Columbus Severance Pay Attorney
If your employment has recently been terminated and you have been given a “severance agreement” or a “severance package” that would require you to sign a release of claims in exchange for a payment, you should immediately contact our Columbus Severance Agreement Attorneys before you sign anything. If you sign a severance agreement without first discussing the circumstances of your employment and termination with an Ohio Severance Lawyer, you may be giving up valuable claims for far less than you are owed. While employers are not required to provide their employees with any severance agreement or severance payment unless contractually obligated, employers often offer severance in situations where the termination may not be legal in order to obtain a release signed by the employee. A signed release will prevent the employee from later suing the employer for wrongful termination.
Employers are prohibited by both federal and state law from wrongfully terminating their employees for a number of improper reasons. Some of the reasons include, but are not limited to, terminating employees who are protected by the various anti-discrimination statutes (i.e. disability discrimination / ADA discrimination, FMLA discrimination, pregnancy discrimination, race discrimination, etc.) for an improper or discriminatory reason prohibited by those laws. An employer also cannot terminate an employee for complaining about an improper wage issue such as the employer’s refusal to pay all overtime wages earned or the proper minimum wage under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)($7.25/hour) and Ohio law ($8.30 / hour as of January 1, 2018). There are numerous other situations where a firing or lay-off would constitute wrongful termination. Employers who violate these acts sometimes offer severance agreements in an effort to avoid later lawsuits.
Our Columbus Severance Agreement Lawyers have extensive experience in analyzing these issues and explaining to employees whether or not they may have a claim for wrongful termination against their former employers. If you have been provided with a severance agreement, our Columbus Severance Attorneys may be able to negotiate a more favorable severance package for you. We can also walk you through what the severance agreement means, what you would be giving up and getting in exchange, and likewise what the legal obligations of both you and your former employer will be if the agreement is signed.
If you have been provided with a severance agreement or you believe you may have a wrongful termination claim, contact our Columbus Severance Agreement Lawyers today to discuss your legal rights. We can ensure that you are protected in negotiating a favorable severance agreement and you know exactly what you are gaining and giving up by signing a severance agreement.
Call our Ohio Employment Attorney today at 614-787-4878 for your free and confidential consultation.
