Practical guides

China employment guides
for international employers.

Hiring, policies, contract renewals and employment exits. Practical decisions, supporting records and official legal sources.

China employment contract checklist for foreign employers

Identify the employer, agree the essential terms and build a signing process before a new hire starts work in China.

Probation is not an at-will period. Check the agreed dates, hiring conditions, evidence and legal ground before giving notice.

Translation alone is not enough. Review local terms, employee participation, communication and evidence of the version in force.

Check the full contract history, open-ended employment rights and the 2025 rules on extensions and continued work.

Review access to confidential information, the proportionality of restrictions and the payment arrangements before enforcing a non-compete.

Review the legal grounds and process before calculating severance.

Record the deadlines, separate the claims and organize the evidence.

Understand the limits of a waiver or a cash allowance.