A Response to 37Signals "We don't do Employment Contracts"

The "lawsuit as car crash" analogy is a pretty good analogy. You pay a lawyer now as insurance against getting crushed by the legal system later.<p>If you step back, it is reasonable to ask <i>why</i> we have a legal system where driving without a seatbelt is actually a pretty good analogy for hiring without a lawyer.<p>And I think that we ought to acknowledge that the system remains this way, at least in part, because it leads to many lucrative billable hours for lawyers.

Contracts are a form of communication. Poor contract, poor communication; no contract, no communication.<p>When I first started at Microsoft (many years ago) I was the only one of my peers[1] to read the entire Employee Handbook. I believe this enhanced my relationship with the company during my time there.<p>[1]Based on many hallway conversations. I'm sure someone else somewhere actually read it.

I agree completely with this article - "Trust in God but tie your camels" as a friend of mine says.