Employment contract
An employment contract is the agreement setting out the terms, rights and responsibilities of an employment relationship.
It can address the job, pay, hours, work location, notice and other obligations. Some terms may appear in separate documents, such as a handbook or collective agreement, so ask which documents form part of the agreement. Before accepting, compare the written terms with the offer and clarify any difference that would affect your decision.
The form and legal effect of contracts vary by country. UK guidance explains that an employment contract can exist without being wholly written down. It also distinguishes the contract from the written statement of employment particulars, which records specified conditions. You should therefore avoid assuming that the absence of a signed document means there are no obligations. For a cross-border role, confirm the employing entity, work location and law the documents say governs the arrangement.
Example
An offer describes home working, but the draft contract names an office as the normal workplace. The applicant asks for the agreed arrangement to be clarified in writing before accepting.
What to check
- Do pay, hours, location and start date match the offer?
- Which policies or collective agreements form part of the terms?
- What obligations apply when either side ends the relationship?