Written Statement of Employment Particulars

The written statement of employment particulars is basically a statement outlining the main conditions of employment. All employees are entitled to a written statement of particulars if their employment contract lasts at least a month or more.

The Taylor Review of Modern Work Practices observed that some workers, ‘do not have transparent information about their employment relationship’. In order to provide greater clarity to the employment relationship between employers and workers, the government has modified via legislation the requirements of the written statement of particulars. The key changes are:

• All workers employed on or after 6th April 2020 will be entitled to a written statement of employment particulars. (Prior to this date only employees were entitled to receive such a statement.)
• The minimum service requirement of 1 month for entitlement to a written statement of particulars has been removed and employees and workers are entitled to a written statement of particulars from day one.

A written statement of particulars must now include the following items

• the main document (known as a ‘principal statement’)
• a wider written statement

Employers must tell employees or workers about any changes to the written statement. They must do this within one month of making the change.

The principal statement

The principal statement must include at least:

• the employer’s name
• the employee’s or worker’s name, job title or a description of work and start date
• how much and how often an employee or worker will get paid
• hours and days of work and if and how they may vary (also if employees or workers will have to work Sundays, nights or overtime)
• holiday entitlement (and if that includes public holidays)
• where an employee or worker will be working and whether they might have to relocate
• if an employee or worker works in different places, where these will be and what the employer’s address is
• how long a job is expected to last (and what the end date is if it’s a fixed-term contract)
• how long any probation period is and what its conditions are
• any other benefits (for example, childcare vouchers and lunch)
• obligatory training, whether or not this is paid for by the employer

For employees, it must also include the date that a previous job started if it counts towards a period of continuous employment.

Working abroad

If an employee or worker has to work outside the UK for more than a month, the principal statement must also include:

• how long they’ll be abroad
• what currency they’ll be paid in
• what additional pay or benefits they’ll get
• terms relating to their return to the UK

Other information the employer must give on day one

On the first day of employment the employer must also provide the employee or worker with information about:

• sick pay and procedures
• other paid leave (for example, maternity leave and paternity leave)
• notice periods

The employer can choose whether to include this information in the principal statement or provide it in a separate document. If they provide it in a separate document, this must be something that the employee or worker has reasonable access to, such as on the employer’s intranet.

The wider written statement

Employers must give employees and workers a wider written statement within 2 months of the start of employment. This must include information about:

• pensions and pension schemes
• collective agreements
• any other right to non-compulsory training provided by the employer
• disciplinary and grievance procedures