4 ms·

What sort of things do employment contracts say in the US? I live in the US and I've had 9 jobs in my life (none startups) and the only thing I've ever signed o

What sort of things do employment contracts say in the US? I live in the US and I've had 9 jobs in my life (none startups) and the only thing I've ever signed or been asked to sign was a note saying I'm employed "at will" and NDAs.

Symbiote 10y ago
This is from mine in the UK, but I'd guess the non "at will" states would be similar? "You will normally be required to work a five-day week of 41 hours gross, Monday to Friday, including meal breaks." "The annual leave entitlement for full time staff is as follows: on appointment: 30 days ... You are encouraged to take the full annual leave allowance to which you are entitled." "You may be allowed sick absence on full pay, less any social security benefit received for up to six months in any 12 months and after that, on half pay, up to a maximum of 12 months sick absence in any period of 4 years or less." "Should you wish to leave the organisation you will be expected to give 4 weeks notice in writing to your line manager." "Travel, Subsistence and Other Expense: If you are required to be absent from your normal place of work on the business of [company], travelling expenses and subsistence allowances will be paid in accordance with the regulations set out in Travel Manual." The contract is 7 pages long, but with big line spacing and only 1 or 2 sentences in each clause. It covers salary, benefits (leave, sick pay etc), notice periods, the pension scheme, expected conduct, the complaints procedure, and lists the trade unions that had representation (it's from a public sector organisation). In comparison, the Uber one is 16 pages of dense text with lots of legal terms and a glossary.
- arethuza 10y ago
  My first job contract ~30 years ago was from a UK university and was less than 1 page, basically said that I would get paid X, report to Prof Y and I'd have <huge number> of holidays and that it would be nice if I turned up occasionally.
- nommm-nommm 10y ago
  Im the GP. I just always had a company handbook (sometimes just a piece of paper) with policies and benefits. Not some sort of binding contract. These policies can and are changed at any time zero notice. I've been at my current job for close to a decade and my benefits are changed at least yearly if not multiple times a year. Health insurance changes every single year (provider, available policies, premiums). Paid time off policies change every few years (amount, policies for selling back time off, when accrued) and our 401(k) match has changed a few times (percentage match and when match would be given). None of this is a contract. It's basically like HN changing their posting policies. Presumably if you don't like it you just leave ("at will") It seems odd in the US that they'd put this stuff in a binding contract as it's not standard practice (that I've seen) and getting everyone to sign new contracts every policy change seems like a lot of unnecessary paperwork. (Union jobs are certainly different but almost nobody (<10%) in the US is in a union)
  - Symbiote 10y ago
    > These policies can and are changed at any time zero notice Not if they're in your contract -- that's the point! "Union jobs" don't exist as such in the UK, joining a union is optional. Perhaps half the staff at that job did belong, and across all roles. I didn't join the union, but the head of project management was in it, and one of the senior developers.
    - nommm-nommm 10y ago
      I'm talking about the US not the UK. In the US employee handbook type stuff is not in any contracts just so they can change it without notice, as that's typical in the US, from my experience. That's why I asked what people are talking about when they sign "employment contracts" in the US as I, personally, have never heard of a private non-union employer having any sort of actual employment contract other than "we can fire you at any time and you can quit at any time." And of course, NDAs. That way they leave the door open to changing the terms at any time. A US employee is typically not going to, in my experience, give up the "at will" status, and by having a contract they do give up that power. Unless they write something like "we can void this contract at will."
leggomylibro 10y ago
Many salaried positions claim all of your thoughts and ideas, on or off the clock. No telling what you might invent in your free time, and the company will happily steal it if it turns out to be a money maker.

Symbiote 10y ago

This is from mine in the UK, but I'd guess the non "at will" states would be similar? "You will normally be required to work a five-day week of 41 hours gross, Monday to Friday, including meal breaks." "The annual leave entitlement for full time staff is as follows: on appointment: 30 days ... You are encouraged to take the full annual leave allowance to which you are entitled." "You may be allowed sick absence on full pay, less any social security benefit received for up to six months in any 12 months and after that, on half pay, up to a maximum of 12 months sick absence in any period of 4 years or less." "Should you wish to leave the organisation you will be expected to give 4 weeks notice in writing to your line manager." "Travel, Subsistence and Other Expense: If you are required to be absent from your normal place of work on the business of [company], travelling expenses and subsistence allowances will be paid in accordance with the regulations set out in Travel Manual." The contract is 7 pages long, but with big line spacing and only 1 or 2 sentences in each clause. It covers salary, benefits (leave, sick pay etc), notice periods, the pension scheme, expected conduct, the complaints procedure, and lists the trade unions that had representation (it's from a public sector organisation). In comparison, the Uber one is 16 pages of dense text with lots of legal terms and a glossary.

arethuza 10y ago
My first job contract ~30 years ago was from a UK university and was less than 1 page, basically said that I would get paid X, report to Prof Y and I'd have <huge number> of holidays and that it would be nice if I turned up occasionally.
nommm-nommm 10y ago
Im the GP. I just always had a company handbook (sometimes just a piece of paper) with policies and benefits. Not some sort of binding contract. These policies can and are changed at any time zero notice. I've been at my current job for close to a decade and my benefits are changed at least yearly if not multiple times a year. Health insurance changes every single year (provider, available policies, premiums). Paid time off policies change every few years (amount, policies for selling back time off, when accrued) and our 401(k) match has changed a few times (percentage match and when match would be given). None of this is a contract. It's basically like HN changing their posting policies. Presumably if you don't like it you just leave ("at will") It seems odd in the US that they'd put this stuff in a binding contract as it's not standard practice (that I've seen) and getting everyone to sign new contracts every policy change seems like a lot of unnecessary paperwork. (Union jobs are certainly different but almost nobody (<10%) in the US is in a union)
- Symbiote 10y ago
  > These policies can and are changed at any time zero notice Not if they're in your contract -- that's the point! "Union jobs" don't exist as such in the UK, joining a union is optional. Perhaps half the staff at that job did belong, and across all roles. I didn't join the union, but the head of project management was in it, and one of the senior developers.
  - nommm-nommm 10y ago
    I'm talking about the US not the UK. In the US employee handbook type stuff is not in any contracts just so they can change it without notice, as that's typical in the US, from my experience. That's why I asked what people are talking about when they sign "employment contracts" in the US as I, personally, have never heard of a private non-union employer having any sort of actual employment contract other than "we can fire you at any time and you can quit at any time." And of course, NDAs. That way they leave the door open to changing the terms at any time. A US employee is typically not going to, in my experience, give up the "at will" status, and by having a contract they do give up that power. Unless they write something like "we can void this contract at will."

leggomylibro 10y ago

Many salaried positions claim all of your thoughts and ideas, on or off the clock. No telling what you might invent in your free time, and the company will happily steal it if it turns out to be a money maker.