What to Look For Before Signing a Job Contract

At last, the moment has arrived to sign the contract. They called you back after the interview, and the job that you’ve been longing for is finally yours. What wonderful news! And you’ve also managed to negotiate a good salary so your happiness is complete.

However, before you relax completely and celebrate your success, you still need to look carefully at the contract of employment on offer before signing it. It will contain all the details regarding your work, your holiday entitlement, and the various duties you are expected to perform. So you should read every page very thoroughly before signing. Here are the things to pay particular attention to.

What to Check Before Signing the Contract

• The type of contract: check whether it’s a fixed-term or open-ended contract, as agreed at interview.
• Hours and holidays: check that the contract specifies working hours, holiday entitlement, and leave of absence for emergencies or personal problems. In addition, check the terms of overtime pay, if applicable.
• Salary and expenses: check that the salary stated in the contract is the same as the one agreed. If there are any discrepancies, put down the pen and wait. The same applies to reimbursement of expenses. You may have talked about expenses claims at interview, but a spoken agreement is not enough. This detail must be written into the contract.
• Social security: social security contributions are required by law so it’s unlikely they’d be mentioned in the contract. But it’s always good to check, and above all to make sure that your employer has passed on all your details to the Social Security agency.