When you sign a typical severance agreement, you forfeit your right to file a lawsuit if you later realize or learn your termination was not legal. If you are looking at a severance agreement right now, contact Gillespie, Rozen & Watsky for sound legal advice.
For many people, it all happens so fast. Losing a job is stunning and disorienting. Many people make the mistake of signing a severance agreement without reading it thoroughly or thinking it through — even when the document itself states, and a company representative says, that he or she can consult with the attorney before signing.
As in many other situations, the employer has a lot of advantages here. First, the employee facing termination is dealing with the questions: What will I do now? How will I tell my family? How much savings do we have? In addition, the employee may quickly conclude that the severance money they know they need — whether it is two weeks' pay or two years' worth — is the best settlement they can hope for.
Take Advantage of Your Right to Seek Legal Counsel
Your severance contract or package might offer the best settlement you can get. However, you do not have to sign it on the spot. Many people have regretted doing so when they later realized that employment discrimination, a form of retaliation or other illegal activities were involved in the firing.
An Experienced Attorney Knows What May Be Negotiable
What if you hear about an individual or group layoff in advance, through the work "grapevine" or from a co-worker? This is the time to be proactive about your severance agreement, if you are certain the information is reliable. With the counsel of an experienced employment lawyer, you may be able to negotiate in advance for a better settlement.
If this has never happened to you, and you are thinking in terms of "what if," please take this information to heart. Do not sign important legal documents that can affect your livelihood when you are in the middle of a frightening, extremely emotional situation. Instead, contact experienced employment law attorneys at Gillespie, Rozen & Watsky.