I want to make sure it&#x27;s understood that I was recommending OP use the concept of tying a severance payment to signature of a legally binding document that serves the company&#x27;s interest, not that non-disparagement or NDA were the right tools to use in this instance.<p>Onto your specific point, N-D is not unusual for senior employees with strong contacts in the company&#x27;s target market (like e.g. sales &amp; project management). They&#x27;re not necessarily a sign that the company is doing anything shady, but they are a strong tool for preventing disgruntled former employees from saying bad things which might hurt a business. They&#x27;re pretty aggressive, granted, but they serve a purpose. Most people&#x27;s umbrage can be satisfied for a price.