What should you remember when signing an employment contract?

Do you know what the employment contract stipulates and what should definitely be present in a correct employment contract? Let’s take a closer look at what to know and what to remember when signing an employment contract:

  • Your rights and obligations stem from the employment contract.
  • In the contract it is agreed what the remuneration is, the workplace, the time, and the duties of work.
  • Other terms and conditions that the parties deem important can also be agreed upon.
  • The employment contract must be signed before actually starting work, but at the latest on the first day of employment.
  • An employment contract is concluded when both parties have signed it and you must retain a copy of the signed contract.
  • The employment contract can be either written or electronic but, in either case, it must bear the signatures of both parties.

IMPORTANT! Always discuss the important terms of the employment contract before the conclusion of the contract. Be brave and ask if there is anything you do not understand.
NB! If you are between the ages of 7 and 17, know that before entering into an employment contract, you need to express your desire to start working and your legal representatives (mother or father) have to agree to this.


ACCORDING TO THE EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS ACT, A CORRECT EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT INCLUDES:

  • Name, personal identification or registry code, and the address or location of the employee. It’s recommended to add a contact phone number and e-mail address,
  • the date of concluding the employment contract and starting work,
  • a job description. Tasks may also be written in a separate job description, but they are still an integral part of the contract,
  • along with other benefits if agreed upon. If any benefits are promised to the employee during the job interview, it is important that these promises are in the form of a written agreement,
  • working time,
  • place of work,
  • duration of annual leave (annual leave is 28 calendar days, underage leave is 35 days),
  • a reference to the rules of work organisation established by the employer,
  • remuneration for the work that has been agreed upon (be it hourly, monthly, etc.).

The article was prepared in cooperation with the Labour Inspectorate www.ti.ee
The main tasks of the Inspectorate are the implementation of occupational environment policies, state supervision of occupational health, work safety and work relations matters, informing of occupational hazards.
Published in the youth information portal Teeviit in 2022.

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