Contracts and handbooks
The paperwork that decides who wins when something goes wrong.
How we can help
- Drafting contracts of employment that reflect how you actually operate
- Restrictive covenants drawn to be enforceable rather than merely alarming
- Staff handbooks and policies that meet current legal requirements
- Contracts for workers, consultants and fixed-term staff
- Reviewing inherited documentation from a previous adviser or acquisition
- Keeping documents current as the law and the business change
What happens next
- Send us what you currently use, or tell us you have nothing.
- We review against your actual working arrangements and flag the gaps.
- We draft or revise, and explain what changed and why.
Fees for this work
Fixed fee per document set, quoted before we start. Reviewing existing paperwork is usually cheaper than starting from scratch.
Common questions
Are our non-compete clauses enforceable?
Only so far as they protect a legitimate business interest and go no further than reasonably necessary. Many are drafted so widely they would not survive a challenge — which matters, because an unenforceable covenant gives you nothing at the moment you need it.
Do we need a handbook?
Not legally, but it is where your disciplinary, grievance and absence procedures live, and having a clear process you actually follow is the single best protection against tribunal claims.
Should the handbook be contractual?
Generally not. A non-contractual handbook can be updated without agreement; a contractual one cannot, and breaching your own contractual procedure can itself found a claim.
We treat some staff as self-employed. Is that a risk?
Potentially a significant one. Employment status is determined by the reality of the arrangement, not the label in the contract, and getting it wrong creates exposure to both employment claims and tax liability.
Tell us what's happened
Confidential, reviewed by a solicitor, answered within one working day.