Illinois Pre-Employment Agreements Lawyer

Before a prospective employee is on your payroll, you have little control over their actions. When hiring someone for a well-qualified position, you may need to entice them with a peek behind the curtains, letting them in on just what your company does, what the position entails, and why your company is an attractive option for them. Both to protect your interests during that process and to lay the groundwork for the ultimate employment contract, it’s helpful to get a few things in writing.

The pre-employment agreement attorneys at MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle will help you protect your company, your finances, your trade secrets, and your reputation from day one of a prospective employee’s tenure. With a pre-employment agreement, whether you are an employee or an employer, all parties know what to expect, where their responsibilities lie, and how each party is protected throughout the hiring process. Our Chicagoland business and employment law attorneys help employees and employers alike negotiate the terms of pre-employment agreements, draft contracts that will hold up in court, and enforce the terms of those agreements where necessary.

Common Pre-Employment Agreement Terms

Although Illinois is an at-will employment state, employment contracts are becoming more common across all industries. Employment agreements, including pre-employment job offer letters, protect both employees and employers from unexpected situations, conflicts, and potential liabilities down the line.

Job offer letters are essentially condensed employment agreements that set the basic terms of the job, often to coax a prospective employee into leaving their current job for the new position. Having an agreement in writing sets expectations for all parties involved, protecting the company and the prospective employee alike.

Common terms that our pre-employment agreement attorneys help negotiate and draft include:

● The nature of the position being offered
● The terms of acceptance
● Compensation to be paid, including salary, benefits, options, etc.
● The terms of employment (e.g., temporary vs. permanent)
● Specific benefits such as paid time off and how those dates accrue
● The responsibilities of both parties concerning the work to be performed
● Relocation and training, including who fronts the costs and whether they will be repaid
● Agreeing that the terms can be modified in the future, including upon signing the full employment agreement
● Non-disclosure agreements concerning trade secrets and other corporate matters
● Agreement for the employee to be bound by the employee handbook and other company rules, even if they have yet to see those terms
● Agreement to arbitrate employment disputes or to engage in other alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation
● Agreement not to discuss employment disputes upon settlement
● Confidentiality agreement
● Non-compete agreement and non-solicitation agreement, should the employee be hired
A seasoned pre-employment agreement attorney at MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle can help ensure that you consider all possibilities and legal tools available to protect your interests at all stages of employment. The pre-employment negotiations set the stage for the final employment contract, which, in turn, protects you should the employee resign or be terminated for any reason. Protect yourself and your business from day one of a new hire’s tenure with help from a thorough Chicagoland employment law attorney.

Call Today For Seasoned Advice and Representation Regarding Illinois Pre-Employment Agreements

Negotiating and drafting an agreement is only half the battle. You need to make sure your employment agreements are actually enforceable. To ensure that your rights remain protected by the contract you sign and that the employment agreement will stand up in a court of law, contact a pre-employment agreement lawyer from MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle. We’ll help you negotiate, draft, review, and execute your Illinois employment contracts and pre-employment agreements. Call us in Hoffman Estates at 847-310-0025, and in Des Plaines at 847-298-5030.