Free UK employment contract drafting checklist

Use the template

Check the employment terms

Tick each decision only when the offer, working arrangement and final documents agree. The checklist does not ask for employee details.

Start with status and jurisdictionConfirm whether employment law for Great Britain or Northern Ireland appliesCheck whether the real working relationship is employee, worker or self-employedUse a document designed for that status rather than changing the label alone

Identify the parties and the roleEmployer legal name and addressEmployee name, job title or work description and managerStart date and any earlier date that counts towards continuous employmentPermanent, temporary or fixed-term basis and the expected end point where relevant

Settle the day-one particularsPay, pay interval, permitted deductions and any variable-pay termsHours, working days, whether they can vary and how changes are agreedNormal place of work, hybrid or multiple locations and any overseas workHoliday year, entitlement, bank-holiday treatment and holiday paySickness reporting, statutory or company sick pay and other paid leaveProbation terms and review points, if a probation period appliesNotice from employer and employee

Add the wider particularsPension, benefits and any obligatory or employer-funded trainingDisciplinary, grievance and dismissal procedures or where to find themCollective agreements that affect the roleTerms for working abroad for more than one month, where relevant

Review the complete document setCheck the terms against the accepted offer letterIdentify confidentiality, intellectual-property, restrictive or other bespoke clauses that need adviceName every handbook or policy the statement refers to and confirm its statusRecord the issue date, version, delivery route and acknowledgement or acceptancePut later changes to main written terms in writing within the required time

Ticks stay in this browser session and are not sent or saved.

Make it yours

Move from decisions to reviewed terms

Use the checklist to find gaps, start from the correct official template and have bespoke clauses reviewed before issue.

1
Confirm the relationship
Jurisdiction and employment status shape the document. Status follows the real arrangement, not the heading on a file.
2
Settle every term
Make the offer, written particulars, policies and working arrangement agree before asking anyone to accept them.
3
Use the right final document
Start with the official Acas employee template where it fits, then get advice on bespoke or higher-risk clauses.

Check before you use it

The chosen template matches the person's legal status and UK jurisdiction
The principal statement can be provided on or before the first working day
The wider written particulars are ready within the applicable deadline
The accepted offer and final terms do not contradict each other
Any fixed-term, overseas or variable-hours arrangement is described clearly
Bespoke restrictions, deductions and ownership clauses have been reviewed

A checklist is not the finished contract

A written statement records required particulars but is not necessarily the whole employment contract. The real relationship can also create terms and determine status. Use the correct official template and take advice on wording that creates material obligations or restrictions.

Questions

Questions about employment terms

Guidance behind this template

GOV.UK: written statement of employment particularsCheck the day-one and wider particulars required in Great Britain.Acas: written statement template for an employeeUse the official employee template as the drafting starting point where it fits.nidirect: written statement of employment particularsCheck the distinct Northern Ireland timing and particulars.Acas: changing written termsCheck how agreed changes to main terms must be recorded.

Is a written statement the same as an employment contract?

No. The written statement records employment particulars the employer must provide, but it is not necessarily the whole contract. Contractual terms can also come from the accepted offer, policies, collective agreements, conduct and the real working arrangement.

Can this checklist be used for both employees and workers?

Use it to identify decisions, but choose a final document for the person's actual status. Acas provides separate written-statement templates for employees and workers. A label does not override how the relationship works in practice.

When must written particulars be provided?

In Great Britain, the principal statement is due on or before the first day and the wider statement within two months. Northern Ireland has different rules, so use the nidirect guidance where it applies.

What needs extra review in an employment contract?

Get advice on material bespoke terms such as post-employment restrictions, intellectual property, unusual deductions, mobility, overseas work, complex incentives or a status that is not straightforward.

What if the offer letter and contract say different things?

Resolve the difference before issue. An accepted offer can already create obligations, and conflicting documents leave both sides unsure which term applies.

Does HollyHR generate or e-sign employment contracts?

No. Use this checklist and the linked official template to prepare the document. HollyHR can keep the final file with the person's record and onboarding tasks after you have completed your own review and signature process.

Employment contract drafting checklist

Check the employment terms

Move from decisions to reviewed terms

Confirm the relationship

Settle every term

Use the right final document

Check before you use it

A checklist is not the finished contract

Keep final terms with the new starter

Questions about employment terms

Useful next steps

Start free with up to 10 active employees.