Below are a few commonly asked questions...

Is an employer obliged to give an employee a contract of employment?

An employer must provide an employee with a 'written statement of terms and conditions of employment' no later than two months after the employee starts work. The statement must contain certain information to include (amongst other things), when employment began; salary; hours of work; holiday entitlement; details about disciplinary and grievance procedures.

From October 2004 and in the event that an employee makes a successful application to the tribunal for, say, unfair dismissal, the tribunal must make an additional award of between 2 and 4 weeks pay in cases where a written statement has not been given or is incomplete. At present there is no stand alone right for an employee to be awarded compensation on the basis that there is no written statement.