A Utah employment contract outlines the terms and conditions of employment. It ensures that both the employer and the employee understand what is required of them. An employment contract outlines how much the employer will pay the employee, the duties of the employee, the employment period, and how to terminate the employment.
In Utah, a contract follows common law principles, meaning it must have elements like an offer, acceptance, and consideration [1] .
- Laws: Title 34A
- Definition of Employee: According to Utah Labor Code § 34A-2-104, an employee is an individual in service of an employer. It doesn’t include anyone whose employment is casual or anyone whose employment isn’t in the employer’s usual course of business.
By Type (4)
Independent Contractor Agreement
Defines the relationship between a contractor and a client.
Subcontractor Agreement
Outlines the degree of collaboration between a subcontractor and a contractor.
Non-Compete Agreement
Protects the employer's confidential information.
Non-Disclosure Agreement
Creates a legal framework to maintain the confidentiality of shared business knowledge.
Hiring in Utah
You need to know the labor laws in Utah before writing a Utah employment contract.
At-Will Employment
Utah is an at-will employment state. There are also exceptions to the at-will employment rules.
Exceptions
- Public Policy: Yes
- Implied Contract: Yes
- Good-Faith Exception: Yes
Minimum Wage ($/hr)
Utah doesn’t have a state-mandated minimum wage, so employers default to the federal minimum wage. Employers under the Fair Labor Standards Act must pay employees the current federal minimum wage of $7.25/hour [2] .
Child Labor
In Utah, employment certificates are not required. Age certification is also not required. However, on request, an age certificate must be provided for minors under 18 [3] .
Payday
Employers must pay employees on at least a semi-monthly basis in Utah. However, employees on a yearly salary can be paid on a monthly basis [4] .
Meal and Rest Breaks
Utah does not have any requirements for minimum paid rest or meal periods.
Recordkeeping Requirements
Utah employers must retain payroll records that have employees’ names, dates of birth, addresses, wages paid, and hours worked for at least three years [5] . Some other recordkeeping requirements include:
- Unemployment Insurance: 3 years
- Discrimination: 6 months or until the final disposition of the complaint
Sample
Download a Utah employment contract template below in PDF or Word format.
