Terminations and Severance

Terminating an employee is a “risk event.” Human Resource professionals know that even the most straightforward termination, perhaps a short-term employee with a written at-will agreement, can turn into an awkward negotiation, or worse. A poorly planned and managed termination of an employee can cause a tremendous expenditure of company time and resources, and sometimes lead to unnecessary claims. Our employment attorneys have extensive experience in the successful planning, implementation, documentation, negotiation and litigation arising as a result of the discipline and termination of employees. We believe that the most important ingredient in our counseling is our rapport with our clients, and our knowledge of their business practices, temperament, management style and business goals. We encourage all of our clients whose operational life includes counseling or terminating employees to view those events as significant and laden with potential risk, and to seek strategic assistance early in the process. When necessary, we get actively involved in negotiating and drafting severance agreements. The trust of our clients, and our knowledge of custom and practice, human dynamics and the technical requirements of separation documents allow us to help minimize the risk in the event.