Understanding Employment Separation Agreements
Long term home stylists understand the importance of having a clear understanding of products before selecting them, and this is something I share here at LTHOME. This is very important in the law too, especially as it relates to employment separation documents.
In our new LTHOME article, I discuss some of the common formats of these documents, as well as explaining in very simple terms, what an employment separation document is. It is very important that you have a clear understanding of what you are signing, but in very simple terms, it is a legal agreement between you and your employer, to resolve some employment related issue, such as your employment being terminated.
It is really important in any legal agreement for you to read the document carefully, and make sure you have a clear understanding of what is being agreed to. In this article I compare this to creating a beautiful custom built home that is unique and that really fits your lifestyle and needs, i.e., has a purpose.
Just like with choosing between different types of water filtration systems, or what type of floor heating system to select, it is important to understand the pros and cons of each type of agreement. You don’t need, nor should you feel obligated to sign just any employment separation agreement that is put in front of you.
Sometimes however there is a sense of emotion and urgency that causes people to believe that they should just sign something right away, without taking the time to understand what it is that they are signing. I suggest that this is very similar to choosing flooring material or siding materials that are put up before you have had a chance to research other options. This can lead to a very costly mistake.
I suggest that it is worth getting some advice before signing an employment agreement just as it may be worth getting some advice on selecting products for your home, such as the flooring or siding you choose.
If you are given an employment separation agreement and you feel that you really need to sign it right away, you may be under pressure to sign it and your employer is likely aware of this fact. Before signing, I suggest asking yourself a few questions.
If you have been served with written notice of termination, it is common for there to be a short time period by which you must sign the separation agreement and return the signed copy. If you miss this time period, you are likely giving up rights to severance pay and other benefits. But I am not an employment lawyer and there are many times where other factors are in play, such as your access to lawyers and your ability to understand fully your legal rights before signing.
The point being made here, is that even if you have a very short time-period to sign and return an employment separation agreement, you should take the time to try to understand what you are signing by making some calls to lawyers or legal clinics that could provide you with some information right away on your options. It is just like when deciding how to build or remodel your home. There can definitely be consequences to making decisions in a rush, without fully understanding the impact and the long-term effects.
One final comment on this point, in my experience there is a tendency to sign employment separation agreements to make the emotional part of the decision quickly go away. Signing quickly can leave one wondering for many years about whether the employment agreement was a good one. Sometimes it is just a good idea to trust a professional who can analyze an employment separation agreement, and make recommendations based on their understanding of legal rights and the law.
Just as when choosing products for your home through LTHOME or other vendors, sometimes it is more important to be able to understand the terms and conditions, rather than simply making the decision based on the materials shown to you in the bathroom showroom. According to the in depth guide on comprehensive employment separation agreements, it is essential to grasp the implications of what you are signing.