Email vs written contract

randomi15

All,

If you agree something verbally with an employer and confirm it via email but they don't acknowldege it, does that hold any legal weight?

It is agreement on benefits etc

How about if they replying saying thanks?

Guest101

randomi15 wrote: »

All,

If you agree something verbally with an employer and confirm it via email but they don't acknowldege it, does that hold any legal weight?

It is agreement on benefits etc

How about if they replying saying thanks?

How about getting an amendment to your contract?

If your employer is likely to back out of the agreement it won't matter if you have it written in blood

Undervalued

With very few exceptions a verbal agreement is just as binding as a written one. Obviously thought, proving what was agreed is somewhat harder in the event of a dispute!

Technically you cannot force the terms of an agreement by the silence of the other party. In other words writing "unless I hear from you within 7 days you have agreed to the following.." doesn't form a contract.

However, your email may still help a little in the hopefully unlikely event a dispute ended up in a tribunal or court. Both work on the balance of probabilities (51%) so anything that even marginally backs up your version of the verbal agreement may help.

randomi15

Well if they reply saying thanks that is confirming and no longer silence , correct?

If they disagree they will mention it

steampowered

It would depend on the context. But if the employer only said "thanks", I would say that is neither accepting nor rejecting it.

Undervalued

randomi15 wrote: »

Well if they reply saying thanks that is confirming and no longer silence , correct?

If they disagree they will mention it

No. It is only confirming that they received it, not that they agree.

Thanks (or thank you for your letter) is just a politeness and isn't normally taken to mean you are actually grateful or even agree. Simply that you have received the letter.

As steampowered has said it would depend on the context and, as I said, it might just possibly help a little in a very close call but no more than that.