"Is this a standard procedure in the industry?" - this is really the only one I can comment on. In many countries, there are strict laws around insider trading

"Is this a standard procedure in the industry?" - this is really the only one I can comment on. In many countries, there are strict laws around insider trading. Companies who are publically traded must take measures to ensure they are preventing this practice. As a result they will often need to maintain a list of "insiders", those with access to market sensitive data. As part of that, they will also usually put restrictions around your rights to trade in that companies public stock. The specific restrictions they impose will depend on the contract you're signing. It's quite standard practice in countries with tough insider trading laws. I can't speak for how various companies decide to implement it though, or what the specifics are of what you are and aren't allowed to do. Some companies will let you opt out of being an insider and after a certain period of time without access to market sensitive data you'll be free to trade like anyone else. Obviously if your job requires you to access that data a lot, this probably won't ever be an option for you. Obviously there will be many people in the company who will be insiders, and after a certain point in the ladder everyone above you will be one due to the data they have access to. I'd imagine executives etc are insiders and under the same restrictions. However, that doesn't mean anything about what you're specifically allowed to do with your specific contracts. As other comments have said, consult an attorney. In many countries the laws around insider trading can be quite tough. You don't want to get this wrong if you're considering trading the shares.