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Employees are on a fixed-term contract if both of the following apply: a) they have an employment contract with the organisation and b) they work for their contract ends on a particular date, or on completion of a specific task, eg a project. Workers don’t count as fixed-term employees if they: a)have a contract with an agency rather than the company they’re working for, b) are a student or trainee on a work-experience placement, c) are working under a ‘contract of apprenticeship’, d) are a member of the armed forces. They may be a fixed-term employee if they’re: a) a seasonal or casual employee taken on for up to 6 months during a peak period, b) a specialist employee for a project, c) covering for maternity leave. More at https://www.gov.uk/fixed-term-contracts/what-counts-as-a-fixedterm-contract

A probationary period is a stretch of time during which a new employee receives extra supervision and coaching, either to learn a new job or to turn around a performance problem. The probationary period can be as short as a month or as long as a year, depending on the situation. It is also designed to give managers and employees a way to terminate the arrangement more easily should the employment not work out as expected.

Compensation refers to money paid for work or a service.

A pension is a way to save money for later in Employee’s life. The Employee may be able to get: a) a pension from the government, b) money from pension schemes the Employee or the Employer pay into. More at https://www.gov.uk/plan-retirement-income/overview

Almost all workers are legally entitled to 5.6 weeks’ paid holiday per year (known as statutory leave entitlement or annual leave). An employer can include bank holidays as part of statutory annual leave. Most workers who work a 5-day week must receive 28 days’ paid annual leave per year. This is calculated by multiplying a normal week (5 days) by the annual entitlement of 5.6 weeks. Part-time workers are also entitled to a minimum of 5.6 weeks of paid holiday each year, although this may amount to fewer actual days of paid holiday than a full-time worker would get. ‘Pro-rata basis’ refers to a calculation made in proportion, according to a certain rate. More at https://www.gov.uk/holiday-entitlement-rights

You can get £88.45 per week Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) if you’re too ill to work. It’s paid by your employer for up to 28 weeks. You need to qualify for SSP and have been off work sick for 4 or more days in a row (including non-working days). You can’t get less than the statutory amount. You can get more if your company has a sick pay scheme (or ‘occupational scheme’). More at https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay

Employers insert non-compete clauses into employment contracts to restrict a worker’s ability to compete against their former employer after they leave, thereby protecting the former employer’s confidential information or customer relations for a specific period of time. They are used in addition to clauses which relate specifically to confidential information and intellectual property. For a restrictive covenant to be enforced it must not be drafted too widely. It will be for the employer, in the event of a clause being challenged, to show that the clause is justified and sufficiently narrow. To meet these criteria an employer must be mindful of certain factors: a) The breadth of the geographical area of any restriction and the length of time of the post termination restriction must be justified. It is unlikely that a wide geographical area will be justified and, as a general rule, a restriction for more than 6-12 months will be difficult to justify. b) The breadth of the activities that the employer is trying to restrict. c) The type of interest being protected, for instance, information such as trade secrets may be granted wider protection than customer information, given that its potential use across markets is wider.

Non-solicitation clauses are restrictions that seek to prohibit employees from poaching customers or suppliers once they leave. Typically, the more senior the employee and the more access they have to sensitive commercial information, the more likely it is that restrictive covenants will be included – and found to be enforceable by courts.

The Employer could start formal disciplinary action against the Employee if they have concerns about work, conduct or absence. Before taking formal disciplinary action or dismissing the Employee, the Employer may try to raise the matter informally. However, the Employer can go straight to their formal disciplinary or dismissal procedures. Disciplinary procedures are a set way for the Employer to deal with disciplinary issues. The Employer should include a disciplinary hearing where the Employee is given a chance to explain your side of the story. There should also be a chance to appeal any disciplinary action the Employer decides to take. More at https://www.gov.uk/disciplinary-procedures-and-action-at-work/overview

Grievance refers to injustice, or wrong that affords reason for resistance or a formal expression in form of a written complaint.

The Employer may have an agreement with employees’ representatives (from trade unions or staff associations) that allows negotiations of terms and conditions like pay or working hours. This is called a collective agreement. More at https://www.gov.uk/employment-contracts-and-conditions/collective-agreements