The real job
Who the employer is, what the person will do, where they will work, when they start and whether any previous service is being recognised.
Contract for a first employee
Employ someone properly without turning it into a legal pageant.
Your first contract should set out the real deal clearly: the role, pay, hours, location, holiday, probation, notice and the practical rules both sides need to understand from day one.
The useful starting point
Start with the employment arrangement, not the template.
A first hire is often straightforward, but founders can accidentally promise one thing in conversation, another in an offer email and a third in the contract. The sensible route is to settle the operating decisions first, then choose the lightest document that records them properly. For a genuinely simple arrangement, the official Acas templates may be enough—and I will say so.
This route may fit when
Start here if any of this sounds familiar.
- 01You are moving from founder-only working to employing your first person.
- 02You have agreed the broad role but have not documented pay, hours or place of work clearly.
- 03You are unsure whether the role is permanent, fixed-term, part-time or genuinely casual.
- 04You need a workable probation and notice position rather than aggressive boilerplate.
- 05You want to understand what belongs in the contract and what belongs in a policy.
What I examine
The decisions behind the document.
A useful contract service joins the wording to the operating reality. These are the questions that make the document usable.
Pay and time
Pay frequency, normal hours, predictable variations, overtime expectations, holiday and the practical treatment of bank holidays.
Starting safely
Probation, notice, sickness reporting, required training and the essential expectations that must be explained before or when work begins.
A foundation that can grow
Which terms should remain contractual and which procedures are better kept in a short, updateable handbook or policy set.
What you receive
Something you can actually implement.
Exact deliverables are confirmed in writing so the boundary is visible before you instruct me.
- A document matched to the agreed first-hire scenario
- Plain-English suitability and boundary notes
- A practical information checklist before issue
- Prompts for any policies or processes needed alongside the contract
- A version-current document at the point of purchase
Important boundary
A free route is sometimes the right route.
The written statement is not the whole employment relationship, but a sound official template can be a proportionate baseline for a simple hire. If the role involves irregular hours, senior responsibility, significant intellectual property, mobility, commission, unusual benefits or disputed status, a template becomes less reassuring.
Practical questions
Straight answers before you enquire.
Does the employee need the contract before they start?+
The principal written statement must be provided on or before the first day of employment. In practice, agreeing and issuing the key terms earlier also reduces the chance of the offer and contract telling different stories.
Is a written statement the same as the employment contract?+
No. GOV.UK distinguishes the statutory written statement from the wider employment contract. The legal relationship can also include agreed verbal terms, implied terms, policies and established practice.
Can you help if I have already made the offer?+
Yes. Bring the offer wording and any messages or promises that could affect the terms. The aim is to align the documents before the person starts, not pretend earlier communications do not exist.
Not sure which route fits?
Tell me the situation, not the legal label.
I'll point you to the sensible next step.
Describe the real situation without including names, health information or other sensitive employee details. I’ll tell you the proportionate next step before any paid work begins.