A new research by Which? Legal Service says that that close to 5 million Brits do not read their job contracts properly.

The survey was conducted among 4000 members. According to the consumer group, 26% of respondents had just briefly gone through their employment contract while 6% had not read them.

Just three out of ten employees got their contract before reporting to work and 9% did not receive a contract until being in their role for six months.

Close to 2 million workers in the UK did not have a job contract.

CEO of the consumer group Peter Vicary-Smith said that the research conducted by Which? showed that many employees made the mistake of not going through their employment contracts completely which could result in shocks in the future as they would not be aware of all the job terms and conditions.

He advised people to ensure that they read the contract well before signing it and confirm whether salary, notice period, holidays list and severance procedure agreed with what was communicated by the employer in the interview. Crossing the’t’s and dotting the ‘i’s would be helpful in the future.

It is imperative for employers to provide employees with a written contract that states job terms and conditions. Employment Contract and Management Guide v.5.0 by Workplace Law helped employers make sure that they adhere to rules and issue an accurate documentation of the agreement between employee and employer. The policy also has a Management Guide running into 23 pages that contains notes on requirements and policies for employers.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development is the professional body for those involved in the management and development of people; Workplace Law Training is approved to offer programmes that meet the standards for Associate membership of the CIPD. Contact the experts there to find out about the range of accredited CIPD courses, which will provide a firm foundation in all the areas of HR and employment law.