When the terms of your contract of employment are breached, work life can suddenly become stressful and challenging.

Contracts of employment

Your contract of employment and the general employee handbook (if any) will form the basis of your contractual relationship with your employer. The rights you have enshrined in your employment contract will be in addition to the statutory rights that you have as an employee, as well as any verbal agreements you may have had with your employer.

Your contract of employment is breached by your employer if they do not adhere to specific terms set out in it. Some examples of where your contract may have been breached include:

• Not receiving a bonus where you are specifically entitled to one
• Not receiving payment in lieu of notice following a dismissal or resignation
• Your employer not following the disciplinary or grievance procedures as they are supposed to when you raised a complaint

Your employer is generally not permitted to change the terms of employment without your agreement. If your employer does breach any of the terms of your employment, you could be entitled to compensation.

Important things to consider

Sometimes, the manner in which the contract has been breached is so serious that you may regard yourself as having been dismissed. This is known as a ‘constructive dismissal’ and you should ensure that you receive legal advice before considering yourself as having been constructively dismissed.

If you mistakenly believe that you have been constructively dismissed and leave your employment, you could risk being seen as having breached the terms of your employment yourself.

The rights you have outside your contract of employment will change according to whether you are an employee or are self-employed.

Why use Fisher Meredith?

Fisher Meredith is an award winning London law firm with offices in Richmond, Surrey and Kennington, London. Our Employment Law solicitors have an outstanding reputation for acting on behalf of individuals with highly successful results.

For 35 years, Fisher Meredith has developed a reputation for being approachable and “going the extra mile” for its clients whilst maintaining ethical and socially responsible standards.

Our Employment Law solicitors can take the stress out of difficult situations by negotiating with your employer on your behalf. We will provide you with a clear, jargon free and pragmatic approach to resolve your employment dispute.

What should I do now?

If you or a loved one is has a contractual issue with an employer, our Employment Law solicitors can provide you with quality advice to achieve the best possible outcome.

For initial advice or to arrange a meeting with one of our solicitors, please contact our helpline on 0800 014 7445.