Written statement of particulars, day one
Every worker and employee, including your first hire, is legally entitled to a written statement of particulars setting out pay, hours, holiday, notice, sick pay and place of work — and it has to be given on or before their first day, not "sometime in the first few weeks".
Every worker and employee, including your first hire, is legally entitled to a written statement of particulars setting out pay, hours, holiday, notice, sick pay and place of work — and it has to be given on or before their first day, not "sometime in the first few weeks". Build one contract template per role type (kitchen, front of house, management) so you are not drafting from scratch for every hire.
This is a day-one right, not a probationary courtesy — failing to provide it is a claim an employment tribunal can uphold, and it can add extra compensation on top of any other claim a former employee brings, even one unrelated to the contract itself.
Free ACAS guidance and template statement of particulars — covers what must legally be included.
Who this is for
Any venue taking on staff, from the first part-time hire upward.
Applies to workers as well as employees, and from day one — there is no qualifying period.
What you’ll hold
- Written statement of particulars per role type
- Signed copy on file for each employee
Watch out for
- Issuing a generic one-page "offer letter" instead of the full statement — pay, hours, holiday, notice and place of work all have to be covered, not just the headline salary.
- Waiting until the end of the first week or month to hand over paperwork — the legal deadline is the first day itself.
- Reusing an old template without updating it for current statutory minimums (minimum wage, holiday entitlement) — an out-of-date contract can undercut what you're legally required to give.
Sources
- ACAS — Employment contracts checked 2026-09-08
See also
This is item 21 of 66 in the free UK Launch Checklist. See the whole list →