Before you sign
Six clause types cause most of the problems people run into after signing a job offer: at-will language, non-compete and non-solicit scope, IP assignment, arbitration requirements, clawback provisions, and severance terms. Each one is easy to miss when you're excited about a new role. Plainview reads your offer letter and flags the language that deserves a second look, explained in plain English, before you sign anything.
Most job offer letters are short. That brevity can hide terms that follow you for years — limiting where you can work next, who owns your side projects, or what you get if the company lets you go. None of these clauses are inherently bad, but all of them have versions that are broader than they need to be.
Here is what each clause type actually does and why it matters:
Means either party can end employment at any time for any legal reason — nearly universal in the US, but the exact wording can affect whether any other promises in the letter are enforceable.
Restricts where and for whom you can work after leaving — the problem is when the geography, duration, or industry definition is drawn far wider than your actual role.
Prevents you from recruiting colleagues or approaching former clients — reasonable in principle, but some versions cover anyone you ever worked near, for years after you leave.
Transfers ownership of work you create to the employer — the risk is language broad enough to capture personal projects built on your own time with your own equipment.
Requires disputes to go to a private arbitrator instead of court — this isn't automatically harmful, but it changes your options significantly if something goes wrong.
Clawbacks let the company reclaim signing bonuses or equity under certain conditions; severance language often sounds generous but contains conditions that make it easy to withhold.
The language is designed by lawyers for the employer's benefit, and it is often deliberately vague. Vague language in your favor can be argued away; vague language in the company's favor tends to stick. You don't need to become a contract expert — you need to know which sentences to pay attention to and what questions to ask before you sign or negotiate. Plainview doesn't give legal advice, and it's not a substitute for a lawyer on a high-stakes offer, but it can tell you where the friction points are so you're not walking in blind.
How Plainview helps
Plainview flags risky or one-sided language in your job offer and explains it in plain English — no subscription, no data stored, and your first document is free with no card required.
Analyze a document → Your first analysis is on us — no card required to start.The ones that tend to matter most are at-will language, the scope of any non-compete or non-solicit, IP assignment terms, arbitration requirements, clawback conditions, and how severance is defined. Most people focus on salary and title and skim the rest. These clauses rarely surface as problems on day one — they show up when you leave, get let go, or want to start something on the side.
No. Enforceability depends on the state you're in, your specific role, and sometimes case law that's still being contested — that's a legal question, not something any software tool can answer. What Plainview can do is flag how broad the language is, explain what it says in plain English, and help you identify whether it's worth discussing with an attorney before you sign.
Plainview does not retain uploaded documents or store user data — that's a design decision, not just a policy. Once the analysis is done, your document is not kept on the platform. You don't need to create an account or provide a credit card to analyze your first document.