Can I ask to see what's actually changing in my employment terms before I agree to anything?

Yes, and asking for this is entirely reasonable — you're entitled to understand exactly what you're being asked to agree to before you sign anything, and a legitimate employer should be willing to lay out clearly what is and isn't changing about your job. This matters practically: whether a change is significant enough to require your genuine agreement, and whether a new document actually binds you, often turns on comparing your old terms to the new ones side by side.

If a new owner, or your existing employer during the transition, won't clearly explain what's actually different, that itself is a warning sign worth taking seriously — a good-faith request to change your terms doesn't need to hide from a direct comparison. Ask specifically about pay, hours, location, duties, benefits, and anything else that matters to you, and ask for it in writing rather than relying on a verbal summary, since verbal assurances are hard to rely on later if something turns out different.

You're also entitled to take reasonable time to actually read and consider what's being proposed, rather than being pressured to sign on the spot — a rushed signature under pressure is a red flag, not a formality.