Two London job offers: compare the written terms

A larger salary can still leave an unanswered question about the working week. Before comparing two London job offers, put their written terms beside one another. Include the workplace, hours and travel you would need to manage, not just the annual number in the advert.

The government’s written-statement guidance provides a useful structure. It says employers must give employees and workers a document stating the main conditions of employment. It also makes an important distinction: this written statement is not an employment contract.

Compare what is actually specified

The principal statement must include pay and how often it is paid, working hours and days and how they may vary, holiday entitlement, job title or description and the place of work. It also covers the expected duration of a job or a fixed-term end date, probation conditions, benefits and obligatory training, including whether the employer pays for it.

Use those headings as a comparison sheet. Mark a missing answer as missing rather than supplying the arrangement you hope the employer means. If a role is described as hybrid, ask which workplace expectations are actually documented. This guide cannot infer them from a job title.

For a borough-to-borough commute, write the proposed start and finish times beside your journey plan. Add caring or study commitments if they affect your choice. That is a personal decision exercise, not a claim that one employer must accommodate a particular preference.

Separate the offer stage from the legal timetable

GOV.UK says the principal statement must be provided on the first day of employment, with the wider written statement within two months. Asking for clarity before accepting an offer is sensible preparation; it is not the same as claiming the government page requires every document before acceptance.

The guidance says information on sick pay and procedures, other paid leave and notice periods must also be provided on day one. It may be in a separate document that the employee or worker can reasonably access. Locate the policy being referred to rather than treating a mention of it as the answer.

Follow up the wider package

The wider statement includes information about pensions, collective agreements, non-compulsory training rights and disciplinary and grievance procedures. When comparing offers, ask where those details are available and whether any advertised benefit has conditions you have not seen.

A useful final note has three columns: confirmed term, source document and unresolved question. Do not label an assumption as a benefit. The best comparison is not the longest list of perks; it is the one that makes the actual commitment legible.

Guide checked October 10, 2026. Single-source government explanation of employment particulars, checked October 10, 2026. Not legal advice, salary benchmarking or an assessment of an employer. Individual employment status and terms need checking.