Whilst there is no specific time frame within which an employee should receive a contract of employment, an employee or worker should be given a s.1 written statement of employment particulars before they start work. As most businesses use the s.1 written statement of employment particulars as the base for their employment contract, the same time frame should be used.
The contract should therefore either be given to the employee or worker before their first day or when they arrive at the workplace on their first day. It is generally seen as best practice to send the document to the employee or worker in advance and ask them to bring a signed copy with them on their first day.