Employment Contracts and Our 24-Month Employment Contract and Handbook Guarantee for Businesses

Employment contracts can be a legal minefield for even the most experienced business owners. With ever-changing legislation, expanding employee rights from day one, and tighter definitions of probation periods, it’s never been more critical to ensure your contracts and HR policies are both robust and compliant.

That’s why we’ve introduced the Winston Solicitors 24-Month Employment Contract and Handbook Guarantee. A straightforward, fixed-fee service designed to keep your business legally compliant for a full two years.

No more scrambling to rewrite policies when the law changes. No more uncertainty about whether your documents are out of date. Just peace of mind, cost control, and expert legal support when you need it.

This unique service allows you to update your employment contracts and staff handbooks now, and we’ll guarantee they remain legally compliant for the next 24 months, covering all legislative changes during that time.

What’s Included:

• A full review of your existing employment contracts and HR policies
• Tailored redrafting to ensure full compliance with current UK employment law
• Updates provided throughout the 24-month period in response to legislative changes
• Clear advice on implementation
• Ongoing support from our employment law solicitors

It’s ideal for business owners, directors, and HR managers who want to stay compliant but don’t have the time, resources, or in-house expertise to stay on top of employment legislation.

The employment law landscape is shifting significantly as paved through the Employment Rights Bill.

First introduced in 2024, the Bill is poised to introduce a wide array of changes aimed at strengthening worker protections and redefining employer responsibilities. A recently published government roadmap outlines a phased implementation of these reforms, with key changes expected to roll out between now and 2027. 

Some of the most important changes employers will soon have to account for include:

Day One Rights

A cornerstone of the Bill is the introduction of several key rights from the first day of employment.  

The most notable "day one" rights that are proposed include:

Protection from Unfair Dismissal: This is a landmark change, as the previous two-year qualifying period for protection against unfair dismissal will be removed. However, the Bill will also introduce a statutory probationary period, expected to be around nine months. During this initial period, employers will be able to dismiss an employee for reasons of capability or conduct through a "lighter touch" process. Dismissals for reasons of redundancy will, however, be subject to full unfair dismissal protection from day one.

For the first time probation periods will be given a legal definition. That means changes to how you onboard, assess, and terminate staff during their probationary period.

Family-Friendly Leave:

Paternity Leave: The current 26-week qualifying period will be abolished, granting employees the right to take paternity leave from the start of their employment.

Unpaid Parental Leave: Similar to paternity leave, the right to take unpaid parental leave will become a day one entitlement.

Bereavement Leave: A new statutory right will be introduced, allowing employees to take at least one week of bereavement leave from day one of their employment following the death of a close relative.

Flexible Working: The right to request flexible working arrangements, such as changes to working hours or location, will be available to all employees from their first day on the job. While employers will still be able to refuse requests based on a number of specified business reasons, they will be required to demonstrate that their refusal is reasonable.

Statutory Sick Pay (SSP): The Bill will make significant changes to SSP, making it a day one right. This includes removing the Lower Earnings Limit, which currently prevents low-paid workers from qualifying, and abolishing the three-day waiting period. This means employees will be entitled to SSP from the first day of their sickness.

Wider Legislative Shifts

From flexible working and sick pay to parental leave and whistleblowing protections, employment law is intending to change significantly. Your documentation needs to evolve too.

Falling behind on any of these changes can expose your business to unnecessary risk, including tribunal claims, reputational damage, and financial penalties.

The Benefits to Your Business

Save Money

Tribunal claims are costly. Even a successful defence costs time, legal fees, and management resource. By keeping your documents up to date and legally watertight, you significantly reduce the risk of costly claims.

Our 24-month guarantee also means no surprise legal bills for routine document updates, saving you thousands in ad hoc solicitor fees.
Save Time

We handle the legal monitoring, drafting, and updating so you don’t have to. That frees up your leadership and HR teams to focus on what they do best: growing your business and supporting your staff.

Reduce Stress

You don’t need to track every change in employment law. You don’t need to worry whether a contract template from five years ago still cuts it. We do the thinking for you.

Build Confidence

Your team will know where they stand. Your policies will reflect best practice. Your procedures will be enforceable and fair. In short: you’ll have confidence in your compliance.

We’re not a faceless legal helpline or a generic HR template provider. We are a team of qualified employment solicitors who offer tailored, commercially focused legal advice that fits your business. Here's how we're different:

• Dedicated, named contacts - You won’t be passed around a call centre. You’ll deal with the same legal expert throughout.
• Plain English advice - No jargon, no lectures. Just clear, actionable guidance.
• Tailored solutions - We get to know your business and shape our advice accordingly.
• Support with implementation - We don’t just send you documents and walk away. We’re here to support you through change.

1. Initial Consultation – We’ll review your current contracts and policies and understand your business needs.
2. Audit & Redraft – We identify gaps, risks, and outdated terms, then create up-to-date compliant documents.
3. Implementation Support – We guide you through how to issue and embed the documents with your staff.
4. Ongoing Monitoring – For the next 24 months, we keep your documents aligned with legal changes.

Our 24-month guarantee is ideal for:

• SMEs and large businesses without in-house legal support
• Business owners who want certainty over their compliance
• HR professionals looking to reduce admin and risk
• Start-ups putting in place their first employment contracts
• Growing companies needing consistent, scalable HR policies

Whether you employ 5 people or 500, this offer provides exceptional value and long-term peace of mind.

Our business clients across Yorkshire and the UK choose us because we offer real support, not just paperwork. Many tell us they value how responsive, approachable, and practical we are.

From handling complex grievance procedures to advising on TUPE, redundancy, and misconduct investigations, we support businesses through every employment challenge with clarity and care.

We make it simple to protect your business from the risks of non-compliance. If your contracts or staff handbooks haven’t been reviewed recently, now is the time to act.

Contact our Employment Law team today to book your free initial consultation.

Call us on 0113 320 5000, email @email or visit www.winstonsolicitors.co.uk for more information.

Let us help you future-proof your workforce policies so you can get back to focusing on your business.

Call us today