Get Employment Contracts for Your Staff

An employment contract outlines the major terms of the employer and employee relationship. It provides contractual rights and responsibilities of both parties and, where properly prepared, is legally binding. While the terms of employment can also be verbal, setting them down in writing is recommended as it reduces ambiguity and risk of litigation.

A written work contract is mutually beneficial for both the employer and employee as it sets down responsibilities, helps address disagreements, and avoid litigation. A well-drafted and enforceable contract reduces the risk of legal claims for the employer. Unless a contract explicitly limits it, employees have the right to seek additional notice and severance through lawsuits which take time, money, and attention away from your business. 

In addition to statutorily required employment information, the clauses and polices you may want to include in your work contract will depend on your industry and the type of employment (full time, part time, contract, project based, etc.) being offered. 

Some basic terms of employment to address in your contracts are: 

1. Hours of work 

2. Job responsibilities 

3. Salary, bonus, benefits 

4. Conditions of offer (reference check, background check, and so on) 

5. Privacy and confidentiality policies 

6. Layoff clause (giving the employer the contractual right to alter certain terms of employment when needed) 

7. Disciplinary procedures 

8. Termination clauses and policy 

An offer letter confirms the job basics, while an employment contract sets the full legal terms. They typically come together when a job is offered. Relying only on an offer letter results in no contractual protections to the employer.  

Without an enforceable termination provision in an employment contract, employers may owe significantly higher sums on employees’ terminations and having their hands tied when needing to make difficult business decisions.  

Yes. We can provide employment contract templates tailored to your business and aligned with Canadian employment law. 

Yes. Our contracts are tailored to meet provincial employment standards across Canada. 

Yes. We provide independent contractor agreement templates as well.