More often than not, employment contracts are lawfully mandated in many countries the world over, and require a legal counsel’s review to make sure they contain provisions that are applicable by laws. In addition to compensation and benefits, and being paid for the knowledge you bring to the table, the terms and agreement in a contract can make an offer more appealing or otherwise. At times, they can even be detrimental to your career. Read on to discover the elements you should look for in your contract to help you decide to give a thumbs up or turn down an offer.

You must understand that contracts are designed specific to your tasks and responsibilities so that it is often unique to a certain position in a given department. However, there are general terms and conditions that are legally due to every employee, which you should be aware of through your contract. Look for these in your contract of employment:

• Job description – make sure that the document describes your understanding of the kind of workload you will be undertaking.
• Offer – includes the start date, compensation, and the things you will be doing during your entire tenure up to the applicable period.
• Probationary/Contractual period
• Hours of work
• Sick pay
• Maternity/paternity leave
• Holiday entitlement pay
• Details of notice period
• Rate and method of pay including any bonus structure
• Any pension provision

Also see if any verbal agreements mentioned to you in the interviewer are stated in the contract. If not, do not hesitate to ask your new employer about them. As a legal document, all contracts of employment should contain true and correct information written in a manner that states the agreements between you and your employer, and which will serve as the backbone of succeeding employment agreements while you are employed in the organization.