So, youve successfully gone through the grueling recruitment process and youve been offered a job. Firstly, congratulations! Its always exciting starting a new job and it opens the door up for lots of career opportunities.
Amidst your excitement, youll need to think of the boring stuff too. By boring stuff, we mean your employment contract.
You might be happy to sign a contract without properly reading through it but this could cause you some trouble further down the line.
Reading the fine print is essential so you know exactly what is expected of you and what rights you have as an employer. It prevents contract clauses and breaches, or disagreements between you and your employer.
Things to Check in Your New Employment Contract
We understand that its not easy to understand the complex jargon in employment contracts and there are many things youd rather do with your time than read through several pages of a contract.
Thats why weve made a list of the most important things to look out for when youre reading through your employment contract. Checking each of these things will ensure there arent any contract loopholes or errors that could come back to bite you in the future.
If you need further guidance after reading this article, contact a professional lawyer that specializes in employment laws.
Job Title
As obvious as this might sound, youd be surprised with how many people sign contracts for the wrong job roles. Before you check anything else, make sure that the job title on your employment contract is perfect.
Many employers have multiple job roles that sound very similar, especially if there is progression within certain roles. For example, if youre starting a new job as a marketing executive, your employer might accidentally put marketing assistant on your contract.
Job Description
Its important to read through all of the different duties and responsibilities that your employer expects of you before starting any new job. The job description in your employment contract sets the expectations of your role.
Reading through it shows that you know exactly what tasks are and arent part of your role. Youll easily know if and when your employer asks you to do something that is out of the scope of your job description.
Period of Employment
Your employment contract should state the start and end dates of your employment unless it is a permanent contract. It should also state the period of notice that you will need to provide if you leave the job in the future.
Usually, your period of notice changes the longer you stay working for a company. Again, this should be clearly detailed in your employment contract.
Salary
Perhaps the most exciting part of your employment contract is the annual salary. This should be clearly detailed in your contract and it should be the exact salary that you and your employer negotiated prior to your job offer.
The contract should also detail any bonuses, incentives, and benefits that are offered with your job. You may get access to free healthcare or reimbursement for travel expenses.