Negotiating Employment Contracts
Negotiating Employment Contracts: Getting You a Better Deal
We have reviewed hundreds of employment contracts over the years. Some are fair; some are not. Lawyers at the MacLeod Law Firm can tell you which clauses in the contract are not fair in your circumstances and why. If you wish, we can negotiate changes in the initial job offer on your behalf.
Every contract negotiation is different. Here are five of the numerous of issues that can be negotiated:
- Start date – You may be required to provide notice of resignation to your current employer. If you do not provide enough notice then your current employer can bring a wrongful resignation action against you. (For more information, see here.)
- Probationary period – If you are leaving secure employment then do you really want to give your new employer the power to terminate your employment shortly after hiring you without any notice?
- Employee benefits – If you are covered under a spouse’s benefit plan then you may not want to join an employer’s benefit plan. On the other hand, if benefit coverage is important to you then there are changes you can propose to enhance your rights in this area.
- Non-solicitation – If you are a sales person or a customer facing employee and you are joining a competitor then you may need to amend this clause to protect yourself from litigation from your current employer. (For more information, see here.)
- Termination pay – This is usually the most important clause to review. You need to know what it means. If the employer really wants to hire you then you may be able to negotiate significant improvements to this clause. About 18 months ago, we helped an employee negotiate a change to a termination clause. She was recently terminated. Under the original offer of employment she would have received 2 weeks termination pay. Under the amended offer, she received 6 months termination pay. The difference was more than $50,000.
It usually takes one of our lawyers about an hour to review an employment contract and provide you with our preliminary comments.
If you have been offered employment and asked to sign an employment contract, and you want to speak with an employment lawyer with experience in this area, contact us at [email protected] or 1-888-640-1728 (toll free) or 647-633-9894 (within the GTA).
The material and information in this blog and this website are for general information only. They should not be relied on as legal advice or opinion. The authors make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of any information referred to in this blog or its links. No person should act or refrain from acting in reliance on any information found on this website or blog. Readers should obtain appropriate professional advice from a lawyer duly licensed in the relevant jurisdiction. These materials do not create a lawyer-client relationship between you and any of the authors or the MacLeod Law Firm.
Recent Posts
Recent Posts
Justice for Unionized Employees
Unionized employees often seek our advice regarding human rights issues in their workplace. Sometimes this is because human rights violations have occurred and the union is not assisting them. Other times, the union itself may be part of the problem. The rights of...
Employee Entitlements Upon Termination
Termination is a stressful experience for any employee. An employee who has been fired needs to understand what their employer owes them, and what their employer is offering them. When employers do not make this clear, additional damages could be due to the employee....
Notice of Termination: Appeal Court Weighs in
When terminated, an employee should generally receive reasonable notice of termination or pay instead of notice. This is unless the employee has signed a contract that contains an enforceable termination clause (which we’ve written about here). The calculation of the...