Employment Contracts

Help for North Carolina Employees and Employers

An employment contract is an agreement between the employer and the employee which sets forth some or all of the terms of the employment relationship. A contract may include any of the following:

• • The length of the employment relationship (for example: one year, two years, indefinitely, or, a particular length of time with automatic renewal periods)
  • The employee’s responsibilities;
  • The wage and benefits provided by the employer;
  • Grounds for termination
  • The amount of notice the employer or employee is required to give the other to end the contract;
  • Limitations on the employee’s ability to compete with the employer’s business once the employee leaves the business;
  • Limitations on how information acquired in the business (trade secrets) may be used by the employee, including information on customers or vendors;
  • The employer’s ownership of the employee’s work product (for instance, if the employee creates movie scripts, writes books, or, invents machinery);
  • A promise for repayment of training or relocation costs;
  • A method for resolving disputes between you and the employer.

Even if the employer and employee agree on terms, any written contract should be reviewed by an experienced attorney.