Types of contracts in the UK

Contracts

A contract is a legal document which acts as a mutual agreement between employee and employer. It is a means of understanding and agreeing on what is expected from both parties. Due to the fact it is in print and signed, this means it is a legally binding document. Therefore, if the contact is breached by the employee  than the employer has the right to dismiss them from the job. Also, if it is the other way around than the employee has the right to sue the employer. This will be taken care of at a court of law and order with a solicitor.

Types of contracts

Full-time - A full-time contract refers to when someone works anywhere up to 35 hours a week. Any shifts worked over this time will be counted as 'Over-time'. Over-time is an option and the employee's salary will not be increased for working more than the designated hours. However, if the employer chooses too they can pay extra wages for each hour they work over-time.

Part-time - The same rules apply with a part-time contract as they do with a full-time contract. The only diffrence is the amount of hours which the employee can work. There is no specific amount of hours a part-time worker is required to work. However, a part-time employee will get less hours than your average full-time worker. Although, in the UK it is law that part-time employees are not treated less favourable to a full-time worker.

Fixed-term - A fixed-term contract refers to when someone is employed to work for a certain period of time. A contract will be signed to agree the length of time which will be worked by the employee. When this contract is over the employer has two options. They can either dismiss the employee from the job or put them on another contract. For instance, if the employer feels you are a valued employee they may put you on a full-time contract. This can only be done after the time period in the fixed-term contract is over.

Freelance - A freelancer is somebody who is self-employed and therefore doesn't work for a specific employer  They get work from clients by marketing themselves and building a reputation. From this reputation they will then have a higher chance of getting clients.Clients will give the freelancer tasks or projects to finish and pay them an hourly rate. For example a freelance graphic designer may be asked to create a logo for a company. They will then be paid an hourly rate for their work wit the client. Freelance work has it's setbacks as well as it's advantages. Although, yo can give and take whatever client or work you want, the job is not a steady one. If the the freelancer can get no work then they get no pay.

On completion -  An on completion contract will be for a job over a certain amount of time. This is when a company or client has a project which needs specific skills to be completed. Due to the fact it is a single project, the employer will only want the employee for a particular amount of time. Therefore, the contract will be set for a period of time in  which the employer expects the project to be finished in. An example would be a company wanting an interactive media product produced. The client may give the employee a contract

Casual - A casual contract consists of the employee working when needed. Due to the fact they are not per say a permanent employee of the company the worker can decline shifts if they wish. However, if the employer feels no need to keep the employee on they can dismiss them or simply stop contacting them when they need work. Casual contracts are normally used for small roles within a company that are not necessarily needed every working day. For example a runner in a film production may not be needed every day of shooting. Therefore, they will be contacted when they are need to do some work. Various employees can often be on a casual contract for the same role and used when the employee needs their specific skills. Or say one employee declines the sift then they can contact another worker also on a casual contract to fill there place. A casual contract is often useful for working your way up the employment ladder in the media industry. It gets you experience working small temporary role within the industry and makes you more desirable to an employer. Due to the fact a casual worker is not an employee many of the standard work clauses are not included in the contract. These can include things such as sick or maternity pay.