To be sure that an employment agreement is viewed as a contract, at the beginning of the agreement, the employer should include a short section discussing the purpose of the contract (i.e., to offer employment to an individual in a certain position for a certain length of time).  The employer should also include a section wherein the employee acknowledges that he or she accepts the employer’s offer of employment. To avoid confusion and contention over an employee’s position, duties, and responsibilities, the employer should clearly state the employee’s title and should clearly delineate the employee’s main responsibilities. Other key terms of an employment agreement are provisions that state the length of the contract as well as the employee’s compensation and benefits.  The parties should evaluate the appropriate length of a contract by analyzing the nature of the position and the skills needed to execute the duties and responsibilities of the position.  The parties should also address the criteria for extending the period of the contract and what should occur if the contract expires but the employee remains employed with the company.  An employer should also set forth the benefits for which the employee will be eligible and should also state which benefits the employee will be eligible to retain should the parties’ employment relationship terminate. Finally, both parties must be sure to include a provision stating that the employment agreement represents and contains the entire agreement.