Skip to content
econtracts.ai
Sign inStart free

Employment and contractors

Employment contract template

Employment contract: An employment contract sets out the terms between an employer and an employee: role, pay, hours, leave, notice and the duties each side owes.

Last reviewed 6 November 2026 · 7 clauses · General guidance, not legal advice

Fill in the terms and send it for e-signature in minutes.

Use this template free

When to use an employment contract

  • Hiring a full-time or part-time employee
  • Updating terms after a promotion
  • Moving a contractor onto payroll

Employment contract template: clause-by-clause outline

Sample starting wording for each clause. Replace the text in [brackets] with your details.

  1. Role and start date

    The Employee is employed as [job title], reporting to [manager], starting on [date].

  2. Place of work

    The Employee will work at [office / remotely from country X / hybrid].

  3. Pay

    The Employer will pay a gross salary of [amount] per [year/month], paid [monthly] in arrears, subject to deductions required by law.

  4. Hours and leave

    Normal hours are [40] per week. The Employee is entitled to [number] days’ paid annual leave plus public holidays.

  5. Probation

    The first [3] months are a probationary period during which either party may end employment with [1] week’s notice.

  6. Notice

    After probation either party may end employment with [1] month’s written notice.

  7. Confidentiality and IP

    The Employee will keep the Employer’s information confidential, and work created in the course of employment belongs to the Employer.

What to check before you sign

  • Do leave, notice and pay meet the local legal minimums?
  • Is the probation period lawful where the employee works?
  • For remote hires abroad, which country’s employment law applies?

Signing formalities: Some countries require written form or a qualified electronic signature for specific employment documents.

How to send an employment contract for e-signature

  1. Start from the built-in template. Fill in the parties and terms; the contract and its plain-language review write themselves.
  2. Check it against your playbook. Points outside your positions are flagged, and approval rules route it to Legal when needed.
  3. Send it by email. Signers get a plain-language review and a secure link, sign on any device in the order you set, and can suggest changes as tracked changes.
  4. Keep the signed PDF. Everyone receives it with a certificate of completion, and key dates go to Upcoming with reminders.

Employment contract template: frequently asked questions

Is an employment contract legally required?

Many countries require written terms within a set time of starting work. Even where not required, a written contract prevents disputes.

Can an employment contract be signed electronically?

In most countries yes. A few documents, such as certain fixed-term or termination agreements in some EU countries, still need a qualified e-signature or paper.

Is an electronically signed employment contract legally binding?

Often, but not always. Some countries require written form or a qualified electronic signature for specific employment documents. econtracts.ai shows the rules for the contract’s governing law before you send it.

Can I get an employment contract I received reviewed?

Yes. Upload it to econtracts.ai and you get a plain-language review: key dates, money and points to check, each quoting the clause it comes from.

Related contract templates

Offer letter templateJob offer letterConfidentiality agreement templateConfidentiality agreementNon-compete agreement templateNon-compete agreement

This outline is a starting point for discussion, not legal advice, and it is not a complete contract. Laws differ by country and sector; have a qualified lawyer review contracts that matter.