When to use a contract vs. a legal document in CrewPlanner

Understand when best to use contracts or legal documents for efficient workforce management and their differences.

Key differences between contracts and legal documents

• Contracts are project and shift-specific and are created for every new shift, however you decide when to send them to your employees. You create contract layouts using templates and you can set them to require a signature or not.

  Examples: Event staff agreements, freelance work for specific projects.

• Legal documents cover long-term agreements or compliance matters. They always require a signature and are sent to the employees as soon as a legal document has been created. Legal documents can be created using a template containing code or by uploading a document.

  Examples: Company policies, framework contracts, internal memos.

Contracts are project and shift-specific and are created for every new shift, however you decide when to send them to your employees. You create contract layouts using templates and you can set them to require a signature or not.

Examples: Event staff agreements, freelance work for specific projects.

Legal documents cover long-term agreements or compliance matters. They always require a signature and are sent to the employees as soon as a legal document has been created. Legal documents can be created using a template containing code or by uploading a document.

Examples: Company policies, framework contracts, internal memos.

Contracts: when to use them

Use contracts for each new project or shift to outline specific job details.

Contracts in CrewPlanner are generated for each project and shift, outlining shift hours, wages, job roles, and project expectations, determined by the keyword codes used on the contract template. These contracts are crucial for managing temporary or project-based workers.

Use case: shift-based contracts

Contracts are ideal for hiring employees for specific projects or temporary roles. A new contract is created for each shift and can contain relevant information specifically for that shift.

Example: A catering company hires staff for a one-day event. The contract can include the role, working hours, and pay for that event.

CrewTip! For permanent employee agreements, legal documents are better suited.

Legal documents: when to use them

Legal documents cover broad agreements and policies that apply across multiple projects or the employee's entire tenure.

Legal documents in CrewPlanner serve for agreements or policies that apply beyond a single project. These include framework contracts, labour regulations, or internal communications, signed once and valid for future use.

Use case 1: framework contracts

Framework contracts apply to employees working across multiple projects. They are signed once and cover all future projects under the same general terms.

Example: An independent contractor works on several projects over six months. A framework contract outlines the overall terms, eliminating the need for new contracts for each project.

Use case 2: labour regulations & policies

Legal documents are also used for mandatory company policies, safety procedures, or labour regulations. Employees sign these once, and they remain valid until an update is needed.

Example: A company issues a new safety regulation, and employees must sign a legal document to confirm compliance with the updated standards.

We hope this has helped you!

If you still have questions, take a look at our Crew Academy first. You might find the answer in one of our articles.