Contracts for Hiring New Employees & Contractors
Bringing someone on board? Cover confidentiality with an NDA, define the working relationship with a service agreement, and protect your business from day one, all in one place.
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Built for this exact use case
Not a generic template -- every clause is tailored to how hiring contracts agreements actually work.
Pre-hire confidentiality
Protect sensitive information shared during interviews and onboarding. Generate an NDA that covers trade secrets, client lists, and proprietary processes before any details are disclosed.
Clear scope and compensation
Define exactly what the role entails, responsibilities, deliverables, payment terms, and reporting structure. Prevent misunderstandings before work begins.
IP assignment from day one
Ensure all work product created by the new hire belongs to your company. Built-in intellectual property clauses cover code, designs, content, and inventions.
Jurisdiction-specific compliance
Select your state and get clauses that reflect local employment and contractor laws, non-compete enforceability, at-will provisions, and required disclosures.
How it works
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Frequently asked questions
- Should I have new hires sign an NDA before starting?
- Yes. An NDA should be signed before the employee or contractor accesses any confidential information, ideally during the offer process. This protects trade secrets, client data, and business strategies from being shared or used by competitors.
- What's the difference between a hiring contract and a service agreement?
- A hiring contract (or employment agreement) creates an employer-employee relationship with benefits, tax withholding, and ongoing obligations. A service agreement is for independent contractors, it defines a project scope and deliverables without an employment relationship. Using the wrong type creates legal and tax risks.
- Do I need separate contracts for employees and contractors?
- Absolutely. Employees and contractors have different legal classifications, tax obligations, and rights. Using the same contract for both can result in misclassification penalties, back taxes, and benefit liability. Each relationship needs its own properly structured agreement.
- What should a hiring NDA cover?
- At minimum: definition of confidential information, obligations of the receiving party, exclusions (public knowledge, independently developed information), duration of obligations, and consequences of breach. For employees, also include post-employment obligations and return-of-materials clauses.
- Can I combine an NDA and service agreement into one document?
- While possible, it's better practice to keep them separate. A standalone NDA can be signed earlier in the hiring process (even before terms are finalized), and separate documents are easier to enforce in court. Contract.DIY lets you generate both in minutes.
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