Your employment contract is quite important. It sets out the terms and conditions of your employment and even what you may or may not do after leaving that place of employment.
You may not realize the implications of the contract you have signed until years after you sign it. This would become quite important when issues arise out of the contract you have signed. This is because in the event of any issues, your employment contract and its terms would be the major reference point in resolving them.
Because of this, you should not rush headlong into any employment before having the contract reviewed by a professional. You need to understand exactly what it is you are agreeing to before you sign on the dotted line.
Why You Should Have Your Employment Contract Reviewed
The Kansas Department of Labor advises that our area is considered an at will employment state, meaning that employers can fire you for any reason, or even for no reason at all. This makes employment contracts even more pertinent in protecting your rights. Before signing one, though, you do need to review it carefully to ensure you are clear on the terms and conditions of your employment. This ensures that you understand the expectations and inner workings of the job as well as the rights and obligations you will have as an employee.
There are several things you need to pay attention to that may seriously affect the character of your employment.
Job Description
It is necessary to understand exactly what it is that will be expected of you in the employment. If the job description is not clear, you may begin to feel overloaded or misled as to what was expected of you, only to find out that it was in your contract. You want to have a detailed, clear job description to prevent any such situation from arising in the future.
Terms of the Employment
There are several important things to look out for in the terms of the contract. You first have to ensure that the terms of your contract comply with lawful requirements. For example, standards relating to maximum weekly work hours, parental leave, and notice of termination should be clear and follow the established law. There may also be some discretionary clauses in the contract that may give your employer an unfair advantage. It is important to identify these clauses and understand the impact that they may have on you as an employee.
An example of these clauses is the entire agreement clause. This clause provides that only the terms in the agreement and no others shall form the whole agreement. Thus oral or other agreements as to things like a signing-on bonus may not be enforceable.
Restrictive Covenants
These restrictive covenants are clauses in an employment contract that are designed to protect the employer. They usually restrict the employee from doing certain things after the employment. Restrictive covenants include non-compete, non-solicitation, and non-disclosure clauses. These clauses are important because they can affect your ability to work or start your own business in the industry for a period of time after your employment ends.
Provisions Concerning Compensation
Under Kansas wage laws, employers are required to pay a minimum wage and overtime when warranted. While clearly specifying your rate of pay in your employment contract, compensation is more than just the hourly or salaried amounts you earn. It can also include unclear bonus structures, performance-related incentives and other terms. Do not rush headlong into signing that agreement. Get the help of an experienced Kansas City employment lawyer to help you critically review the contract before you sign.
Speak to an Employment Contract Lawyers in Kansas City
If you have questions or concerns about the specific terms of your employment contract, take the time to reach out to HKM Employment Attorneys. We are ready to help.
Call 816-607-4691, schedule a call, or fill out this form and we will get back to you ASAP.