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Fast, Accurate Employment Contract Review in the UK

Before you accept a new job offer, you need to know exactly what you are agreeing to. Employment contracts often look routine, but the risk is usually hidden in the small print: post termination restrictions, discretionary pay language, mobility clauses, and termination mechanics that only favour one side.

Vordex is an AI powered employment contract review built for the UK market. Upload your employment contract, offer letter, or executive service agreement and get a clause level risk report in minutes, calibrated for UK employment law across England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.

Trained on UK case lawClause patterns calibrated for real disputes
Bank grade encryptionSecure document handling
Plain English outputClear actions for HR or your solicitor
Review focus
What a serious first pass should surface
Built for UK contracts
Role and control

Duties, reporting lines, location and flexibility wording that can widen employer control.

Pay mechanics

Salary, bonus, commission and deduction wording that changes real value.

Exit position

Notice, probation, PILON and garden leave wording that shapes the real exit.

Document gaps

Handbooks, side letters and policy terms the main contract assumes you already accepted.

Why You Need Your Employment Contract Reviewed Before Signing

Once you sign, you lose leverage. Employers rarely volunteer better terms after acceptance, and many contracts are drafted to reduce flexibility for you while preserving maximum control for them. A fast review before signing is basic risk management.

Restrictions that limit your next move

High impact
Non compete, non solicitation, and non dealing clauses can block your next role, your clients, and even your industry options. Even when a restriction might be challenged later, the practical cost is disruption, delay, and a legal fight you did not budget for.

Termination terms that change the risk profile overnight

Common trap
Notice periods, probation termination, garden leave, and pay in lieu of notice wording decide how quickly an employer can remove you, what you get paid, and what you cannot do while leaving.

Pay that looks guaranteed, but is not

Often missed
Discretionary bonus language, commission conditions, clawback triggers, and vague targets can reduce expected compensation to zero, even if you perform.

Mobility and flexibility clauses

Watch
A single line can turn a hybrid role into any office, any location, any time with little warning. The same applies to changes in duties or reporting line.

Policies you have not even seen

Ask for them
Many contracts incorporate policies by reference, including disciplinary procedures, monitoring, social media rules, and bonus schemes. You can become bound to terms that are not attached to your offer.

What UK employers must provide is not always the whole story

Employers must provide a written statement of employment particulars with the main terms. This is not always the full employment contract, and many businesses issue a longer contract alongside policies and handbooks.

The law is changing and legacy templates can be out of step

The Employment Rights Act 2025 introduces phased changes from 2026 onwards. From 6 April 2026, Statutory Sick Pay is payable from the first full day of sickness absence and the Lower Earnings Limit is removed. If your contract wording conflicts with statutory minimums or relies on outdated assumptions, you want that flagged before you sign.

How Vordex Contract Review Works

Vordex is not a generic chatbot. It is a contract analysis platform built to triage UK legal language, isolate risk fast, and translate complexity into decisions you can act on.

Step 1

Secure upload

Upload your employment contract as a PDF or Word document.
Step 2

Contextual clause scanning

Our system reads the document as a contract. It identifies clause boundaries, extracts obligations, and maps them to common UK employment contract patterns.
Step 3

Risk rating that matches real outcomes

You receive a red, amber, green assessment on clauses that typically create disputes or career limitations. Red flags are high impact issues that often justify renegotiation or professional advice.
Step 4

Plain English explanation with next steps

For each flagged clause you get what it means in practice, why it can be risky for you, what to ask for instead, and what evidence or policy documents to request before signing.
Step 5

Upgrade logic that prevents an incomplete review

If your contract includes executive equity, complex bonus structures, aggressive restrictions, or multiple incorporated documents, Vordex prompts the correct depth of review so you do not miss hidden terms.

Plan options and what they are designed for

Free

Scan for free

A quick preview that highlights obvious high risk clauses so you can decide whether you want a paid report.

Standard

One off scan £7.99

Best for standard roles with straightforward salary and notice terms. Ideal for a fast check on restrictions, termination, and pay wording.

Complex

Full report £17.99

Best for senior roles, equity or share plans, commission schemes, and contracts with multiple incorporated policies. Choose this when the downside is high.

If you start with the One off scan and Vordex detects complex terms, you will see a prompt:

Your contract contains complex clauses such as restrictive covenants or bonus structures. Upgrade to Full report £17.99 for deeper analysis.

Key Contractual Elements Our Software Analyses

Employment contracts are not just about salary. They define control, constraints, and leverage. We scan the clauses that most often decide whether a job offer is a win or a trap.

Clause checklist

Expand each category to see what we analyse.

Role and scope of work
  • Title, duties, reporting line, and reasonable additional duties wording
  • Secondment clauses and flexibility to reassign you
  • Professional registration or compliance obligations
Pay, bonus, and commission
  • Base salary, review dates, and variation clauses
  • Discretionary bonus language and conditions that void entitlement
  • Commission plans, target definitions, and unilateral plan changes
  • Clawback, malus provisions, and repayment triggers
  • Deductions wording and expense recovery
Working hours and time control
  • Working time, opt out language, overtime expectations
  • On call requirements and availability clauses
  • Breaks, rest, and scheduling discretion
Holiday and leave
  • Holiday entitlement and carry over restrictions
  • Holiday pay definitions and policy references
  • Sickness absence clauses and whether contractual terms sit above statutory minimums
  • Parental leave and notice requirements
Probation and performance language
  • Probation length, extension rights, and termination during probation
  • Performance improvement references that can be used to justify early dismissal
Notice, garden leave, and termination mechanics
  • Contractual versus statutory notice
  • Garden leave powers and restrictions while employed
  • Pay in lieu of notice wording and what can be withheld
  • Summary dismissal triggers and definition of gross misconduct
  • Return of company property and post termination obligations
Post termination restrictions
  • Non compete duration and scope
  • Non solicitation and non dealing wording
  • Geographic reach and broad competitor definitions
  • Client and colleague restrictions that exceed what is necessary
Confidentiality and intellectual property
  • Confidential information definitions that overreach into general skills and experience
  • Invention assignment clauses that attempt to capture side projects
  • IP created outside working hours and on personal devices
  • Moral rights and waiver language
Training costs, loans, and repayment
  • Training repayment agreements and sliding scale logic
  • Employer loan deductions, timing, and consent wording
Policies incorporated by reference
  • Handbooks, bonus policies, commission schemes, disciplinary procedures
  • Monitoring, surveillance, and acceptable use policies
  • Social media and reputational clauses
Data protection and monitoring
  • Device monitoring and email access clauses
  • Background checks, vetting, and consent language
  • Confidentiality around investigations and internal reports
Equity, options, and senior package complexity

For executive roles, we flag where you need deeper review, including:

  • Vesting schedules and good leaver versus bad leaver definitions
  • Forfeiture and buyback terms
  • Dilution risk and tax related wording

This is one of the main reasons the Full report £17.99 exists.

Red flags we highlight immediately

  • Restrictions that apply worldwide or across broad industries
  • Clauses that allow unilateral pay or role changes
  • Bonus clauses with no objective criteria
  • Termination language that limits pay during notice periods
  • Policies referenced but not provided

AI Contract Review vs Traditional UK Solicitors

Traditional solicitors are useful, but they are not efficient for first pass triage. Most of the cost is paid just to identify what is wrong, not to fix it.

Solicitor review compared with Vordex
DimensionTraditional solicitor first passVordex contract review
TurnaroundOften days, depending on availabilityMinutes for an initial risk report
Cost predictabilityFixed fee reviews commonly start around £500 plus VAT, and hourly rates can reach around £350 plus VAT per hour in some firmsClear pay as you go pricing with a free preview
OutputHuman legal advice and negotiation strategyClause by clause plain English summary, risk ratings, and negotiation prompts
Best useHigh stakes matters, negotiation, disputes, settlement agreementsFast detection and preparation before you speak to HR or a solicitor

Vordex pricing and positioning

Vordex is a SaaS alternative that compresses the discovery phase into minutes and keeps cost predictable.

  • One off scan £7.99 per file for standard employment checks
  • Full report £17.99 per file for complex agreements, senior roles, equity, and high risk restrictions

The hybrid advantage

Use Vordex first. If you still need a solicitor, you walk in with a targeted risk report and specific questions. That cuts billable time and keeps the solicitor focused on negotiation and strategy, not basic detection.

When you should still speak to a solicitor

  • You are being pushed to sign a settlement agreement or waive rights
  • The role is senior and the restrictions are aggressive
  • There is an active dispute, disciplinary process, or termination underway
  • You want someone to negotiate terms on your behalf

Vordex is a decision support tool and does not provide legal advice.

FAQs

Straight answers to common questions about employment contract review in the UK.

What documents can I upload for employment contract review?

You can upload a signed or unsigned employment contract, offer letter, executive service agreement, commission plan, bonus scheme terms, and any policy documents you were given. If your contract incorporates policies by reference, include those documents if possible.

How fast is the review?

Most scans complete in minutes. Longer contracts or multiple document packs can take a little longer, but you still receive results quickly compared with a manual first pass review.

Does Vordex provide legal advice?

No. Vordex is a decision support tool. We highlight risks, explain clauses in plain English, and suggest questions to ask. If you need advice on enforceability or negotiation strategy, speak to a qualified UK solicitor.

Will you check restrictive covenants like non compete clauses?

Yes. We flag non compete, non solicitation, and non dealing wording, including duration, geographic scope, and broad competitor definitions that can limit your next role.

Can you detect bonus and commission traps?

Yes. We identify discretionary bonus language, unclear targets, commission conditions, clawback triggers, and variation clauses that can reduce expected pay even when performance is strong.

Is this calibrated for the whole UK?

Yes. The scan is designed for UK employment contracts across England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Employment law is broadly aligned across the UK, but wording and market practice can still vary, so for high stakes roles or unusual terms you should still take qualified local advice.

How do you handle data security?

We use secure processing and encryption controls designed for sensitive documents. For a full overview, see our Security overview page.

When should I still speak to a solicitor?

If you are being asked to sign a settlement agreement, waive rights, accept aggressive restrictions, or negotiate an executive package with equity and complex incentives, professional advice is recommended.

Want another contract scanner? Try the NDA review.

Vordex is a decision support tool and does not provide legal advice.

Vordex.co.uk

AI powered contract review for UK professionals. Scan your employment contract for restrictive covenants, pay traps, termination risks, and missing policies before you sign.

This page is designed for UK employment contracts across England & Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Employment law is broadly aligned across the UK, but wording and market practice can still vary, so for high stakes matters take qualified local advice.

Need official guidance?

For official information on employment contracts and written statements, see GOV.UK and ACAS. For practical help, Citizens Advice can be useful.

GOV.UK employment contracts
GOV.UK written statement
ACAS written statement guidance
Citizens Advice work


© 2026 Vordex. Automated decision support only. Always verify key points with official guidance.

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