Employment Contracts & Workplace Agreements

Employment relationships work best when the rules are clear.

Clear, fair agreements that prevent problems later

At THAMS Law Group, we draft, review, and negotiate contracts that are compliant, practical, and tailored to the realities of your workplace. We serve employers, HR leaders and founders, as well as employees and executives who want confidence before they sign.

Employers and HR teams seeking robust contracts and risk management; founders building first-time frameworks; and employees or executives needing clear advice, negotiation support, or help resolving a contract issue.

Understanding employment contracts in Australia

A contract sets the foundation for the role, pay, hours, leave, confidentiality, IP, restraints, dispute processes and how the relationship can end. It also has to align with the Fair Work Act, the National Employment Standards, modern awards or enterprise agreements where they apply. Small wording choices can carry large commercial and legal consequences—our job is to make every clause work for you.

WHAT WE DO

Workplace agreements, Built to Protect Your Interests

Drafting & implementation

We build contracts that fit your business model and industry, not just the legislation. That means crystal‑clear role scope, remuneration and benefits, hours and flexibility, leave, confidentiality, IP ownership, restraint of trade, dispute steps, and termination mechanics, plus companion documents (policies, position descriptions, schedules) so the contract is anchored in day‑to‑day practice.

Contract reviews & negotiation

Before you sign, we explain, in plain English, what each clause means in practice, where the risks sit, and what to change. For employers, we provide tracked revisions and negotiation strategy.

For employees and executives, we focus on remuneration mechanics, bonuses/STI/LTI, notice and redundancy, restraints, IP, and post‑employment obligations, then negotiate a cleaner, safer deal.

Contractors, casuals & classification

Misclassification creates real exposure. We advise on contractor agreements vs employment, casual engagement and conversion, and how awards/enterprise agreements interact with your contracts, so your paperwork matches the reality of the work.

Restraints, confidentiality & IP

We design restraint, non‑solicit and confidentiality clauses that are reasonable and enforceable. For innovative or client‑heavy businesses, we also tighten IP ownership and moral rights to avoid disputes when people move on.

Incentives, bonuses & equity

We align contracts with incentive plans, bonuses, commissions, ESOP/options, so eligibility, vesting, clawback, and “good/bad leaver” settings are unambiguous and defensible.

Ending employment & settlement deeds

When relationships end, process matters. We guide employers on lawful terminations and genuine redundancies; and we help employees understand their options and entitlements. Where appropriate, we prepare or review Deeds of Release to finalise matters cleanly and protect both sides.

Clear, Commercial Employment Contracts That Work in Practice

At THAMS Law Group, we work with employers, HR teams, and employees to draft, review, and negotiate contracts that are fair, compliant, and commercially sound.

We start by understanding the role and its risks, reviewing what you have or what you’ve been offered, then delivering practical, plain-English documents with tracked changes and a clear advisory note. We handle negotiations, help you implement agreements and workplace policies, and provide fixed or capped fees wherever possible.

Our approach combines technical employment law expertise with calm, commercial judgement. You’ll get clear advice, agreements that stand up under pressure, and a responsive team that treats your matter as if it were our own, so you can hire, sign, manage, or exit with confidence.

FAQs

  • Yes. Awards set minimums—they don’t cover your specific role scope, IP, confidentiality, restraints, incentives, or how disputes will be handled. A tailored contract fills those gaps and reduces risk.

  • Key terms (role, pay, hours, location, bonuses) generally can’t be changed unilaterally. If changes are proposed, get advice before you agree—there are often safer ways to achieve the same operational outcome.

  • They can be, if they’re reasonable in scope, time and geography and protect a legitimate business interest. We draft “cascading” restraints for employers; for employees, we assess enforceability and negotiate fair limits.

  • It turns on the totality of the relationship (control, integration, ability to delegate, provision of tools, how payment works, and what the contract says). Getting this wrong risks backpay, penalties and tax issues. We structure engagements to match reality.

  • Strict ones. Some claims (like unfair dismissal) have short filing windows. If you’ve been terminated or offered a deed, get advice promptly so you don’t miss your options.

  • We can create a contract suite with role‑based schedules, a lightweight policy framework, and a simple playbook for HR and managers. That keeps hiring fast, compliant and consistent.