An employment contract sets out the full terms of a job: the role, pay, benefits, hours, and how the employment can end, so both employer and employee know what they have agreed.
An employment contract is the full written agreement between an employer and an employee. It covers the role and duties, salary and benefits, working hours, confidentiality, ownership of work, and how the employment can end. It goes further than an offer letter, setting out the ongoing terms both sides rely on for the length of the job.
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An offer letter extends and records acceptance of a job; an employment contract sets out the ongoing terms in full. Many employers send both. If you use only one document, make it the contract, since it covers duties, confidentiality, IP, and how employment ends, not just the headline pay and start date.
State the salary, how often it is paid, and any bonus or commission, then summarize benefits like health cover, paid time off, and retirement. Employees weigh the whole package, so being specific here reduces misunderstandings once they start.
In much of the US, employment is at-will and either side can end it at any time within the law. Fixed-term contracts run for a set period with notice. Choose the right one for the role and your jurisdiction, and set a notice period that matches local rules.
Employees see sensitive information and create work you need to own. The confidentiality clause keeps company information private during and after the job, and the IP clause assigns work created on the job to the employer. Both are standard and worth keeping in.
Set out the notice each side must give and the employer’s right to end employment immediately for cause. Add the return of company property. Clear termination terms prevent disputes at the most sensitive point in the relationship.
Employment is heavily regulated, and the rules differ by country and state, covering things like minimum notice, leave, and dismissal. Use this template as a solid starting point, then have it reviewed against the laws where the employee works before you rely on it.
Add both parties’ details, the role, the salary and benefits, the hours, the notice period, and the governing-law state. Sign online: place signature and date fields for the employer and the employee, and send it for a sealed copy with an audit trail.
Put a job offer in writing: role, salary, start date, and terms for the candidate to accept.
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View templateThis template and the guidance on this page are provided for general information only and are not legal advice. Laws differ by country and state, so review the final document against your own situation and have a qualified lawyer check anything high-value or regulated before you sign.
Yes. Signed with a valid electronic signature it is binding under the US ESIGN Act, state UETA laws, and eIDAS in the EU. The signed copy keeps an audit trail of each signer’s identity, IP address, and signing time. Employment law still governs the terms themselves.
An offer letter extends a job and records acceptance, usually briefly. An employment contract sets out the full ongoing terms: duties, pay, benefits, confidentiality, IP, and termination. The contract is the more complete document.
A written contract is strongly recommended and, in some places, legally required for certain terms. Putting it in writing protects both sides and avoids disputes about what was agreed.
Yes, and you should. Employment law varies widely, so set the governing-law state and have the contract reviewed against local rules on notice, leave, and dismissal before using it.
Yes. Use the editable Word file to set your terms, or the print-ready PDF. You can also fill and sign online with no download, keeping a full audit trail.
Yes. Both parties sign one contract so it binds each side. Signing online routes the same document to both and returns one sealed copy each can keep.
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