Yep you are in good hands.
All of our templates are drafted by a qualified Australian employment and commercial lawyer.

While they are designed to work across different industries, they are built from real
experience working with thousands of business owners.

We have seen what causes stress confusion and those quiet uh oh moments in hiring and
we have built these templates to help you avoid them. They are practical clear and designed
to support you not overwhelm you.

Not on their own and that is intentional.

Purchasing a template or downloading a free resource does not create a lawyer-client
relationship and it is not legal advice. This gives you the space to reflect make sure the template feels right for your circumstances and use it with confidence.

A lawyer-client relationship only begins if and when you formally engage Her Legal Edge for
legal services such as through a paid consult retainer or agreed scope of work.

If you ever want personalised advice, it is always there as an option.

Great question and you are definitely not the only one asking it.

Here is a simple way to think about it:

Casual Employment Agreement Award Covered
Use this when you are hiring a casual employee and the role is covered by a Modern Award.

Part Time or Full Time Employment Agreement Award Covered
Use this when you are hiring a permanent team member part time or full time under a
Modern Award.

Individual Flexible Agreement (IFA) Casual No Award
Use this when the role does not neatly fit into the Award system and/or is structured so the
employee is better off overall or involves specialist or non-traditional work on a casual basis.

Individual Flexible Agreement Part Time or Full Time No Award

Use this when the role sits outside the Award system or is structured so the employee is
genuinely better off overall under a tailored arrangement.

Individual Contractor Agreement
Use this when you are engaging an individual to provide services to your business rather
than hiring them as an employee.
It is important that the role is genuinely a contractor arrangement. If you are unsure
whether the person should be a contractor or an employee that is completely normal and
very common. If you would like extra clarity before you decide we recommend starting with
our Hiring Clarity Tool which is designed to gently guide you through the right questions
before you commit.

Subcontractor Agreement for Companies, Trusts or Partnerships
Use this when you are engaging another business such as a Pty Ltd company to provide
services.

If you are still unsure that is completely okay. The assessment tool exists to support you
before you lock anything in.

Yes absolutely.
Each purchase comes with a single user licence which means you can reuse the template as
many times as you like within your own business.

That includes current staff future hires
and growth as your business evolves.

The only thing to keep in mind is that templates are not for sharing reselling or using for other businesses.

Of course. That is exactly what they are designed for.

These are fill in the blanks templates and you will receive clear guidance on how to use them.

You are not expected to understand legal language or have everything figured out.
The structure is there to support you.

These templates are designed specifically for Australian businesses.

Employment law varies significantly between countries so if you are based overseas we recommend working with a lawyer in your country to prepare the right documents for you.

You do not have to, but they really help.
Your agreement sets the legal framework.

Policies and procedures support day-to-day
expectations behaviour and culture.

Together they help your business feel clearer calmer and more confident as you grow.

That is completely normal.

If you need additional clauses such as bonuses vehicles incentives or industry specific provisions or you simply want peace of mind you can formally engage Her Legal Edge for
personalised support.

Think of the templates as your strong starting point. Tailored advice is there when you need
the next layer.

Most businesses and employers will use an award covered employment agreement.

An award is a legal safety net that sets the minimum rules for employment in Australia. It tells you things like
• minimum pay rates
• penalty rates for evenings, weekends and public holidays
• overtime rules
• breaks and rostering
• minimum notice and termination rules

Each industry and job role has different awards, which is why choosing the correct award for your business is so important. If you are unsure which award applies, you can book a consult with us and we can help you identify the right one.

Even when an employee is covered by an award, we recommend that you still have a written employment agreement. Why? Because this is where you include all the important protections for your business like intellectual property, confidentiality, restraints, reputation, email and internet use and the real “business protection” clauses.

So where does an Individual Flexible Arrangement (IFA) fit in?

An IFA is used when you want to vary certain award rules, usually around pay and penalties.

For example, instead of tracking penalty rates and overtime, some businesses prefer to pay a higher all inclusive rate.

BUT there is a very important legal rule.

The employee must be Better Off Overall compared to the award.

This is called the BOOT test.

This means when Fair Work looks at the arrangement, the employee must be genuinely better off than if the award applied normally. This may include

• being paid well above the award rate (including penalties if they work weekends/ overtime)
• flexible working arrangements
• additional benefits not normally provided under the award

An IFA cannot exist without a written employment agreement confirming the arrangement. This is a legal requirement.

This is exactly why we are so passionate about providing proper employment agreements. If you are unsure whether you should be using an award covered agreement or an IFA, book a consult and we can help you choose the right structure for your business.

This is one of the biggest questions we get.

If you are unsure, we recommend using our Employee vs Contractor Hiring Tool to help you make the decision.

As a general guide:

Independent contractors
An independent contractor is their own business. They are not part of your business and they work independently.

They usually:
• Have their own ABN (must have this)
• Control how and when they work
• Provide services to multiple clients
• Invoice you for their work

We offer two types of contractor agreements because not all contractors operate the same way.

Contractor Agreement for Individuals
Use this when you are engaging a person directly.
Think sole traders, freelancers and individuals with an ABN who are not operating through a company.

Contractor Agreement for Companies, Trusts or Partnerships
Use this when the contractor operates through a business entity.
This agreement allows you to contract with the business while also binding the director or responsible person as a personal guarantor. This gives you stronger protection and accountability.

Employment Agreements
If the person is working in and as part of your business, you are likely hiring an employee. Think of this person as part of your team.

As an employer you will be responsible for superannuation and PAYG tax, but you can also:

• Control when, where and how they work
• Require them to follow your policies and procedures
• Direct and manage their day to day work
• Restrict them from working for competitors

Both contractor and employee agreements protect your confidential information and intellectual property. The key difference is the level of control and integration into your business.

If you are still unsure which agreement you need, our hiring tool will guide you

Both are employees. The difference comes down to certainty of hours and entitlements.

Casual employees
A casual employee does not have guaranteed or ongoing hours. Work is offered as needed and the employee can accept or decline shifts.

Casual employees receive a casual loading (usually 25 percent) instead of paid leave entitlements (if covered by an award)

This means casual employees generally do not receive:
• Paid annual leave
• Paid personal or sick leave
• Paid notice of termination
• Redundancy pay

Casual employment is designed for flexibility and irregular work patterns.

Part time employees
A part time employee is a permanent employee. They work regular, ongoing hours each week that are agreed in advance.

Because they are permanent, they receive entitlements on a pro rata basis, including:
• Annual leave
• Personal or sick leave
• Notice of termination
• Redundancy pay
• Other National Employment Standards entitlements

If you are offering regular, predictable hours, you should usually be using a part time employment agreement rather than a casual agreement.