We employ a number of staff on an as and when basis - to cover for staff on leave or at busy times of the year when we need extra staff. We currently use an "as and when" contract.

Is this ok and can you provide an up to date model contract for this type of employment?

We have also been advised it might be better to use a "zero hours" contract - can you advise on this.

Also whats the best way to calculate and pay annual leave for occasional staff whose hours change from week to week?

This is a follow on question to the previous answer about amending Employment Contracts ... DCH

Further to previous correspondence I had a meeting with 3 of the 4 directors to discuss my concerns. I was informed that they had undertaken a staffing review and felt that my role as Project Manager/Bid Writer was no longer appropriate as they had offered a position to a member of staff who resigned 2 weeks ago as an Executive Manager, to whom I would now answer.

My role would be reduced to 10 hours Bid writer and 27.5 hrs IT Facilitator, this has resulted in me being offered a salary cut of £6K per year.

This new postion was never advertised and therefore I was never given an opportunity to apply for the post, also the person now in this post has no managerial experience, is not appropriately qualified and yet I who have 20 years experience of Community education now have to answer to this person. I may sound a little bitter but feel that this is going some way to forcing me in to leaving.

Our Administrator/Centre Manager was informed that her role had also changed and that she would be reduced to 20 hours per week and her hourly rate cut from £8 per hour to £6.50 per hour. She has asked for redundancy as this was a salary drop of more than £10K per year.

The Accountant spent this afternoon with myself discussing the next 12 months funding and we agreed that there was sufficient money to operate as we where, until this Executive Position was dropped on me.

Please advise as although I cannot afford to resign I now feel my position is untenable?

Could you please advise me - a member of staff who has been with us one year refuses to sign a contract of employment. When he started we were updating the contract of employment, which were not completed until October last year.

Our company recently offered a 16 hour job to a volunteer, she is a single parent who gave notice to the Benefits agency and housing benefits dept and was due to start on the 4th August. On the 31st July 2 of the 4 Directors withdrew the employment without giving a reason, other that they wished to check the finances, which are more than adequate. The young lady in question has been left bereft and quite understandaby. She had been given a letter acknowledging the offer which she furnished to the Benefits Agency in order to claim WFTC and the childcare element. Can you please advise whether as her Manager I can reinstate the offer or does she have any rights? I feel quite strongly that this has nothing to do with the young lady in question more to do with a former member of staff. Please advise.

We employ educational tutors on short 15 week contracts, which at times get renewed for a further 15 week term.

Is there any risk of us running in to problems should we continue to continuously employ the same person on short term contracts?

Is there a risk of them expecting the same benefits as are available to full time members of staff?

Many thanks in advance for your advice.

Hi. We are currently investigating employing a permenant general assistant, we were wondering if you could advise on a simple contract of employment. Your help is much appreciated

NB This question is a part answer to an earlier item in the Legal ?Issues section, these two areas often overlap.

We are supporting a small group who are just about to become incorporated ...

I am assuming that the staff will still have their rights of transfer (TUPE) even though they have not had written agreements in place up to now.

Contracts of employment for staff ... we're working on so do not have them in place to transfer when we incorporate. Does this matter?

Several employment questions:

1. What is the normal / legal contractual employment hours per week. Is it 35, 37.5, or ...?

2. Is there a standard / legal minimum number of annual leave days per year?

3. I would like to employ an unemployed volunteer part-time without affecting the persons unemployment & housing benefits. Please confirm the maximum number of hours a person can work and maximum earnings to ensure no benefits are lost.

The charity I am working with have some European funding and some issues have been raised. The charity is 'contracted' by a university in Malta as one of a number of partners. The charity made the bid identifying that the work would be done by a consultant. The consultant, when they submitted their report to the commissioning partner, has been told that consultant's fees are not eligible but it would be alright if he was on payroll. Clearly we cannot back date payroll payments in lieu of consultants fees. If we put the consultant on the payroll what are the forward implications (or indeed retrospective). This individual is also contracted for other work by the charity as well.

We are a small charitable arts organisations and a member of staff left during the summer without giving any notice (although their contract was to give one month).

At the time that they left they had been paid for the month but had not worked the full month. In addition, with holidays etc it meant that they left owing us over £400.

We have been in communication via letter and email and we offered the option to pay by instalments to which the ex-employee said that was fine (on 5 November via email).

The first instalment was due 9 November but nothing has arrived. We made contact again (via email) on 20 November chasing the first payment but have had no response.

The next payment is due 14 December, with the last being on 11 January. So, we have not received any repayment of the monies owing and have had no response since 5 November. This leads us to two questions: What course of action should we take to retrieve the debt? What are the implications for both parties that we need to consider?