Negotiating Massachusetts Severance Agreements

Signed severance agreements in Massachusetts are contracts that outline the rights and responsibilities of the company and the employee.   Typically severance agreements are drafted by the company to protect its interests.  Despite the fact that the severance agreement may be one-sided, employees often  just sign the agreement without fully understanding it.

It is important that employees take the necessary time to understand all of the provisions in the agreement.  Some severance agreements may need to be negotiated in order to have an agreement that is fair to both the company and the employee.  In some cases, the agreement provides less rights to an employee than other contracts the employee previously signed.    There are cases where employees, after understanding how the agreement will restrict their future employment, have decided either to negotiate it, or to move forward without an agreement.  There are some instances where an offer of a few weeks or even months of severance may not be worth it, given an employee’s situation.  Or under the circumstances, the employee may be able to negotiate more severance or other favorable terms.

When presented with a severance agreement, some employees make the mistake of either signing it immediately without even reading it, or waiting until the deadline to even look at it.  If you have a severance agreement, make sure you take the time to understand your rights and responsibilities under the contract.

If you have any questions about your separation from employment , call Boston labor and employment lawyer Maura Greene at 617-936-1580 for a free consultation.  In 2012 Maura Greene was named in the Boston Globe as one of Boston’s top rated labor and employment attorneys.