written statement of terms of employment

A statement in writing that an employer must give to certain employees under the terms of the Employment Rights Act (1996), which aims to comply with the EU Proof of Employment Relationship Directive. Not later than two months after the beginning of employment, the employer must give to every employee who works for eight or more hours a week a written statement (known as an SI Statement) setting out the following information:

• the names of employer and employee;

• the date employment began;

• the date when the employee's continuous employment began;

• the scale or rate of remuneration or method of calculating remuneration;

• the intervals at which remuneration is paid;

• the hours of work;

• the holiday entitlement;

• the procedure to be adopted in the event of incapacity for work as a result of sickness or injury (including sick pay provisions, if any);

• pensions and pension schemes;

• the length of notice the employee is obliged to give and entitled to receive to terminate the contract;

• the title of the job the employee is employed to do or, a brief description of the work;

• if the employment is not intended to be permanent, the period for which it is expected to continue or, if it is for a fixed term, the date it is intended to end;

• either the place of work or, if the employee is required to work at various places, an indication that this is the case;

• any collective bargaining agreements that directly affect the terms and conditions of employment. If any amendment is made to these terms after the statement has been issued, the employer must give the employee a written statement setting out the details of the change. Failure to comply with the requirements set out above gives the employee the right to complain to an employment tribunal at any time during the employment or within three months of its coming to an end. The written statement, although providing evidence of the terms of employment, is not itself the contract of employment.