Guidelines for making an employment contract

An employment contract may be made orally, electronically or manually. A written employment contract is always recommended to prevent disputes later on.

You should always read an employment contract carefully before signing it. If there is something in the contract you do not understand, ask the person who wrote the contract. The important terms of employment which affect the employee should be included in the contract. If necessary, you can ask a specialist at your trade union to look at the contract before you sign it.

Employment contracts contain a lot of job-specific details. There is no single contract model for everyone. However, the more precisely the contract spells out your duties and how they are performed, as well as the other terms of employment, the more limited your employer’s rights to deviate from them are. Below is a list of what an employment contract should include as a minimum.

Employment contract checklist

• Parties to the employment contract (name, personal identification number or business ID, domicile or place of business, contact details)
• Employment start date
• Duration of employment:
  1) valid until further notice (permanent) or
  2) for a fixed term: employment end date and grounds for fixed-term contract
• Probationary period
• Regular working hours (duration and start and end times)
• Duties and place of work (if necessary, with the reason for the employee’s work in various places)
• Salary, calculation method and salary period
• Annual leave accumulation
• Notice period or basis for calculating notice period
• Applicable collective bargaining agreement or, if none applies, optional reference to the salary recommendations and employment terms used in the sector
• Other terms (such as evening, Saturday and Sunday pay, and non-compete clause)
• Date and signature
• Employment contract terms

If the employer is not bound by any collective bargaining agreement, things such as holiday bonus and pay during sick leave must be agreed separately in writing.

By signing an employment contract, the parties agree to commit to its terms. After that, the parties can only change the terms if there are grounds for terminating the contract, or by specifically negotiating changes. Once a contract is signed, it is binding. Do not sign anything you do not understand, approve or is open to interpretation.

See our recommendations for salaries and employment terms in the art and culture sector here.

Model contracts

An agreement for art services and workshops:

Agreement form for art services and workshops.