After receiving that exciting news that you’ve got a job, the final step to secure your employment offer is the moment you sign your name on the dotted line of your employment contract. But before you do, consider going through a very thorough checklist to ensure your employment contract is everything it’s supposed to be.
Details of jobs differ between companies, as do certain stipulations around what is expected of you in other areas. Don’t assume all companies are the same! After all, you don’t want to end up as one of those people who ends up being unhappy with their jobs.
Hence, we urge you to take a moment to read and we mean really ‘READ’ your employment contract and ask the right questions before you jump aboard.
Things to check to before signing your employment contract.
- Job description and responsibilities
The details of your new job usually would be discussed with you during the interview process and follow-ups thereafter. However, be aware of all the additional responsibilities that comes along. You’d be surprised how often additional responsibilities get snuck into job descriptions. Most of the time this is relatively minor – but it’s worth an extra check to ensure what is presented is completely aligned with your expectations and capabilities.
- Remuneration
Check whether the base salary and any bonuses or other compensations are in line with what you have been promised. This also includes details like medical insurance, other health benefits, travel expense reimbursements, mobile phone reimbursements, and more.
For salaried jobs, you are entitled to know exactly what dates and how frequently you will be getting paid. For guaranteed bonuses, the exact criteria on how to achieve these bonuses should be clearly defined in your contract. For discretionary bonuses, the details may not be included, but the information about a possibility for discretionary bonuses should be.
If you need to still negotiate, now is the time.
- Start/End date
Know where you stand before you begin and what the legalities are around completing your probation period. What is your official start date?
For a contract role, what is your official end date or date of completion for a project? How long is the probation period, and what do you receive once you pass this date? Are the terms of full-time employment beyond probation subject to dates only, or a review with your manager also?
- Leaving Your Job & Termination
If you want to leave your job anytime in the future, you have to be aware of presenting a notice to your employers. Your notice period matters because you (and your new employer) need time to manage affairs and organise things should you leave the job. Some notice periods are 30 days, some are 90 – and this could affect your chances at finding your next role, or how you handover things.
On the other hand, there can be a variety of reasons which may cause a termination. Here, you should ensure you understand what is being expected of you, and what actions (or inactions) could be the cause of termination. So be cautious.
- Holiday pay and sick leave
These are typically subject to the minimum legislation in each country. But note, companies have the right to extend these beyond their legal obligations if they wish to. Hence, get a clear picture on this matter.
- Working hours
Read the fine print around your 40-hour work week – do you need to work weekends? Is this expected of you? Will you be paid for overtime? What are the policies around flexible working? Is it negotiable?
Set the boundaries at the beginning so there is no room for misunderstandings.
