Five Ways to Protect Your Reputation With a Severance Agreement

Many employees who have lost their job are concerned about how any potential employers might view a job termination.    After all, we’ve seen the press about employers who are only interested in scooping up employees from their competitors and  do not wish to receive resumes from the ranks of the unemployed.   In negotiating a severance agreement in Massachusetts,  an employee may wish to consider ways in which a severance agreement can assist their job search,  protect their reputation and ease the way into a new position.   Here are five ways an employee in Massachusetts can protect his or her reputation and job search with a severance agreement:

(1) Inquiries from Potential Employers:  What will the company disclose to potential employers about the employee and the reason for the termination?  How is this addressed in your agreement?  What are the options? We advise employees on these matters.

(2) Internal and External Announcements: What can your managers say about you?  How is this addressed in your agreement?  We advise employees on these matters.

(3) Outplacement Services: What do employers provide for outplacement services?  How might this be useful to you in determining your next steps? We advise employees on these matters.

(4) Confidentiality: Who will know about your agreement and how might that impact your reputation and future employment?  We advise employees on these matters.

(5) Structuring your employment transition: Are there ways in which structuring your employment transition might protect your reputation and allow you to search for a new position?  We advise employees on these matters.

Severance agreements are complex documents that are typically drafted first from the employer’s perspective.  There are ways in which an employee can negotiate provisions in the agreement that will help assist in a job search and will protect that employee’s reputation.  If you have any questions concerning this post, please contact employment attorney Maura Greene at 617-936-1580 or [email protected] at the Law Office of Maura Greene LLC, Six Beacon Street, Suite 205, Boston, MA 02108.  Maura Greene is AV-rated, which is a peer review rating and is the highest rating an individual attorney may achieve.   She has been rated a Super Lawyer in employment for 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.