Employment Contracts and Your Rights

Your Employment Contract Is More Than a Piece of Paper

Your employment contract establishes important terms concerning your pay, working hours, duties and other working conditions. It can also provide protections when your employer attempts to introduce changes that affect your livelihood.

For cleaners and other outsourced workers, employment contracts are particularly important when cleaning companies change, workplaces are restructured or employers seek to reduce costs.

But what happens when your employer tells you that your contract needs to change?

When Employers Try to Change the Rules

You may be asked to accept fewer working hours, different shifts, additional responsibilities or changes to your pay.

Sometimes these proposals are presented as unavoidable business decisions. Workers may feel pressured to agree, particularly when they are concerned about their job security or unfamiliar with their contractual rights.

However, an employer cannot necessarily impose contractual changes simply because it considers them convenient or financially beneficial.

Whether a change is lawful depends on your existing terms, the circumstances and applicable employment law.

It is also important to understand that your employment rights do not necessarily depend on having a signed written contract. The reality of your working relationship can determine which legal protections apply.

Why Collective Representation Matters

When contractual changes affect an entire cleaning team, workers may be in a stronger position to challenge them collectively rather than individually.

At CAIWU, we support members in understanding their employment terms, questioning proposed changes and challenging potentially unlawful practices.

We also help workers organise when employers attempt to introduce changes that threaten jobs, wages or working conditions.

Your employment conditions should not be changed without your rights being respected.

Joining CAIWU means becoming part of a union that helps workers defend their contractual rights and stand together against unfair treatment.