The recruitment process is extremely troublesome and intimidating in the present-day competitive job market. And when you finally land your dream job, your happiness knows no bounds. In fact, you can’t hold your patience to sign your offer letter and commence working at your new workplace.
But before you sign your employment contract, it’s imperative for you to read the papers thoroughly. The employment contract law suggests that you do this before discussing the company’s terms with HR.
When you have better clarity regarding the clauses stated in your contract, you’ll experience lesser trouble in the future. And when in doubt, you can always hire an employment contract lawyer to review your agreement. They will help you understand your employment contracts better.
This article will discuss a few things you should consider before signing an employment contract. But before that, we will quickly look into what an employment contract stands for. Please keep reading until the end of the article to know more and make an informed decision.
Let’s dig in.
An employment contract is nothing but an agreement between an employee and an employer. It states employment terms, conditions and clauses in a particular company.
This helps in clearly understanding the inner workings and expectations of a particular job. On the other hand, it also caters for legal protection for both the employee and the employer.
You should carefully review certain clauses before signing them whenever you’re offered an employment contract. And if you’re having any difficulty understanding the contract, you can hire the best employment lawyers Perth. They will review your employment contract on your behalf and might sometimes request changes and negotiate with an employer.
The details of employment generally vary from one company to another. In fact, the expected stipulations also vary significantly. So, before you sign a new job contract, you must check the key details of your job thoroughly. You can also take the help of an employer lawyer to ensure that your employment contract hosts all the requisite things.
Here, we have made a comprehensive listing of certain things that you should check before signing a new job contract:
Firstly, you should ensure that your proposed job title and responsibilities mentioned in your contract match what you’ve discussed with your employer. And if you find that things don’t match, you can address your concern to HR before signing it.
Your employment contract should consist of a precise date from which your employment starts.
This will benefit you when you need to transition between jobs. It will be truly inconvenient when the last day of your present job collides with the starting day of your new job. So, checking your proposed day to start working is always recommended before signing your contract.
Determining the employment dates will also ensure that you and your employer have clear ideas regarding the same. For instance, if you’re hired as a permanent employee, then your contract must not have an end date until you mention so. In such situations, you can talk to your employer and clear the misunderstanding.
It’s important to have clear expectations regarding the salary before reviewing your employment contract. Generally, your employer will send you an offer letter in advance that will summarize your proposed job terms. It will outline the clear employment terms you can either accept or negotiate.
You should check your employment contract that will explain the terms for what you will be paid. You need to understand the clauses and payment schedule to avoid going wrong with your calculations. Make sure you ask your employer whether your contract mentions your salary monthly or yearly.
Currently, remote and hybrid jobs have become increasingly common among all employees. However, plenty of employees work on-site as well to keep the work environment lively.
So, while reviewing your job contract, you must check the terms related to your working mode. Check whether your new company permits you to work full-time and if your contract mentions the same. And if your company offers a hybrid working mode, then your contract should also say so.
But if your employment contract doesn’t outline anything, you might face difficulties later on. For instance, your employer offers you a permanent remote job, but you’re called to work on-site after six months. So check your employment contract thoroughly and determine the working mode.
It is not advisable to work overtime if you’re not being awarded the appropriate incentive. So before signing your new employment contract, make sure that you check the working hours. Your contract should specify the number of hours you are permitted to work.
If your employer allows you to set your own working hours, it’s best to get their permission in writing. Having a written record of their obligation protects your right to set your flexible working hours. But if your contract doesn’t make any mention of the working hours, you should address it to your employer.
Last but not least, checking the employee benefits before signing your contract is important. Even if you’ve discussed the benefits during your interview and negotiation process, you should check your contract for consistency. For instance, if you’ve negotiated for extended paid leaves, you need to check whether it’s included in your contract.
But if you haven’t discussed the employee benefits with your new employer, you must review your employment contract thoroughly. This will allow you to understand the benefits you’ll likely obtain clearly. And if you’re unsatisfied with the offerings, you can address your concern to your employer before signing.
That’s all, folks! The pointers, as mentioned earlier, deserve maximum attention in your employment contract. But this surely doesn’t mean that you can overlook other things. It is immensely crucial for you to go through each and every line that is written in your contract before signing it.
You can also associate with the best employment lawyers Perth WA. They will help you by handling all the intricate employment rules on your behalf, thereby saving you both money and time.
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