Day-One Employee Rights in the UK (2025)
Since April 2020, UK employment law requires employers to provide comprehensive information to all workers on or before their first day. Here's exactly what you must provide.
Legal Penalty
Failing to provide written particulars of employment on day one can result in tribunal claims and compensation awards between £520 and £1,040 per employee, plus potential additional awards if related claims succeed.
The 2020 Legislative Changes
The Employment Rights (Employment Particulars and Paid Annual Leave) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 significantly expanded day-one rights for UK workers. Previously, employers had up to two months to provide written particulars. Now, almost everything must be provided on or before day one.
Who Has Day-One Rights?
The 2020 changes extended rights to ALL workers, not just employees. This includes:
Only genuinely self-employed contractors are exempt from these requirements.
10 Items You MUST Provide on Day One
1Names and Addresses
Full legal names and registered addresses of both employer and employee/worker.
2Job Title or Description
A brief description of work or job title. Must be specific enough to identify the role.
3Start Date and Continuity
Date employment begins and date continuous employment started (if different, e.g., transferred from previous employer).
4Expected Duration
For temporary or fixed-term contracts, the expected duration or end date must be stated.
5Pay, Frequency, and Method
Rate of pay (hourly, annual salary, or piece rate), payment frequency (weekly, monthly), and method (bank transfer, cash, cheque).
6Working Hours and Days
Normal working hours (or if variable, a statement to that effect), working days, and any requirement to work outside normal hours.
7Place of Work
Main place of work and whether the employee may be required to work elsewhere (e.g., client sites, other offices).
8Holiday Entitlement
Annual leave entitlement (minimum 5.6 weeks/year including bank holidays), how it accrues, and what happens to unused leave on termination.
9Notice Periods
Notice required from both employer and employee to terminate employment (minimum one week after one month's employment).
10Pension Information
Details of workplace pension scheme, eligibility criteria, and auto-enrolment information.
Additional Information (Within 2 Months)
While most information must be provided on day one, the following can be provided within two months (though best practice is to include everything from the start):
- Sickness absence procedures and sick pay entitlement
- Details of other paid leave (maternity, paternity, adoption)
- Reference to disciplinary rules (or the rules themselves)
- Reference to grievance procedures (or the procedures themselves)
- Collective agreements affecting employment terms
- Training entitlement and whether it's mandatory or optional
- Provisions for working abroad (if applicable)
Penalties for Non-Compliance
What Happens If You Don't Comply?
Automatic Awards: If an employee wins any employment tribunal claim (unfair dismissal, discrimination, etc.) and you failed to provide written particulars, the tribunal MUST award 2 weeks' pay (minimum £520) and CAN award up to 4 weeks' pay (£1,040).
Separate Claims: Employees can bring standalone claims for failure to provide written particulars, even without another claim.
Reputational Damage: Tribunal judgments are public and can harm your employer brand, making recruitment harder.
Best Practice: Go Beyond Minimum Requirements
Smart employers provide comprehensive contracts from day one, including:
Probation Period
Clearly state probation length and review process. Protects both parties.
Confidentiality
Protect business secrets and client information from day one.
Data Protection
Explain how you'll process employee data under UK GDPR.
Variation Clause
Reserve right to make reasonable changes to terms with notice.