What the law actually requires

From day one of the job, the employee must have the principal statement in writing. It has to cover, at minimum:

• the employer’s and employee’s names
• the start date, and the date continuous employment began
• pay and how often it is paid
• hours and days of work, and whether they vary
• holiday entitlement
• the job title or a description of the work, and where it is done
• notice periods
• how long a temporary or fixed-term job is expected to last

The wider written statement, covering things like sick pay, other paid leave, pensions and the disciplinary and grievance procedures, must follow within two months. Change anything and you have one month to tell them in writing.

A statement is not a contract

The written statement is a legal minimum, not the full contract. A proper contract adds the protections the employer actually wants: confidentiality, restrictions on leaving to join a competitor, clear rules on expenses and company property. Relying on the bare statement means relying on terms the law implies, and implied terms rarely favour the person who could have written better ones.

Why it matters when things go wrong

Most small employers only think about contracts when there is a row about hours, pay or notice. At that point the question “what did we agree?” has exactly one good answer: the document you both signed. An employment tribunal will fill any silence in the employee’s favour more often than yours.

What it costs

Nothing, if you do it yourself. Acas publishes free templates and a step-by-step on what to include. For anything beyond the standard hire, a solicitor or HR consultant will draft a full contract for a few hundred pounds, which is cheap against one dispute.

Sources

All pages checked 20 October 2026.

• Written statement of employment particulars: https://www.gov.uk/employment-contracts-and-conditions/written-statement-of-employment-particulars
• Get ready to employ someone for the first time: https://www.gov.uk/employing-staff

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