Staff Terms and Conditions/Contracts

A number of settings have recently asked us for support to develop, review or change their staff terms and conditions also commonly called staff contracts. 

In terms of creating a new contract or having a new version for comparison then a very useful set of tools are contained on the Labour Relations Agency (LRA) Website.  You have to register to get access but it is free and there are no restrictions.  Once you login you can find the Statement of written particulars for employees which is a great tool that helps you develop a contract,  Basically it has all the relevant sections and wording preset and then you fill in the details relevant to the contract you are working on.  At the end it creates a completed contract that you can download or print off.  The fact that it is managed by the LRA should mean that it is up to date with all current employment legislation.

If you want to change a current staff contract eg change the employee's hours or holidays then that is what is called a variation of contract and you must follow a proper process as a contract is a legal document.  Again there are great resources available to help you understand the variation process including here.

Even with the excellent resources available, you may need further advice and support so please feel free to contact Diarmuid diarmuidm@early-years.org or Carolyn carolyns@early-years.org on any matter related to contracts.