The employment contract, like any other contract, is an agreement between an employer and an employee that describes and establishes the conditions of employment. It is always advisable to be sure of what the contract says before signing and accepting the contract since once signed it is binding on both parties. A well-prepared employment contract is a statement of the capacity in which the employee is employed, covers and shows the name of the job, pay, assignments, hours of work, holidays, vacations, pension arrangements, and should reference the laws and company policies applicable to the employee.
More refinedly, an employment contract is defined as a labor agreement entered into voluntarily by the employer and the employee that stipulates and defines the conditions of employment. Most employment contracts are in writing, which makes them enforceable and governed by general contract law. This then means that any employment contract must be binding on both parties as well as valid. It means then that for the employment contract to be binding as the general law of contracts, there must be an offer, an acceptance and a proportionate consideration. In this case, the offer is the written letter of employment that is accepted by the employee and the consideration is the salary that the employer is willing to pay the employee.

IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTICS OF AN EMPLOYMENT CONTRACT:
A well written employment contract should include all of the following;
o Parties to the contract must be clearly indicated: The name and contact address of the employee being hired must be clearly indicated, as well as the name and address of the employer.
o The date of employment must be clearly indicated: The date of resumption of employment must be established in the employment contract. This will help to know when to start calculating the employee’s rights.
o Remuneration: The agreed salary must be stated in writing. The scale or method of calculating the remuneration must also be stated in writing. The payment interval should also be written, either biweekly or monthly depending on the company’s policy.
o Terms and conditions of work in relation to daily hours: the number of hours the employee is expected to put in per day should be clearly stated in the employment contract.
o Leave entitlements: the employee’s leave entitlement must be indicated, the number of days to which they are entitled, their leave assignment, other types of leave to which they may be entitled (sick leave, casual, etc.) .
o Pension rights: The employee’s pension rights, if any, must be clearly indicated.
o The title of the job: The title of the job being offered must be indicated. Job assignments should also be written.
o Confirmation: The number of months or years, as the case may be, that the employee will perform satisfactorily before his appointment is confirmed must be indicated.
o Disengagement: The number of days or months of notice required by any of the parties before the termination of the contract must also be written.

Once the employment contract has been established, the employer and the employer also have duties to perform in order to comply with the terms of the contract. In the case of the employee, he has to comply with all of the following;
o You have to do your job personally: The employer was hired to work and perform their duties themselves. So it means that according to the terms of the contract, he has to do his work and duties by himself.
o You have to comply with laws and company policies: For every organization, there are established rules and regulations, as well as policy guides that direct the affairs of the organization. The employee is bound by the employment contract to comply with the rules and regulations governing his employment contract. Failure to comply with any of this may result in dismissal or termination of appointment.
o The employee must not in any way compete with their employer. You must not have any interests that are contrary to those of your employer.
o Must behave well and correctly at all times. You must not participate in any action that is detrimental to the company. You must come to work early and behave well during office hours.
o You must be responsible to your employer for all assignments assigned to you during your term of employment.
o An employee must add value to his employer, which is the main reason for his employment. He should be able to demonstrate the skills he claimed to have prior to employment.

On the other hand, the employer has some duties to perform for the employee to make sure that the employment contract between them is upheld. The employer is expected to carry out the following;
o The employer is expected to pay the employee’s wages. As part of the employment contract, there is an amount that was agreed by both parties as salary for the employee. The employer is expected to pay such wages and on the due date.
o You must provide the necessary and required tools for the employee to be able to perform their duties effectively.
o The employer must also ensure that there is a conducive environment and good working conditions for the employee to perform their duties.
o The employer must also ensure safety and safe working conditions to avoid putting the employee at risk during their period of employment.
o The employee should be rewarded when they have performed well. You must also be motivated by the employer at all times. The employer should not view the employee as a slave, but as a partner in progress, because without the employee, the employer will not succeed.