Closeup of Pensive Middle-aged Man Drinking Tea

Employment law

Seeking advice before signing a new employment contract

You might be very excited by the prospect of starting your new job and want to start as soon as possible. But it’s worth taking the effort to stop and thoroughly examine the small print.


14 July 2015

Before signing a new contract, it’s always sensible for senior executives to take advice to understand the implications of the clauses, and avoid falling into one of the many common contract pitfalls.

Look carefully at the bonus scheme on offer. Is it guaranteed under contract, discretionary or a mixture of both? This can be complex so you might want to get expert employment law advice.

Why should I review my notice period?

For higher paid jobs your notice period may be your key legal protection in the event of termination. This is because there is a cap on financial compensation for unfair dismissal in the Employment Tribunal.

This cap operates to limit the value of litigating for many senior executives. So if you find ‘your face no longer fits’ for no good reason your notice payment may potentially be more valuable than a claim for unfair dismissal. This is particularly the case for longer notice periods.

It is also worth noting that you are not protected from an unfair dismissal until you have been in post for a minimum of two years. That is a long period of time to have to wait if you can be fairly dismissed at any time. You might want to negotiate on the length of the notice period so that it better protects you. Senior roles often have longer notice periods, of six and sometimes even 12 months, for this reason.

However, not everyone is happy with a lengthy notice period. If you place more value on having the flexibility to further your career if another job should arise, then you might prefer to negotiate a long notice period down, as some employers might not want to wait that long for you to join them.

How can a probationary period affect job security?

Senior Executives should think hard before leaving a secure job for one that has a probationary period. If there is a probationary period in the contract, this is generally subject to a very short notice period (which the employer sometimes has the ability to extend at their choice).

You would not want to be running the risk that you’ll be left with just one week’s pay, should things not work out in the new job, so this may be an important clause to negotiate out. Especially if you have been head-hunted specifically for the new role, why should you then not have some job security for making the move?

What impact can restrictive covenants have?

Similar to a lengthy notice period, restrictive covenants in the small print of a contract can operate to hold up your career plans.

Restrictive covenants frequently stop senior executives from dealing with their ex-employer’s clients or joining a competitor. They most typically last for anything between three and 12 months after you have left your job, so they have the potential to have a massive impact on your career. Add this time to your notice period and you could be finding yourself prevented from working in a new role, for a long time.

There are different angles for negotiation on this: Firstly, if there is a garden leave clause, check that any time served on this is off-set against the overall restricted period. The approach you take will depend on your industry dynamics, what you have in mind to do next and what matters most to you.

Other executives may accept the restriction, but use the period of time as a reference point against which to negotiate up their notice period.

You will have most bargaining power at the time you are negotiating your overall package.

Slater and Gordon's expert employment solicitors can provide senior executives with advice before starting a new job and help to review employment contracts and negotiate new terms. Call us on 0330 041 5869 or contact us online and we'll call you.

Find out more from our experts
Woman listening to friend intently
Employment legal
Employment law solicitors
Are you an employee having issues at work? Our expert team of employment law solicitors are here to help. Contact us for legal advice and representation.
Hospital worker taking notes
Employment law
Stress at work compensation
Your employer has a duty of care to consider the impact of stress in the workplace. Where this hasn't happened and your mental or physical health has suffered as a result, you may be able to make a work related stress compensation claim.
Man with rucksack walking in the city
Employment law
Redundancy advice
A redundancy notice can come as a terrible shock, particularly if you're unsure about your prospects of getting another job. You need expert advice at a time like this, which you'll find below and when you talk to us.
Relaxed man sitting on a sofa
Employment law
Salary and bonus disputes
Your contract should be very specific about how your pay, bonuses and commissions are calculated and paid. If you aren't getting what you thought was agreed, it's time to talk to an experienced contract lawyer.
Search our website
Filter
Filter:
Sorry, we have no results to show
Please try a different search term.
Oops, something went wrong
Please try typing in your search again.
Back to top