Contracts and your rights

Contract case studies, one clause at a time, and the employment law behind them, with the Act and section every time.

Zero hours contracts: your rights now, and the reforms still to come

What a zero hours worker is entitled to today (minimum wage, holiday, sick pay, freedom to work elsewhere) and what the Employment Rights Act 2025 will add, with the dates as they stand.

6 min read

Written statement of employment particulars: what must be in it

Since April 2020 every employee and worker is entitled to a written statement on their first day. What section 1 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 says it must contain, and what to do if you never got one.

6 min read

Employment Rights Act 2025: what has changed and what is still coming

The changes already in force on 8 October 2026, from day one sick pay to six month tribunal time limits, and the dates still to come, including the six month unfair dismissal rule in January 2027.

7 min read

Employee, worker or self-employed? The three statuses and why it matters

Your employment status decides your rights, not the label on the contract. The three statuses, what each gets, and what Uber v Aslam and Pimlico Plumbers v Smith decided.

7 min read

Agency workers and the 12 week rule: equal treatment explained

After 12 weeks in the same role with the same hirer, an agency worker is entitled to the same basic pay and conditions as staff hired directly. How the weeks are counted, what resets the clock, and what you get from day one.

6 min read