So you have an offer, you've provisionally accepted it and you've just been sent the contract. Your employer has sent it in a pdf so you almost feel obliged to sign on the dotted line, but should you?

Whilst it can be hard to persuade larger employers to change their standard terms, here are the top five clauses you should be looking out for in a new contract. If you can't persuade your employer to change them, then you at least need to know what they mean so that you can assess whether you really want to take that offer or not. That six-figure guarantee might sound tempting at the outset but it might not be if you find you can't leave without a substantial amount of time out of the market.