What are the biggest red flags in an employment contract?

The terms that most often surprise people are a broad non-compete, a subjective 'cause' definition tied to severance, an IP-assignment clause that reaches personal projects, a training-repayment clause, and a mandatory-arbitration clause with a class-action waiver. None are necessarily unenforceable, but each shifts risk onto the employee.

Can I negotiate an employment contract, or is it take-it-or-leave-it?

Employment terms are commonly negotiated, especially compensation, severance, the scope of restrictive covenants, and start date. Whether a given employer will move depends on the role and leverage, but the first draft is a starting position.

Are non-compete clauses enforceable?

It depends heavily on the state — some states bar most non-competes while others enforce ones that are reasonable in time, geography, and scope. A non-compete being in your contract does not by itself mean it is enforceable against you; whether it is is a state-specific legal question worth confirming with an employment lawyer.

Should I have a lawyer review my employment contract?

Offers with equity, a non-compete, or a high dollar value are commonly reviewed by an employment lawyer before signing, and a checklist like this one helps identify which terms warrant that review. A checklist and an automated scan can tell you where the risks are; the legal judgment about what to do with that information is yours.

How to Review an Employment Contract Before You Sign

An employment contract is usually the first contract a person signs without anyone on their side of the table. The employer's version is drafted by the employer's lawyers and written to be signed quickly, often against an offer deadline. Reading it closely before signing is the one moment where the terms are still open.

This is an observational walk through the five groups of terms an offer or employment agreement puts in front of you: what to find in the document and why it matters. It does not tell you what to decide, and it is general information, not advice about your specific agreement. The legal judgment about what to do with what you find is yours.

1. The compensation terms

Base pay is the part everyone reads. The parts that change the real value of an offer usually sit around it.

Bonus structure. Confirm whether a bonus is discretionary or formula-based, and whether it is forfeited if you leave (or are let go) before a payout date.
Equity. If equity is offered, the economics live in documents the offer letter only references — the grant, the vesting schedule, the cliff, and what happens to unvested (and vested) shares on termination. Confirm the vesting schedule and the post-termination exercise window.
Clawbacks and repayment. Some agreements require repayment of a signing bonus, relocation, or training cost if you leave within a set period. Confirm the trigger and the amount.

2. The termination and severance terms

How the relationship ends is defined at the start.

At-will vs for-cause. Confirm whether the contract preserves at-will status or defines "cause," and how "cause" is worded — subjective, performance-based definitions give the employer wide latitude.
Severance. Confirm whether any severance is promised, the amount, and the conditions (often signing a release). A severance promise that depends entirely on the employer's discretion is not a guarantee.
Notice. Find any notice period each side must give.

3. The restrictive covenants

These follow you after the job ends, which is what makes them consequential.

Non-compete. Confirm whether the contract restricts where you can work afterward, for how long, and in what geography or industry. Enforceability varies dramatically by state — some states bar most non-competes while others enforce reasonable ones — so whether yours is enforceable is a state-specific legal question worth confirming with an employment lawyer.
Non-solicit. Find any restriction on soliciting the employer's customers or employees after you leave.
Confidentiality. A confidentiality obligation is standard; confirm it is limited to the employer's actual confidential information and does not sweep in your general skills.

4. The intellectual-property terms

For anyone who creates, this group can reach beyond the job.

Assignment of inventions. Confirm what the contract claims ownership of. Some IP-assignment clauses reach work created on your own time and equipment, and how far such assignments can go varies by jurisdiction — confirm the scope.
Moonlighting / outside activity. Find any restriction on side projects or outside work.

5. The dispute terms

Nobody reads these until there is a dispute — which is when they decide the outcome.

Mandatory arbitration. Confirm whether disputes must go to arbitration rather than court, and whether that includes a class-action waiver. This changes how, and how publicly, a future claim is resolved.
Governing law and venue. Find which state's law governs and where disputes are heard.
Attorney fees. Confirm whether fee-shifting is one-way or mutual.

How to use this

Read the offer and the employment agreement together, and mark every item above you cannot answer from the text. The unanswered items are the shortlist worth a question to the employer, a negotiation, or review by an employment lawyer. Many of these terms are commonly adjusted before signing — the document as sent is rarely the document that gets signed. What you do with that information is your call.