Employment Agreement Format and Online eSign
Send employment agreements to new hires and have both sides sign with Aadhaar OTP, from anywhere. ₹15 per signature.
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The basics
What is an Employment Agreement?
An employment agreement (or employment contract) is the detailed contract between an employer and an employee that sets out the terms of the job. Where an offer letter is a short summary of the role and pay that the candidate accepts, the employment agreement is the full rulebook: duties, working hours, compensation and benefits, probation, leave, notice period, termination, confidentiality, intellectual property, non-solicitation and how disputes are handled.
In India there is no single law that requires a written employment agreement for every role, but most organisations use one for salaried staff because it prevents misunderstandings and is the first document anyone looks at when there is a disagreement. Its terms must still respect the laws that apply to the employee, such as the Shops and Establishments Act of the state, the Payment of Gratuity Act, the Employees' Provident Funds Act and the new labour codes as they come into force. Clauses that try to go beyond what the law allows, such as a blanket ban on working for a competitor after leaving, may not be enforceable.
Employment Agreement
Sample PDF
Digitally Signed
via Aadhaar eSign
Who uses SignYu for employment agreements?
Built for Indian professionals who care about speed, cost, and legal validity.
HR teams
Get employment agreements signed by new hires before day one, without printing and couriering contracts.
Startups
Put clear terms on IP, confidentiality and notice periods in place from the first hire, signed by both sides.
Staffing and payroll firms
Issue contracts to large numbers of contract and full-time staff and track who has signed.
Employees
Sign your contract from your phone and keep a verifiable signed copy of your terms.
How it works
From upload to signed PDF in under 2 minutes.
Finalise the agreement as a PDF
Prepare the agreement with the employee's details and terms. Attach an e-stamp certificate first if your state charges stamp duty on agreements. Export to PDF.
Add the employer signatory and the employee
Upload the PDF to SignYu and add the authorised signatory and the employee with their names, mobile numbers and emails.
Both sign with Aadhaar OTP
Each signer gets a link and signs with an OTP on their Aadhaar-linked mobile. Both receive the signed agreement by email.
eSign your employment agreement now
Drop the PDF, add your signer, done in 2 minutes. Employer + employee = ₹30.
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Essential clauses to include
Make sure your employment agreement includes these before you sign.
Employment Agreement format (sample)
A short outline of a standard employment agreement. Have a lawyer review the final draft for senior roles or unusual terms.
Employment agreement outline
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT This Employment Agreement is made on [DD/MM/YYYY] at [City] between: [Company Name], a company incorporated under the Companies Act, having its registered office at [Address] (the "Company"), represented by [Signatory's Name, Designation]; and [Employee's Full Name], residing at [Address] (the "Employee"). 1. POSITION AND DUTIES The Employee is appointed as [Designation], reporting to [Manager's Designation], and will perform the duties described in Schedule A and other reasonable duties assigned. 2. START DATE AND PROBATION Employment starts on [date]. The first [number] months are a probation period, after which the Employee will be confirmed in writing. 3. COMPENSATION Annual CTC of Rs. [amount], paid monthly as set out in Schedule B, subject to statutory deductions. 4. WORKING HOURS AND LEAVE [Working days and hours]. Leave as per the Company's leave policy and applicable law. 5. CONFIDENTIALITY The Employee will keep confidential all non-public information of the Company during and after employment. 6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY All work created by the Employee in the course of employment belongs to the Company. 7. NON-SOLICITATION For [number] months after leaving, the Employee will not solicit the Company's employees or clients using its confidential information. 8. TERMINATION After confirmation, either party may terminate with [number] days' written notice or salary in lieu of notice. The Company may terminate immediately for misconduct. 9. GOVERNING LAW This Agreement is governed by the laws of India, and the courts at [City] have jurisdiction. For [Company Name] Employee ____________________ ____________________ [Signatory's Name, Designation] [Employee's Full Name]
Common mistakes to avoid
What goes wrong when employment agreements are signed the traditional way.
Relying only on an offer letter when the role needs detailed IP and confidentiality terms
Copying a foreign template with clauses that do not work under Indian labour law
Including a broad non-compete after employment, which is generally unenforceable in India
Leaving notice periods, probation and leave unclear, which causes disputes at exit
Not getting the employee's signature before they start work
Legally valid under Indian law
An employment agreement is a contract under the Indian Contract Act 1872 and can be signed with Aadhaar eSign under Section 3A of the IT Act 2000. Whether it attracts stamp duty depends on your state's Stamp Act: some states charge a small fixed duty on agreements generally, so many employers execute employment agreements on e-stamp paper of a nominal value. Check the rule for the state where the agreement is executed. The agreement does not need to be registered or notarised. Its clauses must comply with the labour laws that apply to the employee, and restrictive clauses such as broad post-employment non-competes may not be enforceable in India even when signed.
Reference: Section 3A, IT Act 2000; Indian Contract Act 1872
Important note
Stamp duty on agreements varies by state. This page is general information, not legal advice for a specific contract.
Pricing
Employer + employee = ₹30
No subscription. No minimums. Credits never expire.
See full pricing detailsFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between an offer letter and an employment agreement?
Is an eSigned employment agreement legally valid in India?
Does an employment agreement need stamp paper?
Who should sign the employment agreement for the company?
Are non-compete clauses enforceable in India?
How much does it cost to eSign an employment agreement?
Related documents
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