Fuller contract with confidentiality terms. Answer a few plain-English questions and Scorpia drafts the complete document for your situation, checks it with a second review pass, and shows you a free preview before you pay anything.
Draft my employment contract standard — free preview →EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT
Standard Form with Confidentiality — __________ | __________
THIS EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT is entered into between __________ (Company Number: __________), registered office at __________ (the "Company"), and __________ of __________ (the "Employee").
1. COMMENCEMENT AND ROLE
(a) Your employment with the Company begins on __________.
(b) Your job title is __________ and you will report to __________.
(c) Your duties are as set out in the Job Description provided to you. The Company reserves the right to vary your duties from time to time to meet business needs, provided the variation is reasonable.
(d) Your principal place of work is __________. The Company may require you to work temporarily at other locations.
(e) No previous employment counts towards your period of continuous employment with the Company.
PAY AND BENEFITS
(a) Basic Salary: Your basic salary is £__________ per annum (gross), payable monthly in arrears on or around the __________ of each month by BACS transfer to your nominated bank account. Your salary will be reviewed annually, although there is no obligation to increase it.
(b) Deductions: The Company will deduct income tax and National Insurance contributions under PAYE. The Company may also make other lawful deductions from your pay, including recovery of any overpayment, advances or loans.
(c) Pension: The Company will automatically enrol you into a qualifying workplace pension scheme in accordance with the Pensions Act 2008 and the Automatic Enrolment Regulations. Current employer and employee contribution rates will be notified to you separately. You have the right to opt out.
(d) Holiday Pay: Holiday pay is included in your salary as stated in the Holiday clause. The Company's holiday year runs from __________ to __________.
WORKING HOURS
(a) Your normal working hours are __________ per week, worked __________, between the hours of __________ and __________. You may also be required to work additional hours as reasonably necessary for the proper performance of your duties. No additional payment is made for overtime unless expressly agreed in writing.
Every employee and worker in Great Britain is entitled to a written statement of their main terms on or before their first day. This employment contract contains everything section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires, updated for the Employment Rights Act 2025 changes, plus the confidentiality, intellectual property and data clauses a small employer needs.
Names; start date and the date continuous employment began; job title or a brief description; place of work and whether the employee may be required to work outside the UK; pay, how often and how it is paid; hours and days and whether they vary; holiday entitlement and pay (the statutory minimum is 5.6 weeks); sick pay; pension; notice on both sides; probation and its conditions; any training requirements; whether the job is fixed-term; and any collective agreements. Disciplinary and grievance procedures can be in a separate policy referred to in the contract.
Statutory sick pay is now payable from the first day of sickness with no lower earnings limit, and paternity and parental leave are day-one rights (from April 2026). From October 2026 employers must take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment, including by third parties, and tribunal time limits are six months. The qualifying period for unfair dismissal protection is reducing to six months, with a statutory probation framework, and workers on zero-hours or low-hours contracts gain rights to guaranteed hours; the draft is written so those changes do not require a new contract.
Confidentiality during and after employment; ownership of what the employee creates in the course of the job (which the law gives the employer, but should be stated); return of property; data protection; outside work and conflicts; a deductions clause (written consent under section 13 of the 1996 Act is needed to deduct, for example, overpaid holiday or training costs); garden leave and payment in lieu of notice. Restrictive covenants after employment are enforceable only to protect a legitimate interest and for a reasonable period, so the draft keeps them short and specific.
Rest breaks and the 48-hour weekly limit apply; an opt-out from the 48-hour limit must be a separate signed statement, not buried in the contract, and the draft provides it as a schedule. Holiday pay must reflect regular overtime and commission.
The basic version has the statutory minimum only. This standard version adds confidentiality, IP and the usual protective clauses, and is what most small businesses need. Part-time and fixed-term versions adjust hours and term.
Yes, with its length and the shorter notice during it; the draft includes it. Probation does not remove statutory rights.
Disciplinary, grievance and flexible-working policies are best kept separate and referred to in the contract; Scorpia has templates for them.
Employment law is largely the same across Great Britain; choose the jurisdiction and governing law in the questions.
Use the director's service contract, which adds the company-law duties and board provisions.
No. Scorpia is software that drafts and checks documents. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. For a dispute, a company sale or anything unusual, use a solicitor.