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Severance Agreements & Release Contracts
When working with Severance Agreement from Employment and Release Contracts, it is important to have a lawyer review and negotiate them on your behalf. Often employer management is open to the idea of an amicable and agreed upon terms for a separation of an employee from employment as opposed to an outright discharge in most circumstances.
What is important to the employer is a global release of liability. Important to the individual employee are adequate terms to enable one to find new employment to replace the old. The negotiation of these terms is of vital importance for the future to all concerned. Often employer consideration includes not only severance pay compensation, but also help in the search for substantially equivalent new work. This can be in changing employment records from a “discharge” to a quit, agreement on a suitable reference, no objection to a claim for Unemployment Insurance while out of work and otherwise eligible, health insurance, pro-rated bonus and profit sharing, and other issues. It can also include effective “outplacement counseling” to energize and guide the effort required to find that new job.
Non-Compete Employment Contracts
Covenant-Not-To-Compete Employment Contracts, also known as Non-Compete Contracts, can be complicated contracts that require a lawyer to review them to ensure you, as an employee, are protected.
Unemployment Insurance Claims
An award of Unemployment Insurance can mean generally ½ pay per week for ½ a year if out of work and otherwise eligible, up to a maximum each week. Each state is different, but all must be compliant within longstanding federal rules. Accordingly, the issues for eligibility generally mean that an individual is eligible if the discharge was no fault of the employee as in a lay-off of work, or when the employer cannot establish “misconduct connected with employment” as the cause for discharge. Every denied claim for benefits can be appealed to allow pre-hearing discovery, subpoena power, and a live witness hearing with cross-examination of witnesses. Effective preparation and representation can make a positive difference at appeal hearings and beyond. I can help.
Other Employee Services
I also represent employees suffering from Minimum Wage and Overtime Compensation Issues, Employee Discipline Disputes, Poor Supervisory Situations, and Career Counseling.