Changes To Worker Contracts From 6 April 2020

Contracts of employment are changing, thanks to the 2017 Taylor Review.

What employers need to know

As of today, there is no legal requirement for an employer to provide a written contract of employment. 

However, UK law states that a written “Section 1” statement (so called due to the requirement appearing at Section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1998) must be provided to set out the bare minimum terms of employment, such as the employee’s rate of pay, place of work etc.

The changes in April 2020 centre on the upcoming changes to the Section 1 statement.

The Changes From The 6th April 2020

From April 6, 2020, the statement has to be given to all staff as a “day one” right.

What this means is that workers, as well as full and part-time employees, will need to receive a Section 1 statement before the job starts. 

New additions to the basic Section 1 statement range from the number of days the person is expected to work to any paid leave given.

Here’s the full list:

• days of the week the individual is required to work;
• entitlement to paid leave (maternity and paternity);
• any other remuneration or benefits;
• any probationary period, conditions of its duration included;
• any training provided, including whether it is mandatory or paid for by the worker.

The statement also needs to include:

• the notice period for termination; 
• absence terms, such as incapacity to work and sick pay;
• length of temporary or fixed-term employment;
• work conditions outside the UK if it's for more than one month.

Exceptions to the rules

Some information, relating to pensions, for example, can be given as late as two months later.

Also, if your employment started under the existing rules, the terms don’t apply to you.

If you are in the latter bracket and want an up to date list from your employer, you can request a written statement from 2020.

This only applies to employees and not workers.