Play / Weekly series
The cover email says nothing changed. Read version 1, then version 2, and find what did. Then reveal it. Every clause comes from Totally Normal Corp., a fictional company.
Change 1 · The review period
You have 30 days to consider this Agreement.
You have 10 days to consider this Agreement.
You have 30 10 days to consider this Agreement.
The time to decide shrank, and nothing said so. People count the days on a calendar for the version they are signing.
How long do you have to sign?Link to this changeChange 2 · The payment
The Company will pay you $30,000.
The Company will pay you $30,000, provided you sign Form B within 7 days after your Last Day.
The Company will pay you $30,000, provided you sign Form B within 7 days after your Last Day.
The same money now depends on a second document. People ask to see the second document, and its review period, before signing the first.
Why a second release can arrive on your last dayLink to this changeChange 3 · Your statements
You agree to return Company property by your Last Day.
You agree to return Company property by your Last Day. You confirm that you have not raised any concern with any agency.
You agree to return Company property by your Last Day. You confirm that you have not raised any concern with any agency.
A new sentence asks you to confirm something. If it is not true for you, people ask for it to be corrected or removed.
The attestation clauseLink to this changeChange 4 · The dates
Your last day is October 3. Your health coverage continues through October 31.
Your last day is September 19. Your health coverage continues through September 30.
Your last day is October 3 September 19. Your health coverage continues through October 31 September 30.
Two dates moved, and coverage ends a month earlier. The separation date can matter more than the payment.
The date that movesLink to this changeChange 5 · References
The Company will provide a neutral reference on request.
The Company will confirm dates of employment only, through its verification line.
The Company will provide a neutral reference on request confirm dates of employment only, through its verification line.
What a future employer will hear got narrower. People ask for a written reference letter before they leave.
The closed doorLink to this changeChange 6 · The review clock
This Agreement may be changed only in a writing signed by both parties.
This Agreement may be changed only in a writing signed by both parties. Changes to this Agreement, large or small, do not restart any review period.
This Agreement may be changed only in a writing signed by both parties. Changes to this Agreement, large or small, do not restart any review period.
One sentence switches off the clock for every future draft. People ask for a redline whenever a version changes.
Ask for a redlineLink to this changeFictional clauses. General information about California law, not legal advice. Proposed change: if California adopts the third rule, every change would be marked like this before you sign.