Contracts, agreements, pay and benefits

It is critical that you understand that terms of your contract with your employer and that it correctly reflects any agreement reached as to your working life and your pay and benefits. If you have willingly agreed to your terms this can affect your career if you chose to leave and try to work elsewhere.

We can review employment contracts, director’s service agreements, share schemes, bonus terms and consultancy agreements, both at the outset of a new relationship and if changes have been proposed: ensuring that these best protect you and are legally right.  We can also advise on your status if this is unclear – so you know what rights you are entitled to.

We can also provide guidance on your entitlement to family-related leave including maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave and pay, time off to care for dependents and your right to request flexible working. 

It is natural that on leaving one role, you may want to stay within the same sector and go and work for one of your employee’s competitors or continue your relationship with long-standing clients or customers.  However, your employer is, to some degree, entitled to protect its relationships and business interests and you may be subject to post-termination restriction clauses (also known as restrictive covenants). We can provide detailed guidance about these restrictions so that you fully understand what you can and cannot do once your role comes to an end.  We can help you to negotiate these clauses and advise you on enforceability.

If you’ve already taken steps to work for a competitor or perhaps set up your own business, we can support you to handle any correspondence from your former employer challenging you on your actions and to help you get the result you need.

Recent examples of work include:

• Advising 2 vets who were leaving a national practice to set up their own business
• Reviewing CEO contract for a client taking up a key new role in London
• Advising on entitlement to enhanced holiday pay for someone paid significant commission as part of their salary
• Advising a person who had been paid as a volunteer whether they would be considered an employee or worker by law