Employment Law
Should I sign what my employer put in front of me?
Not before someone has read it. A severance agreement is a contract that trades money for the permanent surrender of every claim you might have, and it is presented at the worst possible moment for careful reading. The terms are more often negotiable than people assume, and once signed the leverage is gone for good.
What this covers
- Severance agreements — what the release actually gives up, and what is negotiable
- Termination, and the difference between unfair and unlawful in an at-will state
- Discrimination and harassment under the New York State Human Rights Law
- Unpaid wages, final paychecks, and pay frequency
- Non-compete and restrictive covenant agreements
- Unemployment benefits after a separation
When it is worth a call
- You have been handed a severance agreement and given a deadline to sign it
- You were fired and something about the reason does not sit right
- Wages, commissions or a final paycheck have not been paid
- You are being asked to sign a non-compete, or an old one is being enforced against you
Talk it through with Mitch
Bring the situation, not a diagnosis. A short conversation usually makes the next step obvious.