Employment Agreements

Contact Neufeld Legal PC for contractual legal matters at 403-400-4092 / 905-616-8864 or Chris@NeufeldLegal.com

Critical to almost every business arrangement is the underlying contract that the parties negotiate and enter into, as it will shape the manner in which their ongoing commercial relationship will be conducted and issues resolved. As such, it is imperative that the appropriate contract be drafted, such that the true intentions of the parties are addressed and appropriate contractual measures are put in place to resolve problems and settle disputes.

A typical employment agreement consists of several standard components, the specificity of which is to be settled by legal counsel in its drafting (or amending) of the employment contract:

a. Scope of Employment - what the employee's role shall be with the employer and how the employee's functions are to be carried out

b. Employment Term - length of employment period, renewal periods, as well as probationary period if applicable

c. Remuneration - what employee will be paid for his service (hourly rate, set fee), additional compensation, bonuses, benefits

d. Employee Covenants - what is mandated of the employee in furtherance of his/her engagement

e. Employer Covenants - assurances being provided by the employer in furtherance of the employee undertake this particular job

f. Termination - how the employment arrangement might be terminated and what obligations each of the parties have when termination occurs under specific circumstances

g. Restrictive Covenants - obligations to the employer, i.e. confidentiality, non-solicitation, non-competition (although this final aspect often represents over-reaching on the part of the employer)

h. Resolution Structure - how disputes are to be resolved (mediation, arbitration, court)

i. Legal Boilerplate - the back-end of the agreement intended to capture many of the standard legal aspects associated with contractual arrangements

For knowledgeable and experienced legal representation in negotiating, drafting and reviewing business contracts, contact contract lawyer Christopher Neufeld at at 403-400-4092 [Alberta], 905-616-8864 [Ontario] or Chris@NeufeldLegal.com.