Loading...
Loading...
Fill in the details to generate your contract
This template provides general legal language. For complex or high-value agreements, consult a qualified attorney.
An employment contract records what someone is being hired to do, what they will be paid, and the conditions attached to the job. In most of Europe the employer is legally required to give the employee written particulars of employment, usually within the first month and often before the first day, so this is rarely optional.
It matters most when something goes wrong. A dispute about notice, overtime, unpaid holiday or ownership of work is decided on what the contract says. Where it says nothing, the default rules of the country apply, and those defaults are usually written to protect the employee rather than the business.
The legal name of the employer, not the trading name, the employee's full name, and the date employment begins. If a probationary period applies, its length and what happens at the end of it belong here.
What the person is being hired to do. Keep it accurate but not so narrow that ordinary changes to the role need a new contract. A short duties list plus "and other reasonable duties consistent with the role" is the common compromise.
The gross amount, the period it covers (hourly, monthly, annual), the payment date and the method. Any bonus, commission or overtime rate needs its own line, including whether it is discretionary, because a bonus described as automatic becomes contractual.
Normal working hours, whether overtime is expected and how it is compensated, and where the work is done. If the role is remote or hybrid, say so explicitly, and say which country the employee works from: that determines which employment law applies.
Paid annual leave, how it accrues, and what happens to untaken leave when employment ends. Statutory minimums differ sharply by country and the contract cannot go below them.
What the employee must not disclose, and who owns what they create. Without an IP clause the position varies by country, and in several the employee keeps rights you assumed you had bought.
How much notice each side must give, and on what grounds employment can end immediately. Notice is almost always subject to a statutory minimum that rises with length of service.
The Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive requires the main terms in writing, most of them within seven calendar days of the first day. National law adds to this, and several member states require the contract in the local language to be enforceable.
A written statement of particulars is a day-one right and must be given on or before the first working day, for employees and workers alike.
Most roles are covered by a modern award or an enterprise agreement that sets minimum pay and conditions. A contract cannot pay below the applicable award, and the Fair Work Information Statement must be given to every new employee.
Employment is at-will in most states unless the contract says otherwise, so a fixed term or a notice period changes the default significantly. Non-compete clauses are unenforceable or heavily restricted in a growing number of states.
Employment usually exists from the moment work starts, signed or not. But an unsigned contract makes every term arguable, and in most European countries the employer carries the burden of proving what was agreed. A signature removes that argument.
Yes, in the EU under eIDAS and in the UK, US and Australia under their equivalent statutes. Electronic signatures on employment contracts are routine. What matters in a dispute is being able to show who signed, when, and that the document has not changed since, which is what an audit trail records.
Control and integration, not the label on the document. If you set the hours, direct how the work is done, and the person works only for you, most authorities will treat them as an employee regardless of what the contract is called. Getting this wrong is expensive: back-dated tax, holiday pay and social contributions.
For a standard role in a country whose rules you already know, a well-drafted template is normally enough. Take advice when the role involves equity, an unusual notice period, a post-termination restriction, or an employee working from a different country to the one the business is in.
This is not legal advice. It describes what these documents normally contain and how the rules commonly differ between countries. Rules change and your situation may not be ordinary. For anything with real money or real risk attached, have a qualified lawyer in the relevant country read it before you sign.