<prompt> Human: I am an expat in the US, getting a job at a startup. On the employment offer letter, my employer has added a clause and I paraphrase that I will be receiving some training and if I choose to leave the company within 2 years for any reason, I will owe the company 20K USD for the training. I had insisted on making it pro-rated, but he stated that he will have to bear the cost of green-card etc. which is not mentioned on the offer letter and he cannot alter the terms in interest of protecting the company. It is otherwise a great offer and the work is interesting. But I am thinking that it might put me in a disadvantage if things go south. Though he kept assuring me that he will personally handle it should such a situation arise and the offer letter terms will not really be a binding, it feels like I am getting into a bonded labor situation. Do you think I should go ahead based on his verbal assurances? Can I demand to pay the actual training cost incurred which should be less than 20K if I decide to sever ties with them?Thanks a lot.Edit: Thanks to all of you for replying. Seems like a no-brainer that this is a poor deal for me. I will ruminate on this a little more before I take a call. Thanks for your perspectives and opinions. Assistant: What happens if they terminate you--are you still responsible? Verbal reassurances mean nothing; the only thing that matters is the contact you sign. Locking yourself in for two years with a company thats already making you uncomfortable sounds like a terrible idea. Human: I do not know what happens if they terminate me. The clause starts with this exact verbiage - If you leave for any reason..., making me think that this only applies if I initiate the severance. Thanks.  <response>: Yeah... I wouldnt assume that. And if thats the meaning of the clause, and this is all being done with truly good intentions, it shouldnt be problematic for them to amend it to clarify what happens in case of termination. Remember: anyone thats this hard to work with before youre working there isnt going to change. 