CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
Introduction
Employment contracts and handbooks can be just as critical to review as salary when deciding whether to take a job offer. These contracts can limit your ability to work in other locations and may even eliminate your ability to sue the company if anything goes wrong. Many of these things are negotiable before accepting the position. Don't think that any sheet of paper placed in front of you must be signed without negotiation.
What Should I Review?
Before accepting a position, you should always ask to review any employee handbooks, rule books, or anything else you will be required to abide by, in addition to anything you must sign to accept the position. Many people fear that an employer will be turned off by this, but often times, the opposite is true: it shows that you are going to be an intelligent, forward-thinking employee who will not claim surprise when a company policy comes into play. In most situations, the worst-case scenario for requesting the info is that it has no effect on your chances at all because no one bats an eye at the request.
When Should I Request the Documents?
You can ask at any time, but often the employer will not provide any info until the decision to hire you has been made. Unless you have a compelling reason to move up the timetable, like a competing job offer, then I advise waiting until the position is offered to you.
Why Should I Contact a Lawyer?
Our team can often help you wade through the legal jargon of your contract for a small fee. The explanations of what rights you are waiving can be extremely useful when trying to determine which competing offers to take, or whether or not to take an offer at all. Lawyers can perform a salary analysis to see if the offer being made is what we normally see in your field. Finally, a lawyer can suggest areas where you may want to negotiate, ask questions, or express concerns over terms in the employee handbook and/or contract, and can even help you draft a letter to your potential employer going over these things.
We offer all of the above-mentioned services, and can even break these services up so you only pay for what you need. If you feel any of these services would be of benefit to you, contact us today to discuss your options.