a written statement of employment particulars. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The Principal Statement<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The written terms contain a principal statement that should detail:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n