Negotiating Contracts of Employment or Severance
Whether it's formalized in a written agreement or not, any employment relationship is a contract between the employer and the employee: You perform work in exchange for wages or salary. While few Minnesota employees are in a position to negotiate specific contract terms with an employer, the opportunity to do so is a valuable one.
If you need advice about employment agreements, the enforcement of severance terms or restrictive covenants, or the negotiation of a severance package in layoff or workplace dispute situations, contact an experienced employment lawyer at Schaefer Law Firm in Minneapolis.
We negotiate and review executive and professional employment contracts
Comprehensive employment contracts for executives, managers, professionals or partners in small practice groups can achieve several essential objectives: defining the terms of compensation under various performance scenarios and the terms of departure for cause, without cause or upon changes in ownership or management.
Our job is to help you identify the interests you need to protect on matters ranging from bonuses to severance pay and noncompete commitments. Once your needs and objectives are in clear focus, we can then go to work to protect them to the greatest extent possible in focused negotiations. One essential goal is to make sure that the severance terms and restrictive covenants that protect your interests will stand up in court upon termination or resignation.
Negotiated severance is a valuable tool for resolving employment disputes
While defined severance terms under different circumstances are essential features of a sound employment contract, employees who do not work under negotiated contracts can benefit from a similar approach to severance in cases of layoff or when resignation or termination appear likely outcomes of a troubled job situation.
Severance packages are typically conditioned upon a written release of the right to sue the employer for any claims resulting from layoff, termination or a violation of employee rights that occurred previously. Employers often propose enhanced severance as an additional incentive to waive or release claims over and above a base amount offered without a waiver.
The advice of a knowledgeable employment lawyer can help you get the most out of a severance offer. We have the ability to evaluate your situation for employment claims that can add value to your severance package. We can also help you achieve severance terms that can allow you to further your career in the same industry or profession.
The lawyers in our firm have negotiated many severance agreements and have an excellent record in obtaining additional benefits for our clients. These can reflect either the value of your potential claims against your employer, or simply additional benefits that neither you nor your employer thought to consider, such as outplacement services or continued health insurance.
For additional information about the ways you can benefit from our experience with employment contracts and severance agreements, contact an attorney at Schaefer Law Firm in Minneapolis.
