Offer letter clauses, in plain English
What each clause is trying to do, how it tends to be worded, what to check in your own offer, and which questions belong to a lawyer. Written the way the report is written: what it says, what it means, what to do.
A non-compete in your offer
A non-compete says that after you leave, there are jobs you agree not to take for a while.
A non-solicitation clause in your offer
A non-solicitation clause doesn't stop you working for a competitor.
A probation period in your offer
A probation clause sets a trial window at the start of the job, during which the arrangement is easier to end.
At-will language in your offer
An at-will paragraph says that either you or the employer can end the job at any time, for any reason or none, with or without notice.
The termination clause in your offer
The termination clause is the part of the offer you read least carefully on the day you get it and most carefully on the day you need it.
Equity vesting in your offer
An equity grant in an offer is a promise of ownership that arrives on a schedule.
A signing bonus and its clawback
A signing bonus is money paid early for a commitment you haven't yet kept.
A discretionary bonus in your offer
A bonus clause tells you how much you might get, when, and on what conditions.
Confidentiality and IP clauses in your offer
A confidentiality clause says what you can't tell.
A garden leave clause in your offer
Garden leave means that once notice has been given, the employer can keep you on payroll but away from the office, the systems, and the clients until your last day.
These pages explain what a clause says and what to look for. They don't tell you what the law is where you work or whether a clause would be enforced. Informational, not legal advice.