What are Day One Statements?

In addition to the day one statement, you must also provide some additional information within two months of the start of employment. This includes details of: 

• pensions and pension schemes; 
• collective agreements with employees’ representatives (like trade unions); 
• any other right to non-compulsory training provided by the employer; and 
• disciplinary and grievance procedures. 

Although you have up to two months to provide this information, if you already have it to hand, it might be easier to provide it straightaway.   

The information you must give your staff when they start work includes a variety of new details you may not have had to provide before.  

This new information includes: 

• hours and days of work and if and how these might vary; 
• the amount of sick leave and pay (if this information isn’t included in the document, the employer must state where to find it)
• any other paid leave (such as enhanced parental leave);  
• any probation period, including its conditions and how long it is; 
• details of the training that must be completed by the employee or worker, including training the employer does not pay for; and 
• additional remuneration and/or benefits available. 

You can see a full list on the Acas website of all of information that must be provided no later than the employee’s first day of work. 

Previously, only employees were covered by the legislation. From 6 April 2020, this now includes most casual or temporary workers. You can find more guidance about whether a person will be considered a ‘worker’ on GOV.UK. 

From 6 April 2020, existing workers can also request a statement complying with the new rules, and this must be given to them within one month. 

There was previously a one-month qualifying period and a two-month deadline to provide the information, but these have now been scrapped. Staff must now be given this information no later than the worker’s first day of work. Almost all of the information required now also needs to be provided in one place, referred to in law as the ‘principal statement’ or described as a ‘day one statement’. 

Employers have always needed to give workers information about the terms of their employment via a ‘statement of written particulars of employment’ or referred to as a ‘section 1 statement’. Many employers will be familiar with the old requirements of ‘written particulars’ – but these have now changed in a number of important ways.