Church Employment Agreements

A critical step in the hiring process is creating a reliable and effective employment agreement. Having a well-crafted, thorough, and legally sound employment agreement is as important for churches and other non-profit organizations as it is for any other business entity. It’s important to ensure that your employment agreements protect the interests of your organization while also protecting your employees’ legal rights. Special considerations apply when drafting employment agreements for religious organizations.

The dedicated church employment attorneys at MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle have been helping Illinois religious institutions and non-profit organizations with legal issues surrounding employment for decades. We understand the unique needs of religious organizations and the challenges they face in staffing and responding to employee challenges. Contact our skilled church & non-profit law attorneys for assistance today in creating a church employment agreement.

Important Terms in Church Employment Agreements

Employment agreements for church employees typically include several items:

• Compensation
• Housing allowance if the employee is a pastor
• Insurance benefits
• Paid vacation, sick leave, parental leave, and similar benefits
• A job description
• A description of the church’s religious beliefs and staff values, and the employee’s agreement to abide by these beliefs and values
• Ownership of copyright and other intellectual property rights in the employee’s work
• Faith-based mediation of disputes

There are good reasons to utilize employment agreements for your religious organization. You can set the terms and expectations for employment, avoiding potential disputes down the line. You can provide security for your organization as well as for the employee, and ensure that all parties are on the same page about the job description, work requirements, and certain limitations.

Seasoned Legal Advice and Representation for Chicago Church Employment Agreements

For learned, effective assistance in creating employment agreements at your church or religious organization, contact the skilled Chicagoland non-profit attorneys at MacDonald, Lee & Senechalle, in Hoffman Estates at 847-310-0025, and in Des Plaines at 847-298-5030.