Employment

Employers should use this document to draft an agreement for their employees to formally opt out of the 48-hour working week under the Working Time Regulations. This document cannot be used for workers who can choose freely how long they work (e.g. managing executives of a company), domestic servants in private households, workers in the armed forces, police and emergency services, trainee doctors and mobile workers in the transport industry (road, rail, air or sea).

Use this 'Employee handbook' to set out all the non-contractual issues relating to employment, including key administrative procedures. By doing so, and by complying with the policies and procedures set out within it, you will minimise the risk of potential employee lawsuits, such as discrimination, harassment and unfair dismissal and reduce the risk of having to appear before an Employment Tribunal, which can cost thousands of pounds. In addition to all the subjects which must be included in the handbook, such as maternity leave and grievance procedure, etc., there are also optional clauses which you may choose to include. These include clauses relating to company cars, dress code, alcohol and drug testing, bonus schemes and stress at work, amongst others. We recommend that this document should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that it complies with future amendments to employment legislation.

Use this letter to create a standard reference about a former employee for a potential new employer.

It is not a legal requirement to provide a reference, unless you have a contractual obligation (e.g. it says so in their employment contract or in a settlement agreement). However, failure to provide a reference could leave an employer open to allegations of discrimination. You should therefore seriously consider providing an employee with a reference when asked. It is therefore important that your reference is free from language that could be discriminatory and the format of this reference should help you in this process.

For data protection reasons, it's likely that you'll need the employee's written consent to provide the information contained in this reference, before sending it.

Use this document to create a job description. This document can be used when recruiting staff, to assist you when conducting a staff appraisal, to attach to an employment contract or statement of terms/written particulars of terms or in order to update a previously drafted job description. This document creates three separate lists containing the duties and/or responsibilities of the role, the skills and knowledge required to perform it and required experience. There is also the option to insert an estimate of the percentage of time taken up by each responsibility or duty. Please note that this document is only for use in the United Kingdom.

This letter seeks to obtain an employee’s consent and agreement to a medical examination as well as consent for the employee's GP to provide a copy of his/her medical report to assist in the examination. It is to be used where an employee has shown symptoms of some form of illness, condition or injury which is causing the employer concern and where there is no provision in the contract of employment for a medical examination. It is worth noting that an employee has the right to refuse consent and cannot be dismissed, or threatened with dismissal, as a result of such a refusal.

This is a licence for an employee to occupy property owned by their employer on the basis that it is necessary for the employee to live in the property for the better performance of their duties. If this basis cannot be established then the employee will have a tenancy agreement and not a licence.

If an employer has a lease for the property (usually associated with ownership of flats) or is renting the property from a third party, then it should check if it needs permission from the landlord before granting this licence.

If the employee will have others living with them in the property (such as their family) then employers in England should check whether those individuals have a legal right to live (known as 'the right to rent') in the UK, before allowing them to live in the property.

This document is suitable for use in England, Wales and Northern Ireland only.

As an employer, you'll inevitably collect, use and store personal information about your current and prospective staff. Under the Data Protection Act 2018 and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you need to tell them what information you hold, how you'll use it and for what purpose. You also need to tell them about their privacy rights and how the law protects them. You can use this privacy notice to do this. It's suitable to give to both job applicants and current staff (whether they be employees, workers or contractors).

This is a licence for an employee to occupy property owned by their employer on the basis that it is necessary for the employee to live in the property for the better performance of their duties. If this basis cannot be established then the employee will have a tenancy agreement and not a licence. If an employer has a lease for the property (usually associated with ownership of flats) or is renting the property from a third party, then it should check whether it requires permission from the landlord before granting this licence. Please note that this document is only for use in Scotland.

Use this document to create a set of forms to be used when conducting staff appraisals. This document will allow you to appraise your staff against previously set objectives and/or by rating (scoring) their performance against the specific skills and/or behavioural characteristics that are required for the role. The document also allows you to create a self-appraisal questionnaire to assist in the appraisal process and (if required) forms to record future set objectives and/or training and development needs. We recommend using the appraisal forms with an up-to-date job description. Please note that this document is only for use in the United Kingdom only.

When your business engages the services of a consultant, this document can be used to draw up the terms of the consultancy. While it includes clauses covering remuneration, obligations and notice, it does not constitute a contract of employment. However, failure of either party to honour the terms of the agreement could lead to claims of breach of contract or negligence. The agreement also deals with the issue of intellectual property.

This document is suitable for businesses engaging with consultants who work in the UK only. It is not suitable for those working in public sector services, the health and care industry or if they may have contact with children or vulnerable adults.

Employers should use this employment agreement when taking on new members of staff. This agreement must be given to the employee within two months of starting. Failure to provide employees with a written statement of employment within two months is unlawful and could result in costly appearances before an employment tribunal.

This agreement covers issues such as sick pay and incapacity, holiday entitlements, lay-offs, pension schemes, references, medical reports, company cars, restrictive covenants, disciplinary procedures, confidentiality, share option schemes, home working, teleworking and part-time working, among others. This agreement should be used in conjunction with an employee handbook containing more detailed HR and employment policies.

This document prepares a set of standard terms and conditions of employment. It is designed for use by employers who wish to have a very simple employment contract in place. By law, all employees must receive written particulars of the terms of their employment within two calendar months. It is recommended that you use this employment statement in combination with an employee handbook.

This document is designed for use by a limited company to set out a basis upon which a executive might be employed as a member of the company's board of directors. It covers pay, bonuses, share options, pensions, holidays, working hours, sickness, job descriptions, working time directive, restrictions on competition, location of working and ancillary matters.

This document is not suitable for employing a director under 18 years old. The document is suitable for directors employed by a company based in the UK.

Employers should use this fixed-term employment contract when they wish to take on an employee for a period which ends when either a specified date is reached, when a specified event has occurred or when a specified task has been completed. The agreement must be provided to the employee within two months of their start date. The agreement deals with the job description and other related matters such as holiday entitlement, salary, sickness, inventions, disciplinary procedures and confidentiality.

This document will create a written statement confirming the changes made to an employment contract or statement of particulars. There are certain changes which, by law, must be confirmed in writing and others where it is not required; however, it is considered to be best practice to do so to protect the interests of both the employer and employee. The employee is required to sign this statement, confirming their consent to the change to help protect the employer against a potential lawsuit.

This document is suitable for individuals above the mandatory school leaving age of 16 who want to gain unpaid work experience or become an unpaid intern. Due to additional regulatory requirements, this document is not suitable for students who are still at school or who are under the mandatory school leaving age (16). It is also not suitable to be used for internships that are placements forming part of a course between an educational institute and an employer.

Work experience will usually involve shadowing an employee for 1-2 weeks. An internship typically lasts for more than 3 weeks and is for someone who is working to gain relevant experience before embarking on their chosen career.

This document is suitable for placements in the UK only.

Employers should use this agreement when taking on new members of staff who will work on an 'as required' or 'zero-hours' basis. It should be used by employers who have a fluctuating need for staff or who want to give staff a flexible means of working.

This agreement has been drafted so that staff members are classed as 'workers' (rather than employees), meaning they'll have fewer employment rights and protections. A zero-hours worker is not guaranteed work by their employer and in this agreement the worker does not have to accept offers of work.

The agreement deals with the job description and other related matters such as working time, breaks, holiday entitlement, salary, sickness and confidentiality. There is also the option to include grievance and/or disciplinary procedures.

When recruiting, employers may use this document to produce a form for all applicants invited to interview to complete. The form asks the applicant to declare whether they have a current criminal conviction, and if so, to give details of the offence(s) and sentence(s). Additionally, there are clear instructions in how employers should use this information to ensure that they comply fully with the requirements of the Rehabilitation of Offenders and Data Protection Acts.

Important Notice
In order to use this document you will need to have installed Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 4 or above). The Adobe software is free and may be downloaded by clicking here.

Use this to create a reference letter from an employer to a referee. It will contain a number of useful standard questions seeking information that an employer may find useful. You should include a stamped, addressed envelope with this letter to facilitate a quick response from the referee. The applicant will need to give their consent for their old employer to provide a reference to you. To avoid delays, the applicant should give that consent to them directly or to you, so you can send it with this letter.

Employers should use this document to prepare a letter to send to unsuccessful job applicants, whether or not they attended an interview. The letter advises them that they have been unsuccessful on this occasion and includes the option to keep their details for future vacancies, should they agree to this.

Employers should use this form when interviewing job applicants. The form includes a comprehensive checklist of topics to be covered during interview, with suggestions for specific questions and the opportunity to allocate marks and give comments for each. The completed checklist can provide evidence that you have taken a consistent and fair approach to all candidates. If properly applied, this can assist in providing protection against complaints of discrimination. You should keep all completed checklists for unsuccessful applicants for at least six months for this reason.

Important Notice
In order to use this document you will need to have installed Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 4 or above). The Adobe software is free and may be downloaded by clicking here.

This document creates a standard job application form to be used when hiring new staff. It should assist you in forming an objective view of the applicant's suitability as part of your selection process. The document also takes into account discrimination legislation to help protect your business against accusations of discrimination at an employment tribunal. You may wish to use this application form in combination with a criminal convictions declaration form, although you should send these two forms separately to the applicant.

Important Notice
In order to use this document you will need to have installed Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 4 or above). The Adobe software is free and may be downloaded by clicking here.

Use this document to create a suitable offer letter when making a job offer to a prospective employee. This offer letter should be a summary of the key parts of the full employment documents, i.e. an employment agreement or employment statement, which must be provided to an employee within two months of starting. The letter also requests the prospective employee to provide the correct documentation to prove their right to work in the UK prior to commencing their employment - to help protect you from liability.

Use this document to create an induction checklist when taking on a new member of staff. As the checklist has not been catered to a particular business or industry, it might be the case that there are certain items that will not be applicable. However, the checklist should provide the necessary structure as part of a wider induction programme.

Important Notice
In order to use this document you will need to have installed Adobe Acrobat Reader (version 4 or above). The Adobe software is free and may be downloaded by clicking here.

This pack contains a range of letters for employers to use when dealing with employment disciplinary matters. The pack includes a range of letters including Employee disciplinary appeal hearing letter, Employee disciplinary appeal hearing letter, Employee disciplinary meeting letter, Employee disciplinary meeting outcome letter, Employee dismissal letter after previous disciplinary action and an appeal hearing, Employee dismissal letter following previous disciplinary action, Employee dismissal letter for gross misconduct, Employee dismissal letter for gross misconduct after an appeal hearing, Employee formal appeal hearing outcome letter and an Employee suspension letter pending investigations of allegations. See the individual information associated with each document in this pack for a full description of their use.

This document creates a letter to an employee asking him or her to attend a formal disciplinary appeal meeting after the employee has appealed a decision taken at a disciplinary meeting to take disciplinary action against him or her. It is designed for general use. The employee is invited to attend the appeal meeting to reconsider or review the allegations made against the employee and/or the disciplinary action taken.

Use this document to create a letter to an employee asking them to attend a formal disciplinary meeting. The letter is designed for general use. At the meeting the employee will be able to explain his or her conduct. After the meeting you should formally notify the employee of the decision that was made.

Use this document to create a letter to notify your employee of the outcome of a disciplinary meeting. The decision can be that no disciplinary action be taken, or that an oral warning be given, or that a written warning or a final written warning be given. If the decision of the disciplinary meeting was to dismiss the employee following repeated disciplinary action, then you should use the Rapidocs document 'Employee dismissal letter following previous disciplinary action' rather than this document. If the decision is to summarily dismiss the employee on account of their gross misconduct, you should use the Rapidocs document 'Employee dismissal letter for gross misconduct'.

Use this letter to dismiss an employee after he/she has appealed a decision to dismiss made at a disciplinary meeting, but the decision following the appeal hearing is still to dismiss. If the decision after the appeal hearing is not to dismiss, use our document ‘Employee formal appeal hearing letter’ instead of this one. If the decision following this meeting is to summarily dismiss on account of their gross misconduct, you will have to use our document 'Employee dismissal letter for gross misconduct after an appeal hearing'. Please note that in order to use this letter, the employee must have been the subject of repeated disciplinary action due to their poor performance and/or professional misconduct and must have been dismissed using a valid disciplinary and dismissal procedure.

Use this document to create a dismissal letter to an employee following previous disciplinary action and a final disciplinary meeting. This letter is the final step in the disciplinary process where the employee has previously been given at least two written warnings and has had previous meetings to discuss the matter and to give excuses and reasons. If, on the other hand, you are summarily dismissing on account of gross misconduct, you should use the 'Employee dismissal letter for gross misconduct' document instead of this one.

In cases where an employer needs to immediately dismiss an employee on account of gross misconduct, this letter should be used. Gross misconduct might include such actions as physical violence, extremely serious insubordination, or serious incapacity through an excess of alcohol or drugs. This letter must be used in accordance with a valid disciplinary and dismissal procedure.

This letter should be used when an employee has appealed a decision to dismiss on account of gross misconduct and the decision of the meeting is still to dismiss. At this appeal hearing the employee should have been given the opportunity to explain his/her conduct and why the disciplinary action taken should not have been implemented. Please note that if the employee has been successful in appealing against a dismissal, you should use our 'Employee formal appeal hearing letter' instead of this letter to formally notify the employee of the result of the appeal hearing. If the decision following this meeting is to dismiss but not on account of gross misconduct, you will have to use our document 'Employee dismissal letter after previous disciplinary action and an appeal hearing', rather than this one.

Use this document to send a letter to your employee following a formal appeal hearing. The letter will inform them of the outcome of the meeting, which can include that no disciplinary action be taken, that your employee receive an oral warning, a written warning or a final written warning. If the decision following this meeting is to dismiss, you will have to use the 'Employee dismissal letter after previous disciplinary action and an appeal hearing' document, rather than this one. If the decision following this meeting is to summarily dismiss on account of their gross misconduct, you will have to use the 'Employee dismissal letter for gross misconduct after an appeal hearing' document.

Use this letter to formally suspend an employee while you conduct an investigation into allegations made against him or her. It is designed to temporarily remove an employee from his or her post when that employee's continued presence in the workplace may involve risk, danger or embarrassment or may be prejudicial to good discipline. Note that suspension is not a punishment and, as such, there should be no loss of normal pay or pension entitlement.

If an employer and employee are in dispute then they may formally settle that dispute by entering into a legally binding contract called a settlement agreement (previously known as a compromise agreement). A settlement agreement can be used to settle any disputes which would otherwise have to be settled by the employment tribunal or court. A settlement agreement will usually provide an employee with compensation. In return, the employee will agree not to pursue any legal claim that he or she may have against the employer (as well as agreeing to any further conditions that the employer may impose). This document is suitable for use in the UK only.

This document produces a form which is suitable for use in recording any employee's request for absence from work. The form is self-explanatory. Within reason an employer can establish its own procedures for notifying absences and in verifying whether the reasons given are genuine.