An Alabama employment contract is a written agreement between an employer and their new employee to relay the position’s terms and conditions. By signing the form, the employee accepts the terms by which they were hired, including their pay, job title, benefits, obligations, expenses, and time off.
The form can be used for hiring employees with a known start and end date, or to hire someone indefinitely (known as “at-will” employment). It is important to note that an employee’s at-will status does not override the contents of the agreement. For example, if the employer includes a provision that guarantees a set employment term should they hit a certain number of sales, they cannot fire the employee for just any reason after the employee reaches their goal.
Contents |
Types (2)
Independent Contractor Agreement – Used to hire a self-employed professional.
Download: PDF, Word (.docx), OpenDocument
Subcontractor Agreement – Specifies the services a subcontractor will perform for the general/prime contractor that hired them.
Download: PDF, Word (.docx), OpenDocument
Laws
- Labor Statutes: Title 25
- Definition of Employee: § 25-4-7
- Minimum Wage: Federal Min. Wage – $7.25/hr (29 U.S.C. § 206)
- Overtime: Not mentioned in state statutes.
- Record Keeping: Employers must keep and retain records (as necessary) to ensure they comply with ch. 4 (§ 25-4-116).
At-Will Employment
Permitted? Yes, Alabama allows employers to terminate employees for nearly any reason, at any time, unless there is an agreement in place that says otherwise. However, at-will employment cannot be terminated for the following reasons:
- Being summoned for jury duty (§ 12-16-8.1(a));
- Election duties (§ 17-8-13(a));
- Age discrimination (§ 25-1-21);
- Filing for worker’s compensation (§ 25-5-11.1);
- Filing a withholding order (§ 30-3-70); or
- Opposing an unlawful practice or participating in legal action against the employer (§ 25-1-28).