Need Legal Help With a Severance Agreement? Contact Our Severance Pay Lawyers Los Angeles
Severance agreements can be worth a lot of money; however, they also can prevent success in future jobs because of restrictions on competition and the use of certain information. This is why seeking legal representation to review your severance agreement can certainly work in your favor. Though it is not a necessity, it can help you a lot in the long run before you decide to sign that dotted line.
Aside from the actual value of the severance package, there are several factors in these agreements that employees should be aware of. When you work with legal professionals on your claim, they will be able to negotiate, rewrite, or remove certain factors that might not be beneficial for you.
If your employer does not want to budge, then your attorney can obtain additional compensation in exchange for it. Below you will find the most common examples that an employee should review.
- The Severance Payment: Sometimes, employees may already qualify for a severance payment, whether it is an employment contract or company policy. If this is the case, you will not need to sign a severance agreement to obtain that money. An attorney will be able to ensure that the deal is fair for the employer and employee. Additionally, an experienced employment lawyer in Los Angeles should have a good idea of what amount of severance the employer is offering is sufficient when considering the industry and profession of the particular client.
- Employer Owes Money to Employee: The employer must pay the employee for unused vacation time and reimburse expenses even if a severance agreement was signed. If the parties agree to sign one, it must include the date that the employer must pay what he or she owes the employee.
- Employee Benefits: A severance package must thoroughly explain what benefits the employee will receive upon separating from the employer. For example, this can include a continuation of healthcare coverage.
- Release of Claims: Many employers want severance agreements to release legal claims against the employer by the employee. A release of claims agreement is a written contract in which both parties agree to give up their right to pursue legal action against the other party in exchange for something else. Lawyers can make adjustments and fight to make the release more fair and balanced.
- Non-Disparagement and References: Severance agreements often include barring certain factors, such as ensuring that the employee does not say anything negative against the former employer. Legal counsel will negotiate for a similar clause, which may be disparaging against the employee. Additionally, the attorney can discuss references for future employers.
- Integration Clauses: An oral promise is not considered legally binding unless written down in the severance agreement that both parties sign. Make sure the employer’s commitments are legally binding so everything you agreed upon is honored.
- Proprietary Information: Severance agreements are often used to prevent employees from using any proprietary information within their future line of work. Your lawyer can negotiate with the employer to use certain valuable information.
- Restrictive Factors: A lawyer can limit certain restrictive covenants, such as prohibiting the employee from working with a competing company. You might be able to negotiate this clause.
- Confidential Information: When it comes to severance agreements, oftentimes, employers want their terms to be confidential. A lawyer can create exceptions to allow the employee to inform immediate family members, legal counsel, accountants, and tax advisors of the terms. You may also be able to make an exception in the case of a subpoena.
- Cooperation Clauses: Many employers include cooperation provisions in their severance agreements, which means that the employee must cooperate in any legal proceedings involving the employer. A lawyer can negotiate that from “full” cooperation to a “reasonable” amount.
Overall, severance packages have several hidden clauses and can be extremely challenging to navigate, which is why you should give us a call at Mann & Elias. We will provide you with the best legal help you need from our team of trusted severance package lawyers in Los Angeles. If you are interested in consulting about your claim, do not hesitate to reach out to us any time.