Don’t sign until you’ve
scanned it.
Paste your offer letter below. We check for bond traps, variable pay tricks, missing clauses, and 15+ other red flags — instantly, in your browser.
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Why You Should Always Review Your Offer Letter Before Signing
Your offer letter is a legally binding document. Once signed, most of its clauses are enforceable — including ones that can cost you lakhs, restrict your next job, or allow your employer to terminate you with 24 hours notice while requiring you to serve 90 days.
Most Indian job seekers are so relieved to receive an offer that they sign without reading it carefully. This is one of the most expensive mistakes a professional can make. A 10-minute review — or a 30-second scan with this tool — can reveal clauses that will affect you for years.
Indian offer letters commonly contain provisions that are legal but heavily one-sided. Understanding what you are agreeing to is not paranoia — it is basic professional self-protection.
Bond Clauses
Require you to stay for a fixed period or pay a penalty — sometimes ₹1–2 Lakh or more. Legally enforceable if the penalty is reasonable.
Variable Pay Traps
Part of your CTC may never reach your account. “At management discretion” means it can be withheld without explanation.
Asymmetric Termination
Company can exit you with 24 hours notice; you must serve 90 days. Common — and worth negotiating before you join.
Missing Clauses
No confirmed joining date, no probation end date, no clear designation — all of these can be used against you later.
The 15 Red Flags This Scanner Checks For
Every scan checks for these patterns — split into Critical (address before signing) and Warning (worth clarifying):
🔴 Critical — Address Before Signing
- Bond / service agreement with penalty
- Variable pay at management discretion
- Unequal termination notice periods
- Role or designation changeable unilaterally
- Company can restructure salary anytime
- Broad non-compete / non-solicitation clause
🟡 Warning — Worth Clarifying
- High variable pay percentage (20%+)
- No confirmed joining date
- No increment guarantee
- Broad IP / intellectual property assignment
- Very short acceptance deadline (24–48 hrs)
- Background verification with no timeline
- Probation termination without notice
- Broad confidentiality including salary
- Joining bonus clawback clause
What to Do When You Find a Red Flag
Finding a red flag does not mean you should reject the offer. It means you should address it — professionally and before signing. Most companies expect some negotiation, and a well-worded email requesting clause modifications rarely costs you the offer.
Prioritise the critical flags first
Focus your negotiation energy on Critical flags — bond clauses, unequal termination, and role change provisions have the highest real-world impact. Warning flags are worth a clarifying question but rarely require formal negotiation.
Email HR professionally — don’t negotiate verbally
Put your request in writing. A simple, professional email asking for clarification or amendment is perfectly acceptable. Frame it as wanting to understand the clause clearly before joining — not as an accusation. Get the response in writing too.
Ask for a revised offer letter if clauses are amended
Verbal assurances that a clause “won’t be enforced” are worthless. If a company agrees to modify or remove a clause, request a revised offer letter reflecting that change. Do not sign the original version with a verbal promise.
Make an informed decision if they won’t negotiate
Some companies will not modify their standard offer letters. That is their right. Your right is to make an informed decision with full knowledge of what you are signing — rather than discovering the clauses after you’ve already resigned from your previous job.
Save a copy of the final signed offer letter
Take a screenshot or PDF of the offer email and letter immediately. Many employees are unable to locate their offer letter years later when they need it for BGV, disputes, or gratuity calculations. Store it outside company email.
Bond Clauses in India — What You Need to Know
Bond clauses are among the most common and most misunderstood provisions in Indian offer letters. Here is what the law actually says:
In practice, bond clauses cause the most harm not through court enforcement but through withheld documents. Employers who invoke a bond often delay or refuse to issue experience letters, relieving letters, and full and final settlement — using these as leverage. This is why addressing bond clauses before joining is so important.
Variable Pay — The Silent Salary Trap
Variable pay is the single biggest gap between what most Indian employees think they will earn and what they actually receive. When your CTC includes 20–30% variable pay “at management discretion,” your real fixed monthly salary could be significantly lower than you expect.
Before joining any role with meaningful variable pay, ask two questions in writing: What percentage of variable pay was paid out in FY 2023–24 and FY 2024–25? And: What are the specific, measurable KPIs that determine variable pay eligibility? If the company is unwilling to answer either question, the variable component is a number on paper, not money in your account.