Picture this: you’ve spent months job hunting, applying to hundreds of positions, and finally, your dreams come true – you’ve been offered a job. All you need to do is sign the contract.
Sounds pretty simple, right? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. As tempting as it may be to immediately sign the contract, you need to remember that a contract is a legally binding document, so you certainly have to make sure that you know what you’re doing when you sign it. To learn more about the things you should keep in mind when signing an employment contract, keep reading.
You should have a lawyer look it over
As mentioned, contracts are legal documents, which is why you need to ensure that the conditions laid out in the contract abide by the law. Additionally, you need to make sure that the contract is in both parties’ favor – in other words, it needs to benefit both you and the employer, and not take advantage of you.
The chances are that you don’t have the necessary knowledge to determine these things, which is why you need to have an employment lawyer look your contract over for you. Have a look at employment lawyers HKM to see how they can assist.
Take your time
Like discussed, you may want to immediately sign the contract, but that’s not a good idea. You need to take your time and read through every single detail of the contract, including the fine print. Yes, it may be tedious, but it’s worth it. In fact, you should read the contract multiple times to make sure that you don’t miss anything, and take some time to think about it before signing.
Don’t ever let anyone pressure you into signing a contract before you’re ready. Signing a contract is a big decision, and you need to make sure that you are making the right life-changing decision.
Consider whether you actually want the job
There are loads of logistics to consider when signing a contract, such as the stipulations and salary contained in it.
Aside from that, however, you need to check whether the job is actually something you want. You don’t want to sign a contract and trap yourself in a job you are unhappy with. Remember that you can back out at any time before you sign the contract – you can even decline a job interview after accepting it.
Keep a copy of it
Most of the time, there will be multiple copies of an employment contract. There will be one for you and one for your employer. You should keep your copy somewhere safe and also have both a paper and digital copy that you can refer back to if you are ever uncertain of it.
Having copies of your contract will help you know what is expected of you as well as what you can expect from the job. If you need some tips on storing paper documents long-term, click here.
To know more, read our articles How do you show proof of employment? and The Benefits of Seeking Professional Law Advice for Your Business
