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Introduction to this document

Letter enclosing copy of employee's contract of employment

Sometimes, a forgetful employee will lose their original contract of employment and you'll be asked to provide them with a copy. Alternatively, you might feel it's appropriate to draw their attention to your terms and conditions. Either way, you should get their written confirmation that this document has been received. Use our covering letter here.

All jotted down

A written contract not only spells out the terms and conditions of employment agreed between you and an employee, it formalises the date that your agreement came into effect. It goes without saying that this important document must be kept in a very safe place. Naturally, as any employer would, you'll have filed your signed copy properly. Unfortunately, the same can't be said of your employees; they're not always that careful when it comes to important paperwork.

This can cause a problem in two types of situation. Firstly, your absent-minded employee might require a copy of their contract of employment simply for reference purposes, e.g. the original has been misplaced and they want a replacement to check something. This is understandable, but it's not your job to give them a copy of this document every time they ask for it; this sort of request wastes your precious time.

Note. One replacement copy - or maybe two at a push - is the most you should be expected to provide. The only time you would then need to provide a further copy is if the terms and conditions of employment were altered or changed, e.g. by mutual consent.


Drawn to your attention 

Alternatively, there might be situations where you feel it’s appropriate to draw a clause or term to your employee’s attention. For example, this could be reminding them about:

  • their working hours
  • your right to ask them to change location
  • their statutory entitlement to annual leave
  • their contractual notice period
  • any restrictions, e.g. on second jobs or their outside business interests.

In both situations, you must take steps to ensure that the employee has received a copy of the documentation. It's no good giving it to them if they can deny its existence at a later date. Our Letter Enclosing Copy of Employee's Contract of Employment does just this. It asks the employee to sign and date the duplicate copy and return it to you as soon as possible. This ensures that there can be no argument later as to whether or not it was received. Where necessary, it also draws the employee's attention to a specific contractual term or clause and this section can easily be adapted to suit the situation you are dealing with.