Full Time Contracts of Employment
Employers need clear, legally compliant employment contracts to define the terms and conditions of full-time employment. A well-structured contract helps employers and employees understand their rights and responsibilities while supporting compliance with UK employment law.
Updated full-time employment contracts
These full-time employment contracts have been drafted and kept up to date by employment solicitors and HR professionals. The contracts have been updated to reflect the statutory sick pay changes set by the Employment Rights Act, under which SSP is now payable from the first full day of sickness absence.
This collection includes basic hiring contract templates as well as agreements for senior-level employees, fixed-term staff, specific job roles and different working arrangements.
Choosing the right full-time employment contract
Employers who need a straightforward contract for a new full-time employee can start with the Basic / Statutory Minimum Employment Contract. Where the role requires stronger confidentiality protection, the Standard Minimum Contract with Enhanced Confidentiality may be more suitable.
If the employer needs to protect business interests after employment ends, the Basic Employment Contract with Restrictive Covenants includes post-termination restrictions such as non-compete provisions. For office-based recruitment, the Office Worker/Administrative Employment Contract (Full Time) is designed for clerical and administrative roles.
For senior roles, the Executive Employment Contract is intended for executive-level employees. Where the role is for a defined period, the Fixed Term Employment Contract can be used for fixed-term employment.
Match the contract with the right offer letter
An employment offer letter is usually issued with the contract of employment, so the offer, contractual terms and proposed start arrangements are consistent. The matching Full-time Employment Offer Letters help employers confirm the offer of employment before or alongside the relevant full-time contract.
What do these full-time employment contracts cover?
Each contract is designed to suit different employment scenarios and levels of seniority. They cover key employment terms, including pay, working hours, job duties and termination conditions.
Some contracts include confidentiality and intellectual property clauses, restrictive covenants, and flexible working arrangements such as shift work, night work, compressed hours or homeworking. A basic hiring contract is also available for businesses that need a simple, legally compliant agreement for new employees.
Why subscribe to Employment Documents?
A well-drafted employment contract is essential for legal compliance, protecting business interests and clearly defining employee rights. A subscription to Employment Documents provides access to professionally drafted, up-to-date templates, including basic hiring contracts and a range of agreements tailored for different roles, seniority levels and working arrangements.
Subscribers also gain access to hundreds of HR and employment-related legal templates covering staff policies, termination procedures and workplace compliance, helping businesses manage employment law requirements and streamline their hiring processes.
Full-time employment contracts available
This selection includes contracts suited for a wide range of employment scenarios.
Full Time Contracts of Employment is part of Employment. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Employment for 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
I am taking on a new full-time employee. Which contract template should I start with? +
For most straightforward full-time hires, the Basic / Statutory Minimum Employment Contract is the right starting point. It covers the written particulars that employers must provide by the first day of employment under the Employment Rights Act 1996, including pay, hours, job title, holiday entitlement and notice periods. If the role involves handling sensitive information, the Standard Minimum Contract with Enhanced Confidentiality adds stronger protection. If protecting the business after the employee leaves matters, the Basic Employment Contract with Restrictive Covenants includes post-termination restrictions such as non-compete provisions.
Do I have to give a new employee their contract before they start work? +
Yes. The principal written statement of employment particulars must be given on or before the employee's first day. This is a legal requirement under section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which has applied since 6 April 2020. The statement must cover pay, hours, job title, holiday entitlement, notice periods and several other matters in a single document. Some additional particulars, such as details of pension and collective agreements, may follow within two months of the start date. The templates in this sub-folder are designed to meet these requirements.
My employee's contract still refers to three waiting days before statutory sick pay kicks in. Do I need to update it? +
Yes, but with one qualification on the second point. From 6 April 2026, statutory sick pay (SSP) is payable from the first day of sickness absence under the Employment Rights Act 2025, which removed the three unpaid waiting days. The lower earnings limit was also removed, so eligible employees no longer need to earn a minimum amount to qualify. They must still meet all the other qualifying conditions though, including being an employed earner taxed through PAYE (those who pay their own tax through self assessment are not eligible) and notifying you of sickness within any deadline you set or within 7 days. The rate is now 80% of average weekly earnings or the £123.25 flat rate, whichever is lower, so the lowest earners receive a percentage of their pay rather than the full flat rate. Absences that began before 6 April 2026 may fall under transitional rules. Any contractual sick pay clause or sickness policy referring to waiting days or the earnings threshold needs updating. The full-time employment contracts in this sub-folder have been updated by employment solicitors to reflect the new SSP rules.
I am hiring someone for a fixed-term role to cover maternity leave. Should I use a different contract from the one I use for permanent staff? +
Yes, use a fixed-term contract for a role with a defined end date or specific purpose such as maternity cover: the Fixed Term Employment Contract in this sub-folder suits this situation, and it is good practice to tie the contract's end expressly to the absent employee's return. Under the Fixed-term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002 such employees have broadly the same statutory rights as a comparable permanent employee. Notably, non-renewal counts as a dismissal in law. You do not have to renew a fixed-term contract, but it is against the law for the reason not to renew it to be someone's sex, pregnancy or maternity, which would be automatically unfair dismissal or discrimination regardless of length of service. After two years' continuous service the employee generally has unfair dismissal and redundancy rights, although non-renewal of a genuine maternity-cover contract is usually treated as 'some other substantial reason' rather than redundancy, so full redundancy rights do not automatically arise. If post-termination restrictions are needed, use the Fixed Term Employment Contract with Restrictive Clauses.
I am recruiting for a senior executive role. Is a standard employment contract suitable or do I need a different document? +
A standard basic contract is unlikely to be appropriate for a senior executive. The Executive Employment Contract in this sub-folder is designed specifically for executive-level employees and includes terms suited to senior roles, such as enhanced notice provisions, payment in lieu of notice and more detailed provisions around confidentiality and duties. For senior roles where protecting the business after departure is a priority, restrictive covenants covering non-compete and non-solicitation obligations are particularly important. Review the contract carefully alongside any service agreement requirements and relevant company policies before issuing it.
I am issuing a full-time employment contract. Should I also send an offer letter, and does it need to match the contract? +
Yes, issue an offer letter alongside or before the contract so that the offer of employment, the key contractual terms and the proposed start arrangements stay consistent, because inconsistencies between an offer letter and a contract can create disputes about which terms apply. The Full-time Employment Offer Letters sub-folder on Simply-Docs provides matching offer letter templates designed to be used with the relevant full-time contract templates in this collection.
I need a contract for an employee who works compressed hours, shifts or nights. Are separate templates available? +
Yes. This sub-folder includes dedicated templates for non-standard working patterns: the Compressed Hours Employment Contract, the Shift Work Employment Contract and the Night Worker Employment Contract. Each is designed for the specific working arrangement and covers the relevant terms around hours, rest breaks and pay. A Homeworker Agreement is also available for employees based entirely or mainly at home. Using a template designed for the actual working pattern reduces the risk of gaps in the contract that could lead to disputes about hours or entitlements.
