How to Draw Up Work Contracts
Use a work contract to outline the conditions of someone's employment with your business or the terms under which a contractor is being used. Drawing up work contracts should not prove to be difficult since you have the information needed for the contracts already, such as the rate you will pay and the length of the contract or employment. In some cases, a contract is not a requirement, but it gives you and the person you are contracting with a sense of security.
Include your name and business name and the name of the person you are employing or contracting. If that person has his own business, include that in the contract as well. Write something along the lines of "This contract is made between Jenny Smith, CEO of Small Business, Inc. and Harvey Jones, freelance designer, on January 2, 2011."
Explain the length of the employment in the next paragraph. For example, you may hire an assistant for an indefinite length of time or on a temporary basis. List the start date of the employment or contract.
Describe the employment or work to be done by the contractor in the next paragraph of the contract. For example, if you are hiring an administrative assistant, describe her general duties and responsibilities. If you are hiring a contractor, such as a freelance designer, explain exactly what the contractor will be doing -- for example, building your company's website.
Write out the payment the employee will receive in another paragraph. Include the amount, whether it will be in the form of an annual salary or hourly wages and how often she will be paid. If you're using a contractor, explain the type of payment she will receive. For example, she may bill you a flat rate of $1,000 for a job, or she may bill you hourly. Include how often the person will be paid and by what means. If you want a contractor to invoice you, include that information in this paragraph. You may also include any benefits an employee will receive, such as retirement accounts or healthcare. Explain how taxes will be handled -- whether you will withhold them or whether they are the responsibility of the contractor.
Add any rules of employment or expectations of the work to be performed in a paragraph. For example, state what conditions are grounds for termination of the contract. If an employee can leave at any time, state that.
Close the contract with a sentence stating that both you and the worker understand the terms of the contract and that you wish to put it into action. Type your name, title and business as well as the worker's name, title and business, if necessary. Leave a space for both of you to sign and date the contract.
Based in Pennsylvania, Emily Weller has been writing professionally since 2007, when she began writing theater reviews Off-Off Broadway productions. Since then, she has written for TheNest, ModernMom and Rhode Island Home and Design magazine, among others. Weller attended CUNY/Brooklyn college and Temple University.