A written statement of employment particulars is the document a UK employer must give employees and workers setting out their main terms. The principal statement is due on the first day of work, and the wider written statement within 2 months. It isn't the employment contract itself, but it records the key terms of it.
Because most of it's a day-one duty, the timing matters as much as the content. Here's exactly what GOV.UK says it must contain, split into what's due on day one and what can follow.
Day one vs within 2 months
| Document | Deadline | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Principal statement | First day of employment | The core terms: pay, hours, holiday, job, place of work and more |
| Other day-one information | First day of employment | Sick pay, other paid leave and notice periods |
| Wider written statement | Within 2 months of starting | Pensions, collective agreements, other training, disciplinary and grievance procedures |
| Notice of changes | Within one month of the change | Anything in the statement that changes |
What the principal statement must include
At a minimum, the principal statement must cover:
- The employer's name.
- The employee's or worker's name, job title or a description of the work, and start date.
- How much and how often they'll be paid.
- Hours and days of work and whether and how they may vary, including Sundays, night work and overtime.
- Holiday entitlement, and whether it includes public holidays.
- Where they'll work and whether they might have to relocate, or the places and employer's address if they work in several locations.
- How long the job is expected to last, with the end date for a fixed-term contract.
- Any probation period: how long and on what conditions.
- Any other benefits, such as childcare vouchers and lunch.
- Obligatory training, and whether the employer pays for it.
For employees, it must also include the date a previous job started if that counts towards continuous employment.
The day-one extras employers forget
This is the detail people miss. Three items aren't part of the principal statement's list but must still be given on day one: sick pay and procedures, other paid leave such as maternity and paternity leave, and notice periods. You can put them in the principal statement or in a separate document, as long as the person has reasonable access to it, for example on your intranet. Either route is fine; leaving them out until the wider statement isn't. A staff handbook works if new starters can open it from their first day.
Working abroad
If someone has to work outside the UK for more than a month, the principal statement must also say how long they'll be abroad, the currency they'll be paid in, any extra pay or benefits, and the terms for returning to the UK.
The wider written statement
Within 2 months of the start date, you must also give information on pensions and pension schemes, collective agreements, any other right to non-compulsory training you provide, and your disciplinary and grievance procedures. A collective agreement is one negotiated with employees' representatives, such as a trade union or staff association, on terms like pay or working hours.
Agency workers
Agencies have their own document rules for agency workers, set out separately on GOV.UK. If you use agency staff, my guide to the Agency Workers Regulations covers their day-one rights.
What happens if the statement is missing or wrong
- The employee or worker tries to sort it out with you informally.
- If that fails, they can raise a grievance.
- As a last resort they can go to an employment tribunal, which decides what the particulars should have been.
- Employers can also get advice on handling grievances before it reaches that stage.
Compensation only comes into play if they win a case about another issue, such as unauthorised deductions from pay, and there's also been a problem with the statement. The tribunal can then award up to 4 weeks' pay, with a limit on how much counts as a week's pay. So a missing statement rarely stands alone, but it makes every other claim more expensive.
A practical way to get it right
Build one template that covers every principal statement item, add a short day-one annex for sick pay, other leave and notice, and keep a second annex for the wider statement. Send both at the same time on day one and you'll never miss the 2-month deadline. When you change pay, hours or holiday, send a written note of the change within a month, and keep a copy with the original statement so you can show what applied at any date. For the holiday line, my guide to UK holiday entitlement has the minimums, and my UK minimum wage guide covers the pay floor.
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My verdict
The written statement isn't paperwork for its own sake: it's what a tribunal will look at first if anything goes wrong. Give the principal statement and the day-one extras on the first day, the rest within 2 months, and update it within a month of any change. That's an hour's work per hire that removes a whole category of risk.
Frequently asked questions
When must a written statement of employment particulars be given?
The principal statement must be given on the first day of employment, and the wider written statement within 2 months of the start of employment.
Is a written statement the same as an employment contract?
No. GOV.UK says it isn't an employment contract, but it sets out the main conditions of employment.
Do workers get a written statement, or only employees?
Both employees and workers must be given a written statement of employment particulars.
What must be given on day one besides the principal statement?
Information about sick pay and procedures, other paid leave such as maternity and paternity leave, and notice periods.
Can the day-one information be in a separate document?
Yes. Sick pay, other paid leave and notice periods can be in a separate document, as long as the person has reasonable access to it, such as on an intranet.
How quickly must changes to a written statement be notified?
Within one month of making the change.
What compensation can a tribunal award for a missing written statement?
If the worker wins a case about another issue, the tribunal may add compensation of up to 4 weeks' pay, with a limit on a week's pay.
