Issuing employment contracts

A contract of employment is an important, legally binding document and it is imperative that before one is issued, its form and terms are properly considered, and where necessary, legal and/or HR advice is taken.

We recommend that the following steps are taken prior to issuing a contract of employment.

Even if you have issued employment contracts in the past and are familiar with the above steps, you should follow the steps above prior to any new contract of employment being issued.

Step 1

Read The Bishops’ Memorandum on the Appointment of Staff in Catholic Schools. If this is a senior appointment, have you involved your diocese in the recruitment process?

Step 2

Read the CES Document User Guide which you will find below. Consult the frequently asked questions section if you have queries in relation to the particular appointment.

Step 3 

Take legal and/or HR advice.

Step 4

Read the download and amend contract template appropriate for the employment in question and read the School and Academy Model Contracts Guidance Note and any other relevant guidance below. This will ensure that you are familiar with the terms and conditions of the relevant model and their implications. Reviewing the download and amend version will also ensure that you know what information you will need to have available to input into the generator if you decide to use it. You may also find it helpful to review the Employment Status – Guidance Note below.

Step 5

Once you have read the download and amend contract template, you can then decide whether to use the download and amend version or the Contracts Generator version and issue the contract accordingly.

Even if you have issued employment contracts in the past and are familiar with the above steps, you should follow the steps above prior to any new contract of employment being issued.