English

Noun

velvet handcuffs pl ‎(plural only)

1. Used other than as an idiom: see velvet,‎ handcuffs.
2. (idiomatic) Golden handcuffs: any arrangement designed to provide favorable benefits or pay so as to discourage a participant from wanting to leave it.
   • 2000, Jack A. Green, Contact: a Guide to Developing Effective Call Centre Skills:
   • 2004 March 13, Billboard, volume 116, page 11:

     Inevitably, it turns out, singing other people's songs or having to collaborate with one's bandmates can sometimes feel like a prison sentence, albeit one with velvet handcuffs and minimum security.

   • 2011, Christopher Shulgan, The Soviet Ambassador: The Making of the Radical Behind Perestroika:

     The transfer sounded prestigious, but it was definitely a demotion. This was the style of the Brezhnev Politburo: velvet handcuffs, but handcuffs nevertheless.

Synonyms

• golden handcuffs