New Information to be given at the start of Employment

Employers are required by legislation to provide employees and workers with certain key information regarding their terms and conditions which is referred to as a written statement of employment particulars. These terms are often included in the form of an employment contract or letter of engagement. 

These terms include:

• the names of the employer and the employee or worker,
• the scale or rate of remuneration or the method of calculating remuneration,
• how often they will be paid,
• details regarding hours of work including normal working hours, days of the week when they are required to work and whether they are variable,
• holiday entitlement,
• details regarding probationary period including any conditions and its duration
• place of work, and
• any other benefits.

This list is not exhaustive and there are various other terms that should also be included. 

This written statement of employment particulars should be given not later than the beginning of employment. 

Right to a statement of trade union rights

Under the Employment Rights Bill that was published in October 2024, the government wants to introduce a new legal duty where employers will need to inform employees about rights to trade union membership and to inform all staff about this on a regular basis. The proposal is that this information is to be provided alongside the written statement of particulars. 

Regulations which are yet to be published will include what the information must be included, the form in which the statement must take as well as how it should be given. 

In the Government’s fact sheet that has been published on this proposal, the aim of this is to “strengthen workers’ voices in the workplace, enhancing representation, and ultimately improving working conditions through increased trade union membership and participation”. 

If you would like any advice on your current requirements to provide a written statement of employment particulars or any other employment advice, then please do contact the employment team on employment_team@se-solicitors.co.uk

The contents of this article are a general guide only at the date of publication. It is not comprehensive, and it does not constitute legal advice. Specific legal advice should be sought in relation to the particular facts of a given situation.