If you hire employees with special skills or management positions, you should offer binding agreements after negotiating salaries and benefits. This standard practice ensures your key employees will contribute their talents for a set time. It also reassures these employees that the terms of employment are constant for the agreed-upon term.
Although Florida is an at-will employment state where employees can be fired without a reason, business owners and employees should discuss their contractual needs with an experienced attorney. A Florida employment contracts lawyer at Sparks Law could help draft this essential document for employees or review it for potential new hires.
Agreements can be written or oral, but a written agreement is required in some cases and preferred in all others. Written contracts avoid misunderstandings between the parties, binding them to the agreed-upon terms. perform some duty or give up some benefit to get something else of value. Employment contracts work because both parties give up something to get something else of value: employers give up money to get the valued skills of an employee, and employees give up other jobs and free time to earn money.
Employment agreements are not the norm in Florida, which is an at-will state. This means that most employees can be terminated for no reason. However, employment agreements supersede this status in special cases for in-demand employees possessing special skills. Employers must adhere to written terms and cannot terminate a contracted employee at will. A knowledgeable local attorney could ensure that a client’s contracts repository includes airtight employment agreements.
Some information is standard in all contracts, such as the names of the parties and the duration of the agreement. Other covenants in employment contracts can include:
Along with Florida corporate statutes that govern contracts, federal law plays a part in employee agreements. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOC), employers cannot discriminate based on the employees’ religion, race, gender, or identity by offering some contracts and not others doing the same job. A skilled lawyer who understands the ramifications of Florida and federal law could further explain these statutes when drafting suitable employment agreements.
Employment agreements benefit both parties and set their duties and responsibilities. If one party does not fulfill their obligations, there are legal options for righting the wrong. Both parties can rely on the terms of the agreement.
Employees who do not fulfill agreed-upon duties can be terminated because covenants for release for cause are contained in the contract. Employers who fail to provide any agreed-upon benefits can be compelled to comply because the agreement is in writing, and the courts will uphold valid agreements. Whether an employer needs to draft an agreement, or an employee needs one reviewed, help from a Florida attorney can be essential.
Contracts are a crucial part of a company’s toolbox. Companies should bind their decision makers, innovative thinkers, and doers to contracts that outline the employer-employee relationship to the benefit of all parties.
At Sparks Law, we can help facilitate this dynamic relationship between employer and skilled employee by providing appropriate contracts memorializing business relationships. Call a Florida employment contracts lawyer today and get the advice you need for success.
