Updated on December 21st, 2021

A New Hampshire employment contract is an agreement between an employer and an employee that outlines the terms of employment that the employee accepts when they are hired. The document will define the employee’s status as an “at-will” employee or a contracted worker with a fixed termination date.

If the worker is self-employed, they will be hired as an independent contractor and be responsible for paying income tax for their self-employment income. Unlike independent contractors, employees are often entitled to benefits such as paid leave, vacation time, medical insurance, commissions, and bonuses.

By Type (2)
- Independent Contractor
- Subcontractor
Laws
At-Will Employment
Employer Resources

Types (2)

Independent Contractor Agreement – A work contract to be used when an independent contractor is hired by a client.

Download: PDF, Word (.docx), OpenDocument

Subcontractor Agreement – A work contract to be used when a subcontractor is hired to work on a larger contract.

Download: PDF, Word (.docx), OpenDocument

Laws

Labor Statutes: Title XXIII (Labor)
Definition of Employee: § 281-A:2(VI)
Minimum Wage: Federal Min. Wage – $7.25/hr (§ 279:21, 29 U.S.C. § 206)
Overtime: Federal min. wage: one and a half (1.5) times the standard rate (§ 279:21(2)(b), 29 U.S.C. § 207(a)(1)).
Record Keeping: Employers must keep employee records for at least three (3) years. Employees must be given access to their record; employers may charge an access fee (§ 275:56, § 279:27).

At-Will Employment

Permitted? Yes. In New Hampshire, employers are permitted to terminate “at-will” employees at any time for any lawful reason. State and federal law prohibit firing employees for the following reasons.