Los Angeles Severance Agreement Lawyer

Protecting Employee Rights in Severance Agreements

A severance agreement is a contract offered to an employee at the termination of employment. A severance agreement's terms usually require that the employee waive the right to sue the employer for employment-related claims in exchange for receiving monetary compensation.

Employees who sign severance agreements have to give up certain rights, which is why it is highly recommended that an experienced employment law attorney reviews any severance agreement so that the employee fully understands and is aware of what rights are being waived before signing the contract. The skilled lawyer at Andrew Malatesta of Malatesta Law can provide employees with a thorough understanding of the terms of any severance agreement and explain all options available under the law.

About Severance Agreements

Employers want employees to enter into severance agreements because such agreements bar employees from suing employers for employment-related claims. This is beneficial to an employer because it provides employers with the certainty that they will not be sued.

Entering into a severance agreement, however, can be catastrophic for an employee. By waiving the right to sue an employer, an employee could potentially be letting the employer off the hook for any illegal conduct and may be foregoing the ability to recover substantial monetary damages for that conduct.

Due to the very important rights waived when signing a severance agreement, it is imperative to know exactly what is being agreed to and what is being given up before signing.

Severance agreements may also contain other terms that are designed to limit the behavior of previous employees, such as barring the employee from disclosing to others the reason for job termination or from speaking badly about the employer to others.

The rights that may be waived under a severance agreement can include:

• The ability to sue the employer for harassment, discrimination, or wrongful termination.
• The right to make negative comments about the employer to others.
• The right to discuss the terms of the agreement with others.
• The right to talk about what led to the termination.
• The right to talk about the employer’s trade secrets.
• The ability to sue the employer for any other claims.

Professional Legal Guidance from Malatesta Law

If an employer asks an employee to sign a severance agreement, the employee needs to take the time to review and understand the exact terms of the agreement before signing. Contact the Los Angeles severance agreement lawyer Andrew J. Malatesta today to get advice regarding a severance agreement.