Should I Sign Termination Papers?
Even If You Think You Were Terminated for an Illegal Reason, If the Severance They Are Offering Is More Than a Token Amount, It's Probably More Than You'll See...
Even if you think you were terminated for an illegal reason, if the severance they are offering is more than a token amount, it's probably more than you'll see in a lawsuit and you should consider signing. No matter what, make sure you keep a copy of any document you sign.
Why do you sign termination papers?
Sometimes employees find that by signing their termination letter, they are admitting guilt or releasing employee rights. Some letters might try to make it difficult for the fired employee to collect unemployment compensation. Always be aware of your employee rights.
What do you do if an employee refuses to sign a termination letter?
If the employee refuses to sign it, sign and date it yourself, as noted above, indicating that the employee refused to sign, and file it in the employee's personnel file. (A print-out of a disciplinary memo with no one's signature on it makes a poor legal exhibit in comparison.)
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
