Q: My employment was recently terminated. I was sent a termination agreement which includes a severance. Should I sign it?
What are the pros and cons of signing it?
A:
Whether you should sign it or not depends on the facts surrounding your termination. I highly advise you to get confidential advice from an employment law attorney before you decide.
You can look either on this site in the Find a Lawyer section or go to California Employment Layers Association (www.cela.org), an organization whose members are committed to representing employees’ rights. Most employment law attorneys in California offer free of charge initial consultations, and thereafter may take your case on a contingency basis, meaning you do not have to pay attorney’s fees unless and until there is a positive outcome for you. They may also advance either all or partial costs of litigation.
Sincerely,
Maya L. Serkova
Ian Pike and Brad S Kane agree with this answer
A:
Not until you get legal advice. A severance agreement almost always includes provisions where you are giving up your right to make legal claims against the employer for any wrongs that were done to you prior to the signing. It is therefore important that you know what rights you are giving up. No one here can simply answer your question. It requires knowledge of a great more background information to answer it.
Good luck to you.
Ian Pike and Brad S Kane agree with this answer
A: Do not sign a severance agreement until you speak with an lawyer to make sure you are not giving up claims much more valuable than the severance payment.
Ian Pike agrees with this answer
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