Market Areas > Human Resources > Severance Agreements

Creating Severance Agreements that Limit Liability and Protect Your Organization

Course Description:

With unemployment at a 16-year high, it’s likely your organization has had to cut its workforce.  Whether it was an isolated termination, a large RIF, or a smaller layoff, in this uncertain economic environment your employees may be more likely to take legal action.

That’s where airtight severance and release agreements come into play. 

Sure, your organization may already have such policies in place, but are your agreements legal? And are your policies up-to-date for today’s economic environment?

Or you may be one of the many organizations that have never articulated a formal policy. Whatever your situation, now’s not the time to chance using a poorly constructed severance agreement that may or may not stand up in court.

In this critical CCM audio conference, you will learn how to:

• Avoid the most common legal pitfalls that could render your release agreements ineffective or even voidable
• Handle the most critical components of severance agreements, from the liability release to the severance payments
• Ensure that your agreements comply with state and federal regulations

By the end of this interactive session, you will also know:

• Who’s doing what: The national trends of severance pay
• The downside to the employer of reducing severance
• The benefits of formalizing your policy: What you should – and should not – include
• Why you need to evaluate your current policy: Update for the new environment
• What severance agreements can (and cannot) protect you from
• How to create legally enforceable separation documents
• Key techniques to minimize your litigation exposure: Discrimination, retaliation and other costly claims
• Plus: Tips on enforcing non-compete and proprietary information agreements
  

Featured FAculty:

Bert Brannen, Partner, Fisher & Phillips LLP

Bert Brannen is a partner and team manager in the Atlanta office. Since 1982, he has represented employers exclusively in successfully solving labor and employment law problems in the workplace. Much of his time is devoted to counseling employers about how to avoid workplace crises, comply with all applicable laws and prevent litigation. In this regard, he prepares all of the documents associated with the employment experience, including employee handbooks, employment contracts, restrictive covenants, ethics and confidentiality agreements, non-competition or non-solicitation agreements, and severance agreements. He also has a depth of experience advising employers how to stay union-free and in assisting employers with the administration, negotiation, mediation and arbitration of collective bargaining agreements. He has successfully represented clients in formal administrative proceedings before the NLRB, EEOC, DOL and in federal and state courts. Bert has written numerous published articles on a wide variety of employment law subjects. He regularly speaks to business and professional associations, industry groups and individual employers. He has been repeatedly named a "Super Lawyer, for Labor & Employment Law" and is currently on a leadership track to become Chairman of the Labor and Employment Law Section of the State Bar of Georgia. He also teaches labor and employment law at Georgia Institute of Technology.

MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE:

We're so confident you'll get what you want out of this conference that we'll refund every penny if you're not completely satisfied. No questions asked! It's 100% risk-free!

Pricing:

Unable to Attend?  Order the CD!
Your CD recording includes the complete audio conference presentation, audience Q&A and presentation materials.

APPROVED FOR RECERTIFICATION CREDIT:

HRCI - Receive 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

Each CCM event presents a variety of information and is presented for each organization to develop its own approach and methodology.