Employment terms: what Nigerian employers still get wrong

Employment disputes in Nigeria are decided against the written terms and the employer's own procedure. Where there is no written contract, or where the contract says one thing and the handbook another, the employer argues from a weak position before the facts are even reached.

The frequent gaps are basic: no written statement of terms at all, probation periods that lapse without confirmation, notice provisions that are ignored in practice, disciplinary procedures skipped because the misconduct seemed obvious, and confidentiality or non-solicitation clauses drafted so broadly that a court has little reason to enforce them.

Fixing this is inexpensive. Issue contracts to everyone, including long-serving staff who never received one. Make the handbook consistent with the contracts. Follow the procedure you published, in writing, every time.

We prepare employment documentation and advise employers on termination, redundancy and disciplinary process before the decision is taken — which is when advice is still capable of changing the outcome.