Employment contracts and severance agreements often contain complex terms. To ensure you understand what you are signing and that the contract accurately reflects your agreement with your employer, it is wise to have an experienced Ohio employment lawyer review your employment contract or severance agreement.

At Lalak LLC, Ohio employment attorney Chris Lalak has extensive experience litigating employment matters. He knows what to look for in an employment contract or severance agreement. He knows what can go wrong and proudly offers advice on how to get the most out of your contract.

Employment Contract Review

In the excitement of being offered a new role, it can be tempting to focus on the salary and benefits while ignoring other items in an employment contract. To avoid post-signing regrets, consider having an experienced employment lawyer review your employment contract. An employment lawyer will explain the terms of your employment, ensuring they are fair to you and that you fully understand any limitations you might face in the future.

Having a lawyer review your employment contract ensures that you understand your obligations while you are employed, as well as any obligations that will be imposed upon you if you leave. Remember, you are in the strongest negotiating position before you sign the employment contract: your employer is excited to have you join the team, and they have already invested time and effort in the interview process and making an offer. With a little more time and effort, you can ensure that you are in a stronger and more protected position when you do accept the employment offer. It is easier and less costly to address and negotiate any potential problems before you sign the employment contract rather than fighting over these issues later.

Some employment contracts, especially for senior executives, include a clause stating that you have been given the opportunity to have the agreement reviewed by a lawyer. Taking time to have an employment agreement reviewed by an experienced employment attorney will allow you to reap benefits that affect the terms of your current employment as well as your future career plans.

Reviewing a Severance Agreement

If you recently lost your job, your employer may have offered you a severance agreement. Employers might offer a severance package in recognition of an employee’s length of service or to reduce the sting of an involuntary layoff. But they also offer severance packages to protect themselves and avoid future lawsuits by having employees sign a release in exchange for a severance payment.

Severance agreements often contain clauses that are difficult to understand or that might be bad for you. In exchange for accepting money, you will be required to sign a release waiving any claims against your former employer and its employees. By signing a release without having it reviewed by a lawyer, you could be giving up important rights.

The loss of a job is a difficult and stressful time. But by signing a severance agreement, you could be giving up certain rights. Protect yourself by speaking to an employment lawyer about the severance package, so you fully understand your rights and what you are signing when you accept the severance package.

When an employer presents a severance package, it often expires after a certain period of time. While the acceptance period can vary, under the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, employees over the age of 40 must be given at least 21 days to review and accept a severance agreement. They also have the right to revoke acceptance of a severance agreement within seven days of signing it. If an employee is losing their job as part of a mass layoff or workforce reduction, employees over the age of 40 must be given at least 45 days to review and accept a severance agreement.

Lalak LLC: Experience in Your Corner

At Lalak LLC, Ohio employment attorney Chris Lalak regularly reviews employment contracts and severance agreements. He has extensive experience litigating employment claims and knows what to look for in an employment contract or severance agreement so it will be beneficial to you.

We invite you to learn more about Lalak LLC and how the services we offer. Contact us today to schedule a free and confidential 15-minute consultation to discuss your situation and how we can help.