Employment Laws – One For The Legal Bods Out There

Just chatting with a fellow staff member about contracts. Neither of us have a contract for working here! (& i don’t think any other staff members do either – not sure about shop floor)
Ok —
So is this right?
should we be working without a contract of employment?
Who’s responsibility is it? When i was employed i asked if there was a contract to sign & was told “we don’t do things like that”.
Are we at fault for not insisting?
What are the possible consequences of all this – would we have a leg to stand on if it all goes t*ts up?

Thanks

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Employees/EmploymentContractsAndConditions/DG_10027905

IIRC effectively your contract is the terms and conditions you have been working under. Did you get any documentation? Job description or similar?

In some ways not having a written contract actually puts you in a stronger position as you haven’t accepted any restrictive clauses that can be put into contracts.

Join a union

TJ…
Have had an outline of responsibilities that happened a couple of years after joining the company. I think this was to try & make things run a little more smoothly!

IIRC you have a right to get written T&C’s. Otherwise terms are as per practice – as TJ says. You still have rights, could claim unfair dismissal etc as per a written contract.

C-A
Thanks – was really what we were wondering i guess – not that we were thinking of getting dismissed – I guess same applies for redundancy – lets hope that doesn’t happen tho. -eh!