Areas of Practice: Severance Agreements
Sometimes an employer offers a terminated or laid off employee a payment (known as "severance pay") that he or she would not normally be entitled to in exchange for a promise that the employee will not pursue any legal action against it. These severance agreements come in all shapes and sizes and sometimes contain complex or confusing legal language. They vary widely not only in what they offer the employee in terms of severance pay and the continuation of certain other benefits, but also in what they require of the employee. If signed by the employee, a severance agreement is generally legally-binding and imposes certain legal obligations on the employee. Understanding those obligations is therefore extremely important.
Some employers state that they have strict guidelines for how much they offer employees in severance pay, but ultimately whether what they are offering is fair depends on a variety of factors like your length of service, job performance, whether you were the victim of an unlawful employment act during your time with the employer, and whether your termination or layoff violates, or potentially violates, an employment law. A well-qualified employment lawyer can not only review a proposed severance agreement to help you understand it, but also negotiate something fair for you under the circumstances.
Do you need help in negotiating a fair severance agreement? Contact us at LeGrant Law Firm, we can help!
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