A Muscatine, Iowa employment contract is an agreement where the employer and employee each intend to legally bind the other to specificed conditions in the work relationship. Iowa contracts are mostly negotiable since both employer and employee benefit from an agreement that is tailored to their particular work setting. Employment contracts specifying a period of employment provide employees with some measure of job security if conditions are satisfied. They further permit the employer to directly control employee productivity to some degree.

Common Terms in Iowa Employment Contracts

Job descriptions, wage levels, length of time of employment (or more likely, at will employment), and grounds for promotion or termination are usually included in the majority of Iowa employment contracts. Please note, however, that contracts can contain other less common clauses. First, for instance, an arbitration clause may require the parties to forgo the right to sue in the event of an employment dispute.

Also, the procedures for ending employment can be stated in a "termination clause". Courts may hold an employer who violates such clauses liable for wrongful termination. Thirdly, non-compete clauses and confidentiality clauses make the information or work obtained or completed by contract employees subject to specific rules.

How Can a Muscatine Lawyer Help?

Lawyers in Muscatine who specialize in Iowa employment laws can assist you in determining what employment contracts contain. A lawyer can also lend counsel about what is fair to you in the contract, and can negotiate specific terms that will address your individual concerns as you enter or leave employment.