HC Deb 12 January 1998 vol 304 c31W
Mr. Öpik

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement regarding the right of employees to a contract of employment. [22465]

Mr. Ian McCartney

All employees have a contract of employment, which is brought into existence by an employee's acceptance of the terms and conditions of employment offered by an employer. The terms of the contract may be written, oral, implied, or a mixture of all three. In addition, most employees who are employed for one month or more have a statutory right to receive a written statement setting out the main particulars of their employment. Although the written statement is not itself a contract of employment, it can provide evidence of the terms and conditions of employment in the event of dispute.