Salary and bonuses:
Ensure that the salary and pay date stated on the contract is the one you negotiated. Any additional incentives and perks such as paid bonuses, health benefits and travel expenses should be mentioned in the contract if negotiated with.

Period of employment:
The start to end date of employment should be stated on your contract, unless it is a permanent contract.

Termination:
Your contract should prepare for an orderly parting of ways by clearly stating the conditions around which the contract may be terminated by either party.

Working hours:
Daily time period or “office hours” should be clearly stated in your contract as well as where your work should typically take place will also be stated. If your job is likely to involve overtime, the contract should include how the rules including overtime work.

Holidays and leave:
The contract should include the following:

• How many days of vacation you are allowed to have.
• When your holiday can start.
• When you are expected to take your ‘main holiday’, or the bulk of your time off.
• Whether you can carry any days over to the next year (and how many).
  Your company may offer additional holiday or have some requirements regarding when your time off is used. Sick leave may impact other areas of your agreement, such as termination, working hours and notice period, the process of informing your employer about your illness will often be stated in your contract too.

Policies, restrictive clauses and rights (competition, confidentiality, and intellectual property)
Restrictive clauses often take effect after the termination of employment and are important for employers because they protect the business, its clients, and other employees. There are four types of these: non-competition, non-solicitation, non-dealing, and non-poaching clauses. Knowing these terms and what they entail is important because they might restrict you when taking jobs in future:

• Non-competition clauses may limit your ability to work for a competitor of your former employer.
• Non-solicitation clauses prevent you from poaching clients and suppliers of your former employer.
• Non-dealing clauses prevent former employees from dealing with former customers and suppliers.
• Non-poaching clauses prevent former employees from poaching former colleagues.

Equipment:
Your contract should disclose what equipment should be provided to you such as computer, phone, or other devices and tools for example. Should equipment not be mentioned in your contract, seek assurances for what equipment you are allowed to have. Your responsibilties regarding this equipment should be outlined in the agreement between you and your employer.

Default Regulations:
This makes you understand what should happen to you should you fail to perform your duties, but also what legal recourse you might have if someone else fails to perform their duties.

Key dates:
Timelines, deadlines, and any other important dates should be clearly stated in your contract. It’s essential that you are aware of what these dates are and that you are confident that the schedule works for you.

Look for blank spaces:
Blank spaces could potentially mean that the contract is incomplete and could result in a contract that is not legally sound or information which you could not agree with.

SOURCE: https://www.businessinsider.com/5-important-things-to-do-before-signing-any-work-contract?amp
businessinsider.com
Lawrence M. Pearson Mar 11, 2020, 9:05 AM