Changes to your employment contract

If your employer wants to change your contract, you’re entitled to find out exactly what the implications are for you – we can help you sort it out.

Katherine Jameson, Bishop's Stortford
Katherine Jameson, employment law specialist in Bishop's Stortford Settlement agreement solicitor

Your options if your emplyoment contract changes

If your employer presents you with a new employment contract, or wants to change your terms and conditions, you need to know more about the implications of these changes and what impact they might have on your job. An experienced solicitor will be able to give you all the advice you need – and could help you avoid making a mistake.  

We'll explain your options

Sometimes you can sort out contract issues by having a chat with your employer. But at other times, it can spill over into a disagreement. We’re here to step in when you can’t handle the situation yourself. We’ve seen every sort of contractual dispute, and we understand the stress they can cause, which is why we do all we can to make things easier for you.

How we can help you

We work with employers and employees, and see the arguments from both sides. We know how these issues arise and we know how to resolve them. And our technical expertise and our negotiation skills mean we always come up with a quick result that works for you.

We can also advise you on transfers of business under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) regulations (TUPE). We’ll look at what it could mean for your terms and conditions, and any impact a workplace reorganisation might cause.

We take care of contracts

We can help you with all types of contracts, including consultancy, service and agency agreements. We can draft any of these documents, guide you on their legal requirements, or review existing terms and conditions to help you negotiate better terms.

We’ll support you all the way

We can also look at any post-termination restrictions in your contract and give our opinion on whether your employer could actually enforce them. If you ever face proceedings for breach of your contractual terms, we’ll give you all the support you need – in fact, we often do this type of work for people.

Let's talk!

Our service is built around your individual needs. Every piece of help and advice we give you will be focused on securing a quick and efficient resolution to your situation.

We’ll give you our expert legal opinion based on the facts of the case and what you want to achieve – and all in plain language. You can be confident that we’ll always be open and honest with you, so you’ll always know exactly where you stand.

Call our Employment Law solicitors on 0800 0131165

For an initial chat, at no obligation, or fill out our enquiry form and a solicitor will get in touch.

Enquiry form

Can I ask for a settlement agreement?

Usually it is the employer who takes the first step in offering a settlement agreement to an employee, however it is possible to request the same from your employer.  Any discussions with the employer would need to be on a without prejudice basis and would usually be termed a “protected conversation”. 

Learn more
What is furlough leave?

In English law there isn’t a statutory legal definition of ‘furlough leave’. However, the general understanding is that it refers to situation in which a temporary drop in business happens because of an unusual or extraordinary situation which impacts on the economy and commercial environment as a whole. Furlough leave is an option that employers can consider where staff would otherwise be made redundant.

Can an employer ask staff to take unpaid leave instead of making them redundant?

It’s best to work collaboratively with your employees with a view to agreeing working patterns which could include taking some unpaid leave or using up holiday days. The new provisions on furlough leave could also offer some important options for employees to consider. 

This is a complex and very unusual situation so you should make sure you have specialist legal advice before you take any major steps.

If you do think you need to make people redundant, you need to check the terms of your employee contracts. There could be an express or implied right to lay people off or place them on short time working, which might be triggered in this situation. 

What is redundancy?

Redundancy is a type of dismissal which usually applies in the following situations:

  • When your employer has a reduced need for the work that you carry out
  • When your employer ceases to trade
  • When the place where you work is closing.

We understand your situation and our expert team are here to help

Get in touch to speak with someone who can help you move forward.

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