Finding out that you are being terminated from your job can be extremely stressful, as you may be unsure of how you will pay your bills, cover your expenses, or support your family. Severance pay can play an important role in helping to ensure you have a safety net as you transition from one company to another, which can take time in many situations.
Unfortunately, severance pay is not required under Nevada law and many employees who may expect a severance pay offer learn that they are being denied this important benefit. If you believe that you are entitled to severance pay due to promises made by your employer, terms of an employment contract, or employer policies, you should call a Las Vegas employment attorney as soon as possible. Our legal team will evaluate your situation and advise you of your rights to a severance package.
Severance Packages in Nevada
Most severance packages have standard terms that promise to pay an employee a specific dollar amount out of gratitude for an employee’s service and to help compensate for being laid off. While the law provides no entitlement to such pay, the actions of an employer may legally entitle an employee to a certain severance package.
For example, any of the following may legally require that an employer provide an offer of severance pay to an employee:
- The employer made a verbal promise of severance pay;
- A company handbook stated it was company policy to provide severance pay;
- An employment contract signed upon hiring or contract renewal had a provision promising severance pay.
If any of the above are true and a severance package was not offered, the employer is in violation of a legal agreement and an experienced employment lawyer can seek the severance pay to which an employee rightfully entitled. If an employer still refuses to abide by the promise of severance pay, our attorneys can request that Nevada courts enforce the employment contract and award such severance pay.
Negotiating Severance Pay Under Other Circumstances
Sometimes, an employer will request that a terminated employee sign a separation agreement that does not offer severance pay but instead binds the employees to non-disclosure or non-compete agreements or asks that the employee waive their right to take legal action against the employer in the future.
In these situations, before you sign a separation agreement, an experienced lawyer may be able to negotiate with your former employer to secure a severance package in exchange for your agreement to the other terms of the separation agreement. In many cases, agreeing to certain provisions may be worth the transitional financial security that severance pay provides.
Contact a Nevada Employment Lawyer To Discuss Your Situation Today
At the law office of HKM Employment Attorneys, we have represented many terminated employees in severance pay negotiations and disputes. We can identify your rights under the law and stand up for those rights to your former employer. To learn more about how we can assist you in your specific situation, consult with our Las Vegas employment lawyers today.
