As many business owners across Florida will likely attest, hiring solid, trustworthy professionals to work for you is one of the hardest parts of owning your own company. Even employees who excelled and stood out during their interviews can sometimes end up causing you and your business unnecessary hardship down the line, but you can mitigate the risk of this happening to a large extent by creating a solid employment contract. Attorney Levi Williams recognizes that well-crafted employment contracts can save you considerable time and money down the line, and he has helped many Florida business owners draft contracts that meet their unique needs.
According to Inc., the best employment contracts protect the employer as well as the employee, and they can be an essential tool in helping you attract – and hang on – to top talent. While the language in one employment contract will undoubtedly vary broadly from that within the next, there are certain elements most employment contracts ought to include.
For example, a clear outline of the employee’s duties, compensation plan and your expectations for him or her, is necessary. This section might include information such as to whom your employer must report, how he or she will receive payment and how you or other company supervisors plan to gauge the employee’s success.
You may, too, want to include language about your expectations with regard to confidentiality and competition. For example, if you want to safeguard certain trade secrets related to your business, preventing your employee from discussing them, should he or she leave and sign on with a competition, this is the place to address that. While these are some key elements of a strong employment contract, this is not an exhaustive list of all possible areas you can address. You can read more about contract law on our webpage.