I have just been offered a job on contract - what does this mean?

(I have only ever had permanent roles in the past + I haven't received the contract yet)

It means if you quit within the time of contract you pay back what the contract agrees on like say for 2 years you are paid 40 thousand a year til the contracts up or if your fired for no good reason they pay the same til contracts up.Unles your a singer or rock star ect. I would also have attorney check it out.

Contract is the new term for Temporary. If the employer does not renew the contract with your agency when the current one expires you will be looking for a job again.

Contract positions are also known as temporary work. You may be contracted as a 1099-G employee where you would have to pay and report your own taxes next year. This way they do not have to pay into your SSI, SSDI, UI, etc.... and once the contract ends although you may be eligible for unemployment they will not be included in the number of weeks you have worked (minimum 26 calendar weeks of work to collect) since you worked as an independent. If you leave before the end of the contract terms you are in breach of contract and may have to pay them. They terminate you before the contract ends and they may still have to pay you the entire contract. This is where the language gets tricky and they can really screw you. Many years ago I had a contract position before attending law school. I got nailed. As the first poster wrote. I would really let an employment lawyer take a look at it before signing or you can post and if I see the post I will interpret for you. If I don't hopefully Catlaw or one of the other legalese are around.