Given the ongoing changes in the landscape of employment law, it is becoming more and more common for Rhode island employers and employees to negotiate agreements when an employee leaves a company, even if the departure is involuntary and under less than happy circumstances.
Generally, the severance agreement involves an employee agreeing to forego certain legal rights, including the right to sue his or her former employer or join a competing firm, and the employer in exchange gives the employee some financial incentives even though he or she will no longer work for the company.
As a previous post on this blog explained, it is generally a good idea for an employee who has received news that his or her job is ending, or who has decided to leave his or her firm voluntarily, to have a severance agreement reviewed by an attorney and negotiated before he or she signs on the dotted line.
With its experience and expertise in a variety of employment law matters, many Rhode Island residents trust our law office to review their severance agreements on their behalf and, when possible, negotiate better or additional terms.
For example, in addition to negotiating for some compensation that will replace one’s salary while he or she looks for a good job, we also focus on details that can easily get overlooked, like making sure that an employer will not tarnish the reputation of its former employee, especially while that employee looks for other work. Getting a favorable or at least neutral recommendation is another option we like to explore.
After being fired and, to some extent, after resigning, an employee has certain rights that they give up if they sign a severance package and, as such, deserve fair compensation in exchange. We can be trusted to work hard to secure the best possible result for an employee who will no doubt need financial and other assistance while out of work.