Would you sign a non time bounded disparagement clause?
I'm leaving my current company (a series A start-up, not Uber), and they're asking me to sign a departure contract. Most of it is pretty standard, but there's a clause which states that I can't make any disparaging remarks against the company or they can claim back a lump sum and that that doesn't limit their rights to any other claim.
I don't plan on making any such remarks, but crucially, there's no time bound for this clause, which effectively makes it for life.
Is this normal? An I justified in asking for this to be time bounded, or asking for a mutual clause? Should I just sign it knowing that it'll likely never be enacted?
I need to leave on good terms to ensure I get a stock option extension agreement, and this is purely at the behest of the founders to grant.
comments
Also can you elaborate on what clawback the company has here? Is it the options? Or are you getting some kind of severance for some reason?