2026 LegislationHiring in the UK is rarely the hard part. Managing the paperwork is. One missing clause in an employment contract, one sloppy dismissal letter, one informal "we'll sort it out later" email, and you can end up paying for it at tribunal.
These templates are for small businesses employing staff under English & Welsh law. They cover the day-to-day documents you actually use, written in plain English, with the legal bits that matter left in, not watered down.
Honestly, most employment disputes start with something basic: the contract was never signed, the notice period is unclear, or the reason for dismissal is poorly recorded. Fixing that early is cheaper than arguing about it later.
Choose your legal document:
When to use these templates
Use these documents when you are taking someone on, changing their role, or trying to end the relationship without drama. A written statement of employment particulars is not optional; under s.1 Employment Rights Act 1996 you must give key terms from day one, and the full statement within two months of the start date. Getting that wrong can add compensation on top of another successful claim.
They also help when you are formalising what has already been happening. For example, you have a part-time administrator who has quietly become a full-time operations lead, or you have agreed hybrid working but never put it in writing. If expectations are not documented, you will argue about them later, usually at the worst possible moment.
If things are going off track, you will need letters that read like a fair process, not like a threat. Invitations to meetings, outcome letters, warnings, and dismissal letters are boring, but they are the spine of a defensible decision. Tribunals look at what you did, when you did it, and what you told the employee, not what you meant.
Finally, use these templates when you are reducing headcount or exiting on agreed terms. Redundancy notices, consultation letters, and settlement agreement paperwork can keep a difficult situation controlled. The key is to follow a process that you can evidence, especially where the employee has two years' service and can claim unfair dismissal.
What you will find in this category
- Employment contracts (full-time and part-time) with core terms, benefits, notice, probation, and post-termination restrictions where appropriate.
- Written statement of employment particulars packs aligned to s.1 Employment Rights Act 1996, including pay, hours, holiday, and place of work.
- Offer letters and starter documentation that tie together the offer, conditions (references, right to work), and what happens if checks fail.
- Probation, performance, and disciplinary letters, including meeting invitations, outcomes, and warnings drafted to support a fair process.
- Dismissal letters (conduct, capability, redundancy, and some other substantial reason) with the right structure and minimum information.
- Redundancy consultation and selection documents, including scoring matrices and individual consultation letters.
- Settlement agreement templates and companion letters, including the employee advice certificate wording and payment timing clauses.
Legal framework and key points to watch
The backbone statute is the Employment Rights Act 1996. It covers the right not to be unfairly dismissed (after qualifying service in most cases), notice rights (s.86), and the requirement to provide a written statement of particulars (s.1). Separate rules sit around it: the Equality Act 2010 (discrimination), the Working Time Regulations 1998 (holiday and working time), and the National Minimum Wage Act 1998. Your documents should not fight those rules; they should sit neatly on top of them.
A common pitfall is thinking a contract is only about pay and hours. It is also about control. If you want to move someone between sites, change shifts, require overtime, or restrict outside work, you need the right clauses and you need to use them reasonably. A badly drafted flexibility clause can be as risky as having none, because it invites misuse and then a breach of contract argument.
Dismissals are where templates either save you or sink you. For unfair dismissal, the question is usually whether you had a potentially fair reason and whether you acted reasonably in treating it as sufficient. That is why the paper trail matters. Failing to follow a fair process can turn a "good reason" dismissal into an expensive one, particularly where you skip investigation, ignore adjustments, or do not offer an appeal.
Settlement agreements are powerful, but they are not a shortcut you can force through. For a settlement agreement to be valid, the employee must receive advice from an independent adviser and the agreement must meet statutory conditions. The document should also deal with tax treatment properly. Get that wrong and you can end up with a dispute with the employee, HMRC, or both.
Why our templates
- Drafted for UK employers and aligned with the Employment Rights Act 1996, with the practical clauses employers actually rely on.
- Regularly updated to reflect legal and practice changes, so you are not using a five-year-old template that misses a current requirement.
- Reviewed with an employment-law mindset, including process language for disciplinaries, capability, and redundancy situations.
- Supplied in editable Word and clean PDF formats, so you can customise without breaking the structure.
- Written in plain English with sensible prompts, so you know what to fill in and what choices carry risk.
Frequently asked questions
Do I really need a written employment contract?
You do not need a single signed "contract" document to create an employment contract, because one can arise from conduct. But you do need to provide a written statement of employment particulars under s.1 Employment Rights Act 1996, and you will want a signed contract to avoid arguments about notice, duties, and post-termination restrictions. If it is not written down, expect a disagreement later.
Can I dismiss someone during probation without a process?
Probation does not remove legal risk. An employee may not have ordinary unfair dismissal rights until they have two years' service, but discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010 can arise from day one, and wrongful dismissal (notice pay) can apply regardless of length of service. A short, fair process and a clear letter are usually worth the time.
What is the difference between redundancy and dismissal for performance?
Redundancy is about the role disappearing or the business needing fewer employees to do that work. Performance (capability) is about the employee not meeting the required standard in a role that still exists. Mixing the two is a classic mistake. If the job is still needed, calling it redundancy can look like a cover story, and that is when consultation and selection documents become critical evidence.
When should I use a settlement agreement?
Use it when you want a clean break with agreed terms, typically where there is a dispute risk or a relationship has broken down. It is common after a grievance, during a performance exit, or alongside redundancy where you are offering an enhanced payment in exchange for claims being settled. The agreement should be paired with a clear timeline for signing, advice, and payment, and the wording must meet the statutory conditions to be enforceable.