Chester County Severance Agreement Lawyers

Defending Employee Rights in the Delaware Valley

Many employees treat their bosses as infallible, often allowing them to do as they please. While it is hard to debate a boss’s actions, especially if one is an “at will” employee, the truth is that employers are bound by the same laws as employees. If it should be discovered that an employer violated a law on the state or federal level, there can be steep penalties.

Furthermore, employers are bound by the same contracts they make their employees sign and can be held accountable for breaching them. For example, if an employer fires an employee for something that is not ruled to be egregious, and the employee manual or contract says that a termination can only occur after a certain number of disciplinary actions, then the employer may be acting in violation.

At The Gold Law Firm P.C., our Chester County employment lawyers understand every aspect of employment law, and have represented employees in wrongful termination suits all throughout the Delaware Valley, winning them compensation, back pay, and even reinstatement to their previous position. Our team of lawyers will fastidiously review every aspect of a case, and then move to aggressively defend a client’s rights in court.

Severance Agreements

Upon signing a severance agreement, many employees believe that their employer has carte blanche to terminate their employment whenever they see fit, so long as they pay the agreed-upon amount in the contract. While this is true, if it should be discovered that an employer violated the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or any pertinent state laws regarding discrimination, then they can be held liable. Employers who terminated an employee based on the following factors are in violation of federal laws as well as Pennsylvania state laws:

Age
Disability or perceived disability
Gender Identity or expression
Pregnancy
Race or National Origin
Religion
Sex or Gender

Furthermore, should an employee have a question or concern about their employee contract, they can contact our legal team for inquiries. We can review your contract and inform you of the details of any severance agreements or non–compete clauses therein.

Severance Agreements and Retaliation for Whistleblowers

In addition to discrimination, severance agreements do not protect employers from any retaliatory practices, particularly if an employee reports any fraudulent or unethical activity. Employees who report any misuse of federally allotted funds are protected from retaliation in the form of demotion, change in duties, or termination. These employees, known as “whistleblowers,” may also receive rewards from the federal government for reporting such activity. If an employee was fired in the wake of reporting any fraudulent activity, then they many have been wrongfully terminated and can pursue that as well as a qui tam action under the False Claims Act. Our Chester County severance agreement lawyers have experience in representing whistleblowers who have suffered retaliation.