Employee contract template for your next hire
You are hiring your first or fifth employee and need an employment contract that covers pay, hours, leave and notice without missing what local law requires. This prompt has your todo.is agent draft the contract for that role, look up the key legal requirements for your country or state with sources, and give you a Word file ready to finalize.
The prompt
- Draft an employment contract for [EMPLOYEE NAME] joining [COMPANY NAME AND ADDRESS] as [JOB TITLE]. Details: start date [START DATE], [FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME AND HOURS], salary [PAY AND PAY FREQUENCY], work location [OFFICE, REMOTE OR HYBRID], probation [PROBATION PERIOD], paid leave [LEAVE DAYS], benefits [BENEFITS]. Include: duties summary, working hours and overtime, pay and deductions, probation, holidays and sick leave, benefits, expenses, confidentiality, intellectual property, data protection, company policies and handbook, notice periods and termination, return of company property, and signatures. Jurisdiction: [COUNTRY OR STATE]. Look up what an employment contract or written statement must include there, and minimum leave and notice, with links. Save it as a Word file and list anything I must still decide.
What to change
- [EMPLOYEE NAME]: The new hire's full legal name.
- [COMPANY NAME AND ADDRESS]: e.g. "Greenfield Bakery Ltd, 4 Market Row, Bristol".
- [JOB TITLE]: e.g. "Assistant Bakery Manager". Add a few duties or attach the job description.
- [START DATE]: e.g. "1 April".
- [FULL-TIME OR PART-TIME AND HOURS]: e.g. "full-time, 40 hours a week, early shifts".
- [PAY AND PAY FREQUENCY]: e.g. "£29,000 a year, paid monthly" or "$22 per hour, paid every two weeks".
- [OFFICE, REMOTE OR HYBRID]: Where they work, e.g. "the Bristol bakery".
- [PROBATION PERIOD]: e.g. "3 months" or "none".
- [LEAVE DAYS]: e.g. "28 days including public holidays". Your agent checks the legal minimum.
- [BENEFITS]: e.g. "pension, staff discount, health insurance after 6 months" or "none".
- [COUNTRY OR STATE]: Where the employee works, e.g. "England" or "New York, USA".
Example result
- Rules found for England (check before signing)
- • Employees must get a written statement of main terms by their first day
- • Full-time workers are entitled to 5.6 weeks of paid holiday a year, which can include bank holidays
- • Minimum notice from the employer grows with length of service
- Contract of Employment (sample draft)
- Employer: Greenfield Bakery Ltd, 4 Market Row, Bristol. Employee: Jordan Ellis.
- 1. Job. Assistant Bakery Manager, reporting to the Bakery Manager. Main duties: supervising early shift staff, stock ordering, food safety records and opening the shop.
- 2. Start date. 1 April. No previous employment counts towards continuous service.
- 3. Place of work. The Bristol bakery. Occasional work at events with notice.
- 4. Hours. 40 hours a week, usually 5:00 to 13:30 with a 30-minute unpaid break, on a rota covering 5 days out of 7.
- 5. Pay. £29,000 a year, paid monthly in arrears by bank transfer, less tax and National Insurance.
- 6. Probation. 3 months. During probation, either side may end employment with 1 week's notice.
- 7. Holidays. 28 days a year including bank holidays. The holiday year runs January to December.
- 8. Sickness. Tell your manager before your shift. Statutory sick pay applies, plus any company sick pay in the handbook.
- 9. Pension. Auto-enrolment into the company pension scheme.
- 10. Confidentiality. Recipes, supplier prices and customer data stay confidential during and after employment.
- 11. Notice. After probation: 1 month from either side, or the statutory minimum if longer.
- 12. Company property. Keys, uniforms and equipment are returned on leaving.
- 13. Policies. Disciplinary, grievance and food safety procedures are in the staff handbook, which is not part of the contract.
- Still to decide
- • Overtime: paid, time off in lieu, or included in salary
- • Whether you need a short non-solicitation clause
- • Enhanced sick pay, yes or no
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the role, pay, hours, leave and location.
- Paste it into todo.is, or send it to your agent on WhatsApp. Attach the job description if you have one.
- Your agent checks local employment rules with links and writes the contract as a Word file.
- Decide the open points, ask for edits, and ask your agent to remember your company details for the next hire.
Tips for a better result
- Employment law sets minimums for leave, notice, pay and breaks. A contract that offers less is usually not enforceable on those points.
- Keep detailed rules (dress code, IT use, disciplinary steps) in a handbook, so you can update them without changing every contract.
- Be careful with non-competes. Many places limit or ban them for employees.
- Ask your agent for a matching offer letter and onboarding checklist from the same details.
- This is a draft, not legal advice. Have an employment lawyer or HR adviser review it for your country or state.
employee contract template: FAQ
- Is an employment contract required by law? It depends on the country. In the UK and EU, employers must give written terms. In most US states, employment is at will and a written contract is optional, but an offer letter is common.
- What is the difference between an employee and an independent contractor? Employees work under your direction, usually on your schedule, with taxes withheld. Contractors run their own business and control how they do the work. Getting it wrong can lead to tax penalties.
- How long should a probation period be? Three to six months is common. Some countries cap it by law, so check the rule where your employee works.
- Can my agent make the contract in another language? Yes. Your agent can write it in the employee's language or make a bilingual version. For official use, have a professional check the translation.
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