Well that all sounds lovely but I've seen and heard of people getting sacked so many times for no reason at all and because these people had no written contract they couldn't prove that they weren't a temp or just filling in for xxx amount of time. It's quite simple, if it isn't written on paper it can't be proved. It's the same as a verbal contract which in this age when peoples word means so little to them unfortunately means nothing.
I lost my job with a tree surgeon when I was younger, he dropped a branch on my head so I needed time off. When i tried to go back to work he had replaced me without even telling me and he refused to give me my job back. I went to see a solicitor and I was told the exact same thing I said above after he had had a chat with my employer... No written contract means that my employer could deny I was a full time payee, he said he employed me for the summer only. That wasn't what he told me, I was a permanent employee that he invested a lot of money in but because I needed time off because he injured me, he lost buisness so I lost my job because he got narkie. A written contract would of had my terms of employment layed out in them but I didn't have one so it was my word against his and he was a buisness owner. I was a teenager.
I don't care what the law website "says" I've been there and done it. I've seen employment laws fail many times.
Because we all know the law is always right a never fails don't we. *insert massive sarcasm here*