Employment Contract Understanding what youre Signed IM HIRED

Employment Contract Understanding what youre Signed Its More than a Piece of Paper How many times have you blindly signed a contract after being offered a job? Most of us dont even consider what is written on that piece of paper until something goes wrong. Were in the era of blind faith, we click acceptance to any set of terms and conditions, just assuming nothing will come of it. Whilst most of us have a rough idea what types of things are including in a contract, a large proportion of us dont even know there are difference types of contracts. According to a survey  from Protecting.co.uk only 1 in 166 workers actually reads their contract. Thats a worrying statistic. An employment contract isnt just a formality or tick box exercise. Its your legal agreement between you and your employment (the word legal is in that sentence so its best you review it.) Types of Contracts Lets begin by saying there is more than one type of employment contract. Dependant on your job, the organisation you work within or even your level of role there will be differences. Below are the types of contracts you could be offered: Full Time or Part Time Permanent Fixed-term Agency staff Freelancers, Consultants and Contractors Zero Hour Full details of each type of contract can be found on the government website. Its important to first recognise which contract you currently fall within. If you havent received  any contract or offer communication  at all then you need to be speaking with that business HR team or your line manager to access that information straight away. Read Before Signing You need to review your contract before your first day of employment. Further to that asking an employer to send across this information for your acceptance prior to you even handing in your notice at your current employment. Once youve signed, agreeing to those specific terms it will be harder to change so take your time. Make sure youre happy with everything laid out. Understand your Terms The terms of your contract include things such as your holiday entitlement, salary and hours of work, breaks, sick payments, job duties and more. Never assume that what was briefly discussed in a conversation during the recruitment process is definitely in your contract. Make sure everything is as you agreed. For example, if the role was advertised at £20,000 but you stated you wouldnt accept anything less than £22,000 be sure that this is what your contract states. You dont want to get any nasty surprises especially with things such as sick payment as its little too late to find out a company doesnt have company sick pay, the day you need 2 months off work. Question anything that doesnt seem Right Its not just about understanding your contract and then signing. If something doesnt seem right, go back and question this before agreeing. Its much easier to adjust or change terms prior to starting with a company. For example, if youre not happy with your contract  stating hours between 8 am 11 pm when you agreed verbally exact hours of 9 am -5 pm then clarify this with a manager or HR.