Contracts

You can track eight payroll forms on the Form Tracker in IPSA Online.

The Form Tracker will tell you the status of your form and who it is with to be actioned.

The process is the same for each form but you must select the relevant Form Tracker on IPSA Online.

You can track:

• MP Staff Leaver form

• MP Staff Maternity Leave Request form

• MP Staff Adoption Notification form

• MP Staff Paternity Leave Request form

• MP Staff Shared Parental Leave form

• Season Ticket Request form

• Bike Loan form

• MP Staff Overtime form

You can view any form you have submitted to Payroll and its status by using IPSA Online.

The MP Team Report in IPSA Online lists all staff – including staff who have left – employed by an individual MP and each staff member's main terms and conditions.

The report is only available under an MP’s login details.

The terms and conditions include:

• staff name

• position (proxy or non-proxy)

• job title

• actual annual salary

• FTE annual salary

• full-time weekly hours

• actual weekly hours

• employment commencement date

• work base location (London or non-London)

• connected Party (this will be blank if there is no connected party working for the MP)

• pension scheme (and whether the staff member is in the pension scheme or not)

• IPSA contract

• type of employment

• duration of employment (if permanent this will show 31/12/2099, otherwise it will show the end of the current fixed-term contract)

• employee notice period

• employer notice period

The report can be run at any time.

The report is updated with changes as soon as they are processed on the payroll system and can be used to check whether any changes you have requested are complete.

This means, for example, you can use the report to check whether a new starter has been added to the system, or if an increase to the hours of a current staff member has been processed.

If there are blank fields on your report, that you believe should be populated please email payroll@theipsa.org.uk with these details and we will update our records.

The MP Team Report - Proxy Access in IPSA Online lists all current staff employed by an individual MP and each staff member's main terms and conditions.

Volunteers are also listed on this report, if any volunteers have left the office please email payroll@theipsa.org.uk.

The report is only available for a full Payroll proxy.

The terms and conditions include:

• ResID (payroll number)

• staff name including any volunteers (note some fields for volunteers are intentionally blank due to the nature of the agreement)

• position (proxy or non-proxy)

• job title

• actual annual salary

• FTE annual salary

• full-time weekly hours

• actual weekly hours

• employment commencement date

• office base location (showing either Westminster, Constituency, Home, Hybrid)

• work base location (either London or non-London)

• Connected Party (this will be blank if there is no connected party working for the MP)

• pension scheme (and whether the staff member is in the pension scheme or not)

• type of employment

• duration of employment (if permanent this will show 31/12/2099, otherwise it will show the end of the current fixed-term contract)

• employee notice period

• employer notice period

The report can be run at any time.

The report is updated with changes as soon as they are processed on the payroll system and can be used to check whether any changes you have requested are complete.

This means, for example, you can use the report to check whether a new starter has been added to the system, or if an increase to the hours of a current staff member has been processed.

If there are blank fields on your report, that you believe should be populated please email payroll@theipsa.org.uk with these details and we will update our records.

The 'contractual changes' form contains four sections where you can update:

• change of hours

• new job title

• salary amendment

You only need to complete the section on the form that you wish to change.

To extend a fixed-term contract or make someone permanent, see guidance.

In April 2022, IPSA introduced the contract options for MP staff members that formalised the options of working from home either flexibly or permanently.

Issuing the wrong contract type can have significant consequences so you must be sure that you are providing the staff member with the correct type of contract at the start of the employment process.

Either party (staff member or employer) can seek to request to change the contract but there are specific processes to follow.

MPs or their proxy should refer to the MP and MPs' staff support team for HR advice before proceeding.

The type of contract your staff is on matters for tax purposes and also to determine what travel costs or other allowances they are eligible for and whether any reimbursements made to them have a personal tax and National Insurance liability.

HMRC guidance sets out examples and definitions to demonstrate when associated costs and allowances may be paid and whether these are taxable or non-taxable (this is also known as 'not eligible for tax relief' or 'eligible for tax relief').

IPSA aligns to HMRC guidance for the eligibility of tax relief for employees. IPSA contracts only allow for one permanent workplace:

• Office

• Hybrid (office based with an option to work from home for some of the time)

• Home-based

The office will usually be either the constituency office or the Westminster office. In the case of home-based contracts, this is the staff member’s home.

IPSA does not offer a contract with more than one permanent place of work so cannot facilitate dual locations or any other combination of options.

Occasional, part or full-time homeworking by office-based staff can all be facilitated by the flexibility of a hybrid contract.

An MP should consider how they will manage their offices and be comfortable with organising and managing staff in their permanent work locations while maintaining good practices as an employer.

MPs must refer to the Members HR Best Practice Guidance. Failure to follow this guidance may invalidate some or all of the employment (and related) insurances provided by the House.

Guidance for MPs

Office-based contract

Staff on an office-based contract are expected to do all their work from an office location, and travel to a different office or other location will be irregular or ad hoc.  

If you wish to have staff available to greet or receive visitors, or to be available for local engagements or surgeries, then the office-based contract is likely to be the appropriate choice.  

With an office-based contract, the permanent place of work will be either your constituency office or your Westminster office (but not both).

This is likely to be the most appropriate contract for most MPs’ staff.

Does it matter where an office-based worker lives? 

No. If the job is advertised with a specific permanent location, for example the constituency office, then it is the staff member’s responsibility to commute to the office at their own expense for their designated start time. 

Can a staff member work from home for some of the time?

No. If you and your staff member want to agree that they can work from home for some of the time on a regular basis, then the hybrid contract is the most suitable option.

Hybrid contract

Staff on a hybrid contract are still permanently based from an office location but with some degree of flexibility to allow the staff member to work from home for some of the time.

This will allow you to manage your staff flexibly, ensuring they are in the office as needed while enabling them to work from home if this is mutually beneficial to you both.

The number of days or weeks the staff member works from home does not have to be stated in the contract and can be flexible as agreed by you.

Like office-based workers, for the days they travel into the office, they will commute to their permanent place of work in their own time and at their own cost.

Hybrid contracts can help provide better work-life balance and have many benefits to the recruitment and retention process, but if you want the staff member in the office every day, this is not the right contract.

Does it matter where a hybrid worker lives? 

No. If the job is advertised with the permanent office location, then it is the staff member’s responsibility to commute to the office for their designated start time.

For the days that a hybrid worker works from home, they will simply be carrying out their work at home as agreed by you.

Is there anything else to consider for hybrid workers?

MPs as employers need to ensure that hybrid workers can carry out their work effectively from home, including having access to the necessary equipment and communication tools.

A hybrid worker will not normally be provided with additional hardware or furniture to work from home (as their permanent place of work is the office) so you need to be confident that this will not compromise, among other considerations, health, safety or security.

To meet your health and safety obligations for hybrid workers, contact the Members and Members' staff support team and note the HSE checklist for managing home workers’ health and safety.

Hybrid workers cannot request funding from IPSA for any additional costs that can arise from using their home as an office, nor are they entitled to the homeworking allowance, even if they spend most of their time working from home.

Home-based contract

If you wish to employ a member of staff as a home-based worker, they will carry out all of their normal duties from home and are not expected to attend the office. Travel to other locations is also likely to be rare.

Home-based workers are very unlikely to be able to fulfil regular face-to-face contact such as attending local engagements or surgeries. Communications or meetings with you, colleagues or constituents will be via remote technology, and you should expect that you will rarely see this staff member in person.

A home-based contract can only be used where the staff member cannot practically work from an office location, for example where they live a significant distance from your nearest office, or for another justifiable reason such as a reasonable adjustment for your staff member.

You must seek advice from the MP and MP staff services team before offering a home-based contract or if you want to change the place of work in a contract for an existing member of staff. Changing a contract is a significant issue, so before proceeding you must make sure it is the right arrangement now and in the future.

Does it matter where a home-based worker lives?    Yes. Home-based contracts should only be offered when you do not have an office that they can reasonably use.

If the staff member lives within a reasonable distance to one or more of your offices, you should not offer a home-based contract but use a hybrid or office-based contract instead.

Is there a homeworking allowance?

A homeworking allowance is payable to staff who are permanently based at home.

This allowance will be paid to the member of staff without any liability to tax or National Insurance.

The homeworking allowance (or any additional homeworking costs) will not be paid to any member of staff on an office or hybrid contract.  

Is there anything else to consider for home-based workers?

MPs as employers need to ensure that hybrid workers can carry out their work effectively from home, including having access to the necessary equipment and communication tools.

A home-based worker will need sufficient hardware and furniture to fulfil their role, and you will need to arrange this or them. Home-based workers will receive the homeworking allowance by default to cover the additional costs of working from home (such as utilities).

Definitions

Commute  

The staff member will need to commute to their permanent place of work in their own time and at their own cost.

A commute is the journey between their home or other personal location (for example a friend or family member’s home) and their permanent place of work. Costs associated with this journey such as public transport, mileage, parking or congestion charges, will not be reimbursed by IPSA.

Permanent place of work

Office/hybrid contract – this is the constituency office or the Westminster office. It cannot be both.

Home-based contract – staff on a home-based contract will carry out all their normal duties from home and will be rarely expected to attend any office location. Even though a home-based worker is not considered to have a commute, they will also not be able to request funding from IPSA for regular or routine travel.

Regular or routine travel

This means travel to Westminster or the constituency to do their normal work on a regular basis (e.g. once a month) or for a prolonged period of time.

IPSA funding rules

Full details of allowed travel costs are set out in our guidance. 

Equipment will be provided to staff members in accordance with the prevailing PDS guidance. IPSA will not reimburse costs for any equipment that could have been provided by PDS.

Generally, ad hoc journeys that have both a parliamentary and specific purpose are allowed under the Scheme. If the member of staff on an office or hybrid contract must travel other than for their commute, their travel time will also form part of their contracted hours.

For home-based workers, any necessary travel will form part of their contracted hours.

Since 2015, it has been a requirement for all new MPs' staff members to be on an IPSA model contract.

The July 2024 version of the model contract has been updated to ensure compliance with employment law and best practice.

This guidance document supports MPs as employers to understand their responsibilities and the staff member's contracts.

This guidance should be read alongside the relevant model employment contract and key terms document.

Any staff member contracts and Key Terms documents (unless they are agreements for volunteers or apprentices) will be emailed to you when you enter the necessary information in the MPs’ Staff new starter tool.

Role and responsibilities when employing staff

The MP

The MP alone is the employer of their staff.

Day-to-day management of the office can be taken by others as delegated by the MP, but the MP remains liable for all employment practices undertaken.

Neither an “MP representative” nor the designated “Proxy” can have the employment relationship transferred to them.

Each MP will also be a data controller and retain a privacy notice about the handling and management of data. This includes staff members' personal data for employment purposes, which must be securely maintained.

IPSA

IPSA fulfils its regulatory role by providing model contracts and agreements for MPs to use when hiring their staff.

This role includes providing model job descriptions and salary ranges. IPSA also provides payroll services.

All IPSA-funded staff must use an IPSA contract to ensure consistency across all MPs’ staff and that employment conditions are up-to-date with employment law.

As the employer of staff, it is the responsibility of the MP to ensure they adhere to good practice when employing staff and managing their offices.

Members HR

The Members' and Members' Staff HR Advice Service is based in the House of Commons and provides advice and guidance to MPs on HR and employment matters.

You can contact them by phone on 0207 219 2080 or by email at membershr@parliament.uk.

MPs' staff can also speak to HR practitioners directly by calling 0207 219 2617.

MPs’ staff

MPs’ staff can either be employees or workers. The status of the staff member is determined by employment law.

The correct contract/agreement must be used because the reality of the working relationship determines the status of the staff member for employment and tax purposes.

The following documents outline the behaviours and expectations of those working in the Parliamentary community:

• the UK Parliament Behaviour Code

• the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament

2024 model contract and important updates

The current IPSA model employment contract and Key Terms document has been in place since 5 July 2024.

These documents are for those staff with a regular working pattern.

The main contract contains the standard terms for all staff.

Key terms

The Key Terms document is specific and unique to each employed person and will be populated accordingly.

It outlines their salary, work hours, job title and holiday entitlement.

This document informs the staff member about expectations and entitlements.

Additional agreements

Updated agreements for casual workers, apprentices, and the volunteer arrangement have been in place since 5 July 2024.

These agreements do not have a separate Key Terms document.

Each member of staff should have access to:

• their contract/agreement with standard terms for all staff

• key terms which are specific to the person (only for those with regular hours contracts)

• a job description that sets out the requirements and expectations of the job role

• the policies and procedures covering sick pay, family leave, disciplinary and grievance found on IPSA's MP and Staff website

Definitions within the new model contract

The new standard model contract and Key Terms document form the basis of the employment contract for all regular work patterns.

Within the contract, the following words have a specific meaning as set out in the Key Terms document.

• Confidential Information has the meaning given in the Key Terms.

• Constituency has the meaning given in the Key Terms.

• IPSA means the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority

• IPSA Online means the IPSA's MP and Staff website.

• Key Terms means the statement of key terms of the employment attached to the Agreement.

• Salary has the meaning given in the Key Terms.

• Start date has the meaning given in the Key Terms.

• TOIL means time off in lieu.

• Winding-up Period has the meaning set out in The Scheme of MPs’ Staffing and Business Costs as currently in force.

Rules and procedures

The Employment Rights Act 1996 determines what information should be provided to a staff member in the contract terms.

The policies and procedures referred to in the contract/agreement and key terms are found on our IPSA's MP and Staff website and may be subject to change, with notice, should any relevant legislation change.

The main sections referred to in the Key Terms documents that contain more detail are:

• Staff sickness

• Disciplinary & grievances

• Family leave & holidays

Employer responsibility under the Working Time Regulations

As an employer, MPs have responsibilities under the Working Time Regulations 1998 or Working Time Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.

The Regulations are a set of rules for protecting the working time and rest breaks of staff members and are there to ensure individuals do not work more than 48 hours a week (averaged over 17 weeks).

A staff member can agree to work more hours and can sign an opt-out. This may be relevant for those staff who work for more than one MP or more than one employer.

MPs as employers are required to keep records of the working hours of their staff, including any written agreements where staff have opted out of the maximum working hours per week. This is to demonstrate compliance with the Regulations.

More information explaining the Working Time Regulations is available from ACAS.

For more information, please contact the Members' and Members' Staff HR Advice Team by calling 020 7219 2080 or emailing membershr@parliament.uk.

MPs' staff can also speak to HR practitioners directly by calling 0207 219 2617.

Security clearance

The MP must ensure each staff member has, and maintains, the appropriate level of security clearance in line with the House of Commons Commission policy on security.

MPs must declare that they understand the security vetting requirements for each member of IPSA-funded staff.

To start the vetting process, contact the Security Vetting Team at the House.

• Security Vetting Team, Parliamentary Security Department, Houses of Parliament, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA

• Email: securityvetting@parliament.uk

• Telephone: +44 (0)20 7219 5920

Right to work in the UK

As the MP is the employer, it is up to them to confirm the staff member's identity and confirm and record their right to work in the UK.

MPs must declare they have conducted the Right to Work checks on new staff members.

Paying staff salaries into UK bank accounts

IPSA will only pay MPs’ staff salaries into a UK bank account.

If a staff member does not have one, they should open one as quickly as possible to minimise payment delays.

IPSA will make all necessary deductions on behalf of the MP including national insurance and tax.

National Insurance (NI) number

As well as a UK bank account, staff must have a valid UK NI number.

If, at the time of appointment, the staff member doesn’t have a UK NI number they must apply for one as soon as possible.

Find out how to apply for a UK NI number.

The staff member must tell the MP they have applied for one and let them have the NI number as soon as it arrives. This will be passed on to IPSA.

Staff working for more than one MP

When a staff member works for more than one MP they have separate employment arrangements for each role and will have an individual contract with each MP they work for.

The staff member must make each MP aware in case there are conflicts of interest, and to ensure they receive their statutory entitlements relating to work and rest periods.

To demonstrate compliance with Working Time Regulations, each employer needs to keep a record of working hours.

Staff with more than one role with the same MP

When a staff member formally has more than one role with the same MP, the MP must prepare different part-time employment contracts for each role.

All staff benefits are the same.

An employee may be occasionally asked to undertake activities that usually fall into another job role. This is acceptable if this is occasional or forms only a small part of the activities undertaken.

If this becomes a regular occurrence or a significant part of the role (more than 20%), separate contracts should be prepared and sent to IPSA.

To demonstrate compliance with Working Time Regulations a record of working hours must be maintained.

Staff employed with a different employer

A staff member could have a part-time role within an MP’s office and another part-time role elsewhere.

This is permitted, but the staff member must make each MP aware in case there are conflicts of interest, and to ensure they receive their statutory entitlements relating to work and rest periods.

To demonstrate compliance with Working Time Regulations a record of working hours must be maintained.

IPSA provides model contracts and job descriptions that MPs need to use for all new staff they employ.

To help with this process, we have created a tool that lets MPs generate and print employment contracts for their staff.

See step-by-step instructions on how to use the tool.

All MPs' staff employed after 7 May 2010 must have a relevant job description, a contract, and a salary within the appropriate pay range, as set by IPSA.

IPSA has created a tool that allows MPs to generate job descriptions for new staff.

This is based on three types of roles (job families):

• Administrative

• Executive

• Research

MPs can choose roles for their staff at different levels, and several job titles can be used for each role depending on their needs.

There is a list in the job description generator from which you can choose the activities that apply to the role.

Before starting, users should review all the roles and duties available.

If the employee will be undertaking a mixture of two roles, please produce a job description for each.

IPSA's MPs’ Staff new starter tool enables MPs to create employment contracts for their staff.

For information on how to use the tool, visit Adding a new member of staff.

A variety of contract types are available and each contract can be created with full or part-time options.

It is important to choose the correct type of contract or agreement for the work pattern you intend the staff member to follow.

Permanent contract

This should be used when there is an ongoing need for a role and this is “business as usual”.

This can be created as full-time or part-time. This will be the most usual type of contract used within the office.

Fixed-term contract

This must be used when you require someone for a defined period.

This could be to cover maternity leave, a period of sickness or to undertake a specific piece of work.

They should not be used to “trial” an employee where the intent is for a role to be permanent. The probationary period should be used to determine the suitability of the employee.

It can be used for a relatively short time, especially for regular working hours.

In the context of employment law, the period employees must have worked continuously to qualify for certain statutory rights is known as the “qualifying period”, which is currently two years.

Rights enjoyed after this period include the right not to be unfairly dismissed and the right to claim statutory redundancy pay if dismissed due to redundancy.

An employee who has had a series of fixed-term contracts lasting more than four years of continuous service is deemed to be a permanent employee.

If this situation arises, the employee should be moved to a permanent contract.

This can be created as full-time or part-time.

Term-time contract

This is a permanent contract created specifically for individuals who are only required to work when the House is sitting or wish to work when their children are at school.

This is a specific type of part-time contract.

The actual salary for these roles includes a payment equivalent to the amount of holiday accrued across the year.

The total amount is paid in 12 equal instalments.

The staff member must, therefore, take their annual leave during the recess/school holidays.

This can be created as full-time or part-time.

Intern contract

This type of fixed-term contract is provided to someone new to the field of work, or who wishes to gain some paid work experience within the office of an MP.

The intern usually undertakes general activities within the office and gains experience in all areas. The period of employment is normally between three and 12 months but must be no longer than 12 months.

Employed internships are believed to be a way for individuals to develop the skills and experience that may aid future employment opportunities.

The weekly hours of work for this contract must not exceed 37.5.

There is a specific pay range for this type of employee. If they are ever offered a permanent or fixed-term role in the office the intern must be transferred to an appropriate contract type and paid on the relevant pay scale.

Casual staff members can be engaged on an ad-hoc basis or for a very short period.

A casual contract is intended for use where the MP wants to engage a worker on a genuinely ad hoc, as required, basis and there is no guarantee of work.

The worker will generally not be obligated to accept the work offered.

Someone who works under a casual contract is usually classed as a worker.

“Workers” have certain employment rights which can be different to those who are classed as “employees”.

The casual contract is not intended to establish an employment relationship. If the work pattern becomes regular – either on a full- or part-time basis – the casual staff member should move to a different type of contract. This is because offering regular work which is accepted could risk a challenge to the status of a worker.

For information about the available contracts, visit Contract types for regular work patterns.

Casual staff members who move to a different type of contract must complete a New Contract Form and send it by email to payroll@theipsa.org.uk.

Contracts can be generated using the MPs’ Staff new starter tool.

Casual staff members can take any job titles and roles pre-approved by IPSA – apart from the role of Intern which has a dedicated contract and job description.

For more information, visit MPs’ Staff Job Descriptions and Pay Bands for 2024-25.

An apprentice is a member of staff who attends work alongside undertaking a specific training programme.

There are usually two contracts signed for this type of employee, one between the employer and the education establishment which outlines the training provided for the apprentice and, a contract of employment between the MP and the apprentice.

The MP must decide the appropriateness of the contract between them and the education establishment.

When you issue an apprentice agreement you must attach a copy of the relevant Apprenticeship Standard.

The arrangements for apprenticeships differ across the four UK countries.

If you want to issue an apprenticeship agreement for Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland please contact payroll@theipsa.org.uk.

There are particular pay scales for this type of employee that should be followed.

Apprenticeships are for fixed periods and vary depending on the type of apprenticeship.

This apprenticeship agreement sets out the principal duties and responsibilities of the parties in accordance with the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Download a copy of the Sample Apprentice Agreement.

Making an apprentice redundant

Apprentices are a specific type of fixed-term contract.

If the contract needs to be ended before the natural end date – such as after the MP stands down or loses their seat at the General Election – they must be treated like all other staff on fixed-term contracts and made redundant following the appropriate process.

Contracts for apprentices vary in length depending on their programme and this may mean that the staff member may not have enough length of service to qualify for a redundancy payment.

In addition, the MP will have an agreement with a college to provide the education element of the apprenticeship.

The MP should also raise this issue with the college so they become aware of the situation before making the staff member redundant.

MPs can engage volunteers to assist with some basic office activities.

Volunteers are not paid a wage or salary.

If a volunteer receives any reward or payment other than their costs, this may be seen as a salary and they could be classed as an employee or worker.

It is permissible to reimburse receipted costs for travel and/or reasonable subsistence.

The MP must put an agreement in place with the volunteer that complies with the IPSA model volunteer arrangement to claim any travel or subsistence costs for the volunteer.

An agreement is NOT a contract of employment and should not be treated as such.

Learn more about the right to work in the UK and security clearance.

Download the model volunteer arrangement form.

To extend an employee’s fixed term or to make someone permanent, a full payroll proxy or MP must submit a 'fixed-term extension or make permanent' form. This form is available on IPSA Online.

1. Find the form on IPSA Online: 

2. From the drop-down, select the name of the employee who the change relates to.

3. Select the action you want to take in the type of change field – either extension to fixed term contract or make permanent:

To extend a fixed term, you must enter a new end date in the field before submitting.

When making someone permanent, make this selection in the type of change field and ensure you attach a signed fixed-term going permanent letter to your form (see guidance below) – this must be signed by the MP and issued to the staff member.

To attach the letter to the form, save the form as a draft, then click the paperclip icon on the top right of the screen. This form will flow directly to IPSA payroll for action. If the full payroll proxy is submitting the form, the MP will receive an email notification of the submission but they will have no action to take.

To make a staff member permanent, complete the Fixed Term Extension or Make Permanent form – see guidance above.  

You must attach the Fixed Term Going Permanent letter to the form on IPSA Online. This must be signed by the MP. Without the signed letter, the form will be rejected by IPSA Payroll. You should also issue this letter to the employee.

Download the Fixed-term Going Permanent letter.

The sample contract variation letter can be used to inform your employees of a change to their employment contract.

Download the contract variation letter.