You got your first employment contract, probably in Nigeria where employment is golden and very rare , so congratulations. Following the whole excitement that comes with this, calm down and take note of these 5 major things to observe before signing an employment contract, you really need to study before finally signing and agreeing terms with your proposed employer.
Before Signing An Employment Contract, Consider Job Description
Just like the normal cautions given by financial institutions that you read and understand every word before you sign, it is very much applicable to signing an employment contract too. Right before signing an employment contract, you have to make sure you are signing up for a role you applied for. So it won’t be a case of what I ordered and what I got in a formal environment.
Recently a friend of mine spoke to me about how stressed she always gets every evening following how much work she does. She does the work of the receptionist, the admin, the sales rep, she gets items needed, she delivers goods and she was supposed to be an office assistant. I asked if she read her contract form before signing and she couldn’t even remember what she signed. You have to be careful and know what you are signing up for, if it’s not directly stated , ensure you ask questions and be sure of what you are about to sign.
Salary And Bonus
How much are you really getting paid? What’s the gross and how much do you end up with at the end of every month? Most people confuse the gross salary for the net and are left confused on the difference that disappeared when they got their first paycheck.
It is important to always ask about your bonuses and the benefits that come with the role you are about to assume before signing an employment contract. For instance in a banking hall there is the permanent and the contract staff, the privileges of the permanent staff are always more attractive than contract staff. Bonuses like pension, HMO and several other benefits that come with every role you sign up for. As we all know we work hard to get rewarded so it wouldn’t be right to get ripped off.
Resumption Date and Time
Most Of the contract forms rendered by companies for new employees to sign are usually copied or duplicated , so this brings more importance for you to thoroughly read and analyze this detail of the contract.
A perfect example would be about probation periods. This is the period where the company examines you and does a critical study on if you are the best person for the job or not and at the same time you are also given the probation period to decide if the conduct of the company is suitable for you.
You should also take note of your working hours, so any second outside your working hours should definitely come with a compensation on your own terms. So anytime the company tries to overwork you , don’t get intimidated, you can always refer to your contract that you carefully read and analyze before signing.
Leave Approvals
Regardless of how indispensable you are to the organization or how vital your role is, there should be periods where you get to rest and refresh yourself. So ensure there is a reservation for you to go on a leave and also check if the timing is convenient and comfortable for you before signing an employment contract.
Also check for particular times in a year that you can’t take a leave probably due to larger customers at that period and the likes. For instance in a recreational centre, public holidays are definitely their best selling times of the year so you definitely would not be allowed to go on a leave at that time of the year.
Also confirm if you can rollover your leave from a particular time frame to another, and most importantly enquiry about payment or any allowance when you go on leave.
Restrictive Clauses
This part might not be inclusive or necessary during your time as an employee of the company. Instead it takes effect probably when you decide to leave or if your contract gets terminated by the company. This can also be linked with the term Release clause usually used in football.
Some companies are usually competitive in the market environment, so questions like if you would be allowed to work with a competitor when you leave or not.
Then you need to also check for how long you need to notify the company of your resignation. All this information is important and should not be overlooked.
These 5 points listed above should be checked and understood before signing an employment contract with your proposed employees. After all these have been confirmed then you can go ahead with signing and celebrating.