Contracts lets you write templates once, fill them in for each person, send them for e-signature, and keep the signed PDF on file. It is on the Professional plan and above, and only admins can see and manage contracts.
Everything happens under People › Contracts, which has three tabs: Contracts, Templates and Settings.
Before you send your first contract
A banner, Complete setup to send contracts, appears on the Contracts tab until the required settings are filled in. Sending is blocked until they are.
Set your company's legal name and brand color
Go to Settings › Company. Fill in Legal Entity Name, and in the Jurisdiction, Fiscal Year & Brand card choose a Brand Colour other than the default blue. The legal name heads every contract and the color is used in the header of the PDF.
Choose who signs for the company
Go to People › Contracts › Settings. Under Standard Signatory, pick the employee who countersigns contracts; the countersign link goes to their email. If no employee should sign, choose No employee — use the fallback name/title below and fill in Fallback Signatory Name and Fallback Signatory Title. In that case, the countersign link goes to the Countersign Notify Email.
Add the finishing touches (optional)
On the same tab you can set a Company Logo URL and Contract Footer Text. Click Save Settings.
Templates
Templates hold the wording of your contracts. Open the Templates tab.
- New Template opens the editor. Give it a Template Name, a Category (for example Employment Contract, Offer Letter or Non-Disclosure Agreement) and a description. Tick Active (available for use) to offer it when creating contracts.
- Create from Wizard asks six questions and writes a draft template for you.
The example templates TimeLeaf provides are examples only, not legal advice. Have your own counsel check each contract before you use it.
Placeholders
Placeholders are filled in with the person's and company's details when you create a contract. In the editor, click Insert variable in the toolbar or type / to insert one. Insert clause from library adds a ready-made clause.
| Placeholder | Filled with |
|---|---|
{{employee_name}} | The employee's or candidate's name |
{{position_title}} | Job title |
{{department}} | Department |
{{start_date}} | Start date |
{{end_date}} | End date, for a fixed-term contract |
{{salary}} | Salary |
{{company_name}} | Your company name |
{{company_address}} | Your company address |
There are many more, including pay frequency, notice periods, probation, leave entitlements, benefits and hours per week. The variable picker lists them all.
Create a contract
Start a new contract
On the Contracts tab, click New Contract.
Pick a template
Choose a template, or Blank contract (Advanced) for a freeform contract.
Choose the recipient
Choose the employee (or, if you use Recruitment, a candidate). Enter the Contract title. Under Signing for the company, the standard signatory is preselected; pick someone else for this contract if needed.
Fill in the details
Fill in the variables the template asks for. FTE % is required: 100 is full time, 60 is three-fifths. For an employee, it starts from their current contract. TimeLeaf uses the FTE to work out part-time leave accrual, so check it.
Preview and send
Check the preview, then click Send for Signature, or Save Draft to send it later.
Signing
When you send a contract, the employee gets an email with a signing link that is valid for 30 days. On the signing page they:
- Confirm their identity with a 6-digit code emailed to them (valid for 15 minutes).
- Read the contract.
- Type their full name, which must match the name on the contract, and optionally draw a signature.
To send the link again, click Resend on the contract's row (shown while it is pending signature).
Countersigning
When the employee has signed, the company signatory gets an email with a countersign link, valid for 30 days. Once they sign, the contract is complete, and TimeLeaf produces a sealed PDF with a certificate of completion as its last page. If the countersign link was lost or has expired, click Re-send countersign link on the contract's row. It sends a new link, and the old one stops working.
Click Download PDF on any contract to get a copy.
Statuses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Created but not sent. You can still edit it. |
| Pending signature | Sent and waiting for the employee to sign. You can still edit it. |
| Employee signed | The employee has signed; waiting for the company to countersign. |
| Fully signed | Both sides have signed. The contract is in force. |
| Active / Signed | Also in force (contracts recorded outside the signing flow). |
| Replaced | A newer version has been fully signed and has taken over. |
| Revoked | Withdrawn by an admin. |
| Expired | Past its end date. |
Use the status filter and search on the Contracts tab to find contracts. You can tick several drafts and send them together, or tick several contracts and revoke them together.
Replace a contract
Use Replace contract for a pay rise, a role change or a renewal. It is offered on contracts that are in force.
Open Replace
Click Replace contract on the contract's row.
Describe the change
Choose a Replacement Type (Amendment, Replacement or Renewal) and enter a Reason.
Edit and send the new version
TimeLeaf creates a draft that copies every term of the current contract. Edit what changes and send it for signature.
The current contract stays in force, with all its terms, until the new version is fully signed. It is then marked Replaced, and it still governs until the day before the new contract starts. You can't start a second replacement while one is in progress.
Revoke a contract
Click Revoke on the contract's row and enter a reason. Revoking can't be undone. A person whose contract was revoked can't use the signing link any more; it shows that the contract has been revoked.
Contracts are kept
Signed contracts, their files and their history are kept as employment records. They stay in place when an employee is offboarded, and even when their personal details are erased (see GDPR & Compliance).