Yeah, PGA has a point. You can pay them for their services, but don't go with the contract. You can spell out, on paper even, expectations (like a job description), but don't have them sign anything official. Having paid section leaders, etc is a great idea, but for reasons mentioned above, having contracts is more hassle than it's worth.

OR320,
My only suggestion/questions centers around "Has the (arch)diocesan Human Resources Office been formally contacted and any/all pertinent documents and policies been reviewed between parish officials and chancery staff?"

I'm confused about why hiring them as employees means they have to have a contract.

Sheesh- the written contract is for the protection of both parties. It's pretty sad to think of a world in which someone considers it safer to wait till the 30th time a singer comes late and unprepared than to spell out their professional obligations at the beginning. And someone who's already gotten away with that is still more likely to make trouble.

Any contract is better than no contract. If it is a professional arrangement, a contract is best for both parties. Just make sure that both parties agree to the terms. Black and White is very similar to Red and Black.

Please enlighten me. What is red and black? I've never heard that before.

kenstb

Do the red, say the black.

Actually, I had it backwards. It's "Say the black, do the red."

If your Pastor were hypothetically evil enough to give you cause to walk out on Holy Saturday, there would be nothing at all preventing him from also alleging that you understood the customary 30 days notice applied and suing you for breach anyway.

1. I think it's understood by anyone in the workforce that it is generally unprofessional and unacceptable to simply walk off the job, even when it's not a particularly busy or important day for the company, church, business, etc. This however does not stop people from doing it to make a point, but from my understanding, there is always a consequence for doing so.

2. If there is a contract that has a termination policy stated, then yes, it must be followed or it's breach of contract, simple as that. However, if there's no contract and no policy spelled out, then there's no contract to breach. So, yes, if he had a contract that stated 30 days notice must be given, and he walks off on Holy Saturday never to return, it's breach of contract because he didn't do what he was supposed to as specified in the agreement. However, with no agreement, both sides can do what they want.

N.B.: Some people work better with a contract. In my experience, most people are ok with doing a job and meeting expectations without having anything in writing, however there are some that absolutely have to have everything in writing, spelled out precisely for them. In many cases, it's a CYS (cover yourself) type of thing where someone wants to be able to absolve themselves of responsibility if you come knocking. The people that I have met that exhibit this quality normally have some sort of anxiety issue or general behavioral issues that relate to either 1. making sure they know they're meeting expectations, or 2. knowing what to expect from somebody else. Expectation plays a huge role in everything we do, so it's no surprise that there are people out there like this.

3. As for implied contracts: these are difficult to enforce because there is no proof of what was said unless both parties admit to the terms of the verbal or implied agreement. If there is a disagreement as to what was in the verbal or implied contract, there is no contract.

N.B: This may also depend on the legal climate in your state/region. In the great State of Indiana, the law tends to favor the employer, so even if you are terminated without a contract, but think it wasn't a fair termination, the fact that there wasn't a contract will automatically favor the employer (at least in Indiana).

4. As for deliberately avoiding contracts, you'd have to have solid proof that the employer was deliberately avoiding contracts in order to circumvent some sort of other legal requirement, otherwise it really isn't illegal or improper to employ someone at will, without a contract. This is done all the time.

I think I'd better stop at that. I'm not a lawyer either, but the above is from my specific experiences with this sort of thing. As usual, YMMV, especially since employment and contract law seems to vary by State (at least in the US).