Managers Employment Contracts
This collection contains employment contracts for managerial roles, including an option where living accommodation is provided as part of the manager’s employment package.
Updated managers’ employment contracts
These managers’ 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.
The templates provide for the rules on what must be included in a written statement for new starters. Pre-existing employees can request a written statement that complies with these rules. These contracts comply with these requirements and must be provided to the employee or worker by day one of employment.
Use these contracts to appoint a manager
These templates are designed for a wide range of managerial roles where you want to set out the main terms and conditions clearly in a single contract.
For a standard managerial appointment, use the Manager Employment Contract.
Manager offer letters and contract consistency
An employment offer letter is usually issued before or alongside the contract of employment, so the offer, role and contractual terms are consistent from the outset. The matching Managers Employment Offer Letters can be used when making an offer for a managerial role.
Manager contract where accommodation is provided
Use the Manager Employment Contract With Accommodation where the employer provides living accommodation as part of the manager’s employment contract.
When is the employment contract formed?
An employment contract is made as soon as the employment offer is accepted.
Managers Employment Contracts is part of Employment. Just £38.50 + VAT provides unlimited downloads from Employment for 1 year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Simply-Docs template should I use to appoint a manager and what does it include? +
For a standard managerial appointment, use the Manager Employment Contract. It sits between the basic statutory-minimum contract and the executive contract, including a confidentiality clause and an exclusivity of service clause rather than the full restrictive covenants of an executive agreement. It also covers flexible working hours, a travel requirement and optional clauses for a bonus scheme and company car. Both the contract and the accommodation variant contain a PILON clause, reflecting the rule that all payments in lieu of notice are now treated as earnings subject to income tax and Class 1 National Insurance contributions.
I am providing a manager with a company flat or on-site accommodation. Does this change the contract I need? +
Usually, but not automatically. Use the Manager Employment Contract With Accommodation rather than the standard manager contract. It can give the manager a licence to reside as a service occupant, so that no landlord and tenant relationship arises and the manager gains no security of tenure. This holds only if the substance of the arrangement is a genuine service occupancy, broadly that the manager has to live in the accommodation for the better or necessary performance of the job, not just because the contract uses the word licence. A court looks at the substance, not the label, so calling it a licence does not settle the matter on its own. As GOV.UK guidance puts it, the distinction between a licence and a tenancy is not always straightforward and the courts will not necessarily treat an agreement as not a tenancy simply because it is called a licence. The employer pays the rent: if you amend it so the employee pays you rent, the arrangement may be treated as a tenancy and the manager could acquire security of tenure. The rent point is one relevant factor but not the only one, and even where no rent is charged a court may still find a tenancy with security of tenure if the substantive conditions for a service occupancy are not met. Accommodation provided with employment may be exempt from tax as a benefit in kind depending on the circumstances, so take advice from a tax professional.
By when must I give a new manager their employment contract? +
You must provide the written statement of employment particulars on or before the manager's first day of employment. The Simply-Docs manager contracts are drafted to meet these day-one requirements. Some additional terms, such as details of collective agreements or pension arrangements, can follow in a wider written statement within two months of the start date. Failure to provide the principal statement on time can expose you to a compensation award at an employment tribunal.
One of my managers started before April 2020. Can they ask for an updated written statement? +
Yes, but only once. An employee who started before 6 April 2020 and is still employed, or who has left within the past three months, can ask you for a written statement that meets the current requirements. You must provide it within one month of the request. However, you are not required to give an existing employee a statement under section 1 on this basis on more than one occasion, so if the manager has already been given one following an earlier request you can refuse a further request. Workers (rather than employees) who started before 6 April 2020 do not have a statutory right to request the updated statement, though you can provide one voluntarily. The Simply-Docs manager contracts comply with the current written-statement requirements and can be used when issuing an updated statement.
I need a PILON clause in my manager's contract. What does it do and why is it important? +
A PILON (payment in lieu of notice) clause lets you end the manager's employment immediately by paying the salary and cash equivalent of benefits that would have been earned during the notice period, rather than requiring them to work it out. Without a contractual PILON clause, terminating early would be a breach of contract and could make confidentiality and exclusivity clauses unenforceable. Both Simply-Docs manager contracts include a PILON clause. Since 6 April 2018, all PILON payments are subject to income tax and Class 1 National Insurance contributions regardless of whether a clause exists.
The manager contracts mention SSP changes. How does statutory sick pay work now for managers? +
From 6 April 2026, under the Employment Rights Act 2025, statutory sick pay is payable from the first full day of sickness absence, removing the previous three-day waiting period. SSP is no longer subject to a lower earnings limit, so all eligible employees qualify regardless of earnings. The rate is the lower of the flat weekly rate (£123.25 for 2026/27) or 80% of the employee's average weekly earnings. The Simply-Docs manager contracts have been updated to reflect these changes. If your existing manager contracts still refer to SSP being payable from the fourth day of absence, you should update them.
Should I issue a manager offer letter before the employment contract, and do they need to match? +
Yes, issue the offer letter before or alongside the contract so the offer, role and key terms stay consistent from the outset. Once an unconditional offer is accepted a binding employment contract is formed, even before the start date and before a formal contract is signed. Discrepancies create contractual uncertainty, so both documents must reflect the same terms. The matching Managers Employment Offer Letters on Simply-Docs can be used alongside the manager employment contracts to keep them aligned.
