I recently secured a position in a relatively new company. The employment letter that I received had a list of terms of employment, one of which is:
The terms of this letter, together with such other terms as the Company may apply to your employment from time to time in its discretion, constitute all the terms of your employment with the Company, and supersedes all previous representation, statements, understandings and contracts of service between us and you (if any). Notwithstanding the forgoing, the Company reserves the right to modify the terms of your employment from time to time in its discretion.
My lawyer is out of town for a couple of days and the company is insisting that I sign the contract at the earliest. My questions are:
From the last line (in bold) - Does it mean that they can change the terms of employment on their own without my consent?
If I the sign the contract now but later turn down the job offer (before the joining date), is it unethical/illegal?
I obviously want to avoid case-2 and get few days to consult with my lawyer, but I suspect it would make me look like quite a paranoid fellow.