[cherylbooksun]

My client wants to have written contracts with the minimum wage employees, is this necessary? Would an employee handbook be enough? Do you have any samples of employee contracts?
Thanks, Cheryl

[Chrissy Scivicque]

Hi Cheryl,
Unfortunately, we don't provide legal documents such as contracts. You really need to work with a lawyer to draw something up. Or perhaps check out a legal document website such as LegalZoom. As far as your question about "is it necessary?" I'm not quite sure what the contracts are for so I don't know. If the client is asking for it though, you probably want to find some way to meet the request and address his/her concern.

[Jodith]

You'll want to get input from an HR attorney about any provisions the client wants to put on his employee contracts. Even if the employee signs the contract, it might not be legally binding if the law doesn't support them. Certain clauses like non-compete agreements are pretty much impossible to enforce for minimum wage employees. Things like confidentiality clauses, though, are supported. Requiring the employee to work for a certain length of time is also not enforceable in most states. Advise him to get good counsel to review any contracts he wants employees, especially entry level employees, to sign.

Usually contracts aren't used except for higher level employees. If what he's looking at are things like paying for uniforms and whatnot, having the employee sign a copy of the policy is usually coverage enough.

[deana79]

I agree with Jodith, you would want to get input from an HR attorney. At my company, each employee, hourly/salary/minimum wage/or not, is required to sign an acknowledgement form that they received and read the employee handbook. We also must sign a confidentuality agreement.