Avoid Conflict At Termination And Negotiate An Employment Agreement Before You’re Hired
The best way to avoid conflict when you leave an employer, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, is to have an employment agreement in place before you are hired. An employment agreement is a type of contract that governs the employment relationship both during your employment and after your employment ends. Employment agreements are not for everyone, but if you negotiate an employment agreement or are offered an agreement by your prospective employer, you should not sign it until an attorney reviews it who has your best interests in mind. You should also finalize any employment agreement before you begin your employment, because you lose negotiation leverage once you begin work and are busy showing you’re a superstar.
Our attorneys have experience reviewing hundreds of employment agreements and can negotiate revisions of proposed terms like the following as well as implement beneficial negotiation strategies:
• Compensation and benefits
• Separation terms and benefits
• Intellectual property and trade secrets
• Noncompetition or nonsolicitation provisions
• Nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions
Get The Upper Hand In Your Negotiations
If you are preparing to part ways with your employer, they might try to have you sign a severance agreement. A severance agreement is a type of contract that many employers require a worker to sign after resignation or termination. You should not sign this unless you have had it reviewed by an attorney who has your best interests at heart.
When you need counsel from an employment lawyer, you can turn to us at Betz + Blevins. We stand up for employees throughout Indiana who need to level the playing field against employers that do not always behave fairly.
Our attorneys will carefully examine a severance agreement and try to negotiate favorable terms such as:
- Severance pay
- Health care and other benefits
- Noncompetition or nonsolicitation provisions
- Nondisclosure or confidentiality provisions
- Prevailing party attorney-fee provisions
- Termination classification
- Nondisparagement provisions
- Positive or neutral job references
Whether drafting, reviewing or negotiating a severance package, we will protect your rights and advocate for a fair arrangement.
Why Should I Have A Lawyer?
Not all employers have their workers’ priorities in mind. Most companies want to protect their own bottom line. They will almost certainly have their own attorneys draft an employment or severance agreement that favors their rights, not yours.
With your own employment law attorney, you are in a better position to negotiate a financial package, benefits and the terms of various clauses. It also means that you will not inadvertently sign your rights away. We negotiate assertively for beneficial terms and explain everything contained in the contract.
Before You Sign Anything, Contact Us
Once you sign a document, it is very difficult to retract your signature or invalidate the contract. Before you provide your signature, seek the counsel of an employment law attorney from Betz + Blevins. Contact our Indianapolis office at 317-687-2222 or send us an email to request an initial consultation.