When to use this template
- You are hiring for a job that is part of the company's normal, ongoing activity: administration, sales, accounting, production.
- You are taking on your first employee and want a written contract that sets out the job, pay and hours clearly.
- You are turning a fixed-term job into a permanent one: the CDI replaces the CDD at its end.
- You want to put an employment relationship that has already started into writing.
Clauses to get right
| Clause | Why it matters | Advice |
|---|---|---|
| Job and duties (art. 3) | It defines what the employer may ask | A precise job title and a list of main tasks, not a catalogue |
| Trial period (art. 5) | During the trial, either party may end the contract on the legal terms | Set a length suited to the job, within the limit set by law and the collective agreement |
| Working time (art. 6) | It is the basis for calculating overtime | State days and hours, within the legal working time |
| Pay (art. 7) | The clause most often disputed | Gross base salary and each bonus with how it is calculated; never below the SNMG |
| Termination (art. 14) | It sets out notice and the framework for dismissal | Use the notice period in your collective agreement |
What the law and the collective agreement decide for you
The contract cannot take away a right the employee has under the law or the collective agreement. Law No. 90-11 and its implementing texts govern, among other things, the maximum length of the trial period, legal working time, annual leave, overtime and grounds for dismissal. Pay may not be below the SNMG (national guaranteed minimum wage), set by decree. If your company is covered by a sector collective agreement, read it before filling in durations: it may be more favourable to the employee than the law.
After signing
- 1
Give the employee a copy
Each party keeps a signed original. Attach the internal rules if the company has them.
- 2
Register the employee with the CNAS
The employer registers the employee with the CNAS (social insurance fund for salaried workers) on hiring, within the legal deadline, then declares and pays contributions. For a first employee, the company must first register as an employer.
- 3
Set up payroll
Issue a payslip every month and keep proof of payment of salaries and contributions.
- 4
Follow the trial period
Review progress with the employee before the trial ends. If you decide to end it, do so in writing before it expires and on the legal terms.
Common mistakes
- Letting the employee start without a written contract: in a dispute, it becomes hard to prove the agreed job, pay or trial period.
- Stating a “net” salary without the gross figure: contributions and deductions are calculated from gross pay.
- Copying a trial period from elsewhere without checking the limit for the job category.
- Adding a non-compete clause copied from a foreign template: it restricts the employee's freedom to work and should be drafted by a lawyer.
- Changing pay or duties verbally: every change goes through a written amendment (article 13).
- Not registering the employee with the CNAS during the trial: registration is due from the hiring date.
A first hire also raises the question of where the employee will work. If your company uses a domiciliation address, a private office gives the employee a desk: at Neuron Cowork in Dely Brahim, 15,000 DA per month unfurnished or 20,000 DA furnished, with internet, electricity, cleaning, coffee machine and printer included.
Private office
A closed office on the 3rd floor in Dely Brahim. Internet, electricity, cleaning, coffee machine and printer included.
- Unfurnished: 15,000 DA a month
- Furnished: 20,000 DA a month
- Meeting room: 5,000 DA a day
15,000 DA/ month
Two ways to get it done
Do it yourself with this guide, or hand us the whole setup file.
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Everything you need is on this page: documents, deadlines, a filled-in example.
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We follow every setup step: 50,000 DA for a sole trader, 60,000 DA for a company, 10,000 DA less if your address is with Neuron.
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