At Charles W. Miller & Associates, our Louisville employment contract attorneys can assist and advise workers on a wide range of employment contract issues. Two common issues that arise in employment are non-compete agreements and severance agreements. Our legal team is well-versed in both of these types of employment contracts, as well as various other employment contracts workers across all industries may be engaged in. We represent all types of employees, including office workers, manual laborers, contractors, highly paid executives, federal government employees, medical professionals, and others.

If you need help with an employment contract dispute or related issue, contact Charles W. Miller & Associates today for a free, confidential consultation with one of our attorneys. With over 22 years of legal experience, we have the resources and skill to provide the straightforward counsel and dedicated representation you need.

Call our office at (502) 890-9954 or submit an online contact form today.

Non-Compete Agreements

More and more employees are being presented with non-compete agreements when they are offered a position. Non-compete agreements generally prohibit an employee from working within a certain geographic area during a certain time. There are many aspects to handling non-compete agreements.

As a general principle, a non-compete agreement has to be properly limited in geographical boundaries and timeframe, and it must protect a legitimate interest of the employer.

Legitimate business interests include:

• Protecting confidential information and trade secrets
• Protecting the party’s relationship with its clients
• The money and time the employer spent training the employee

A non-compete agreement must be narrowly tailored to meet the needs of the employer, which will be balanced against those of the employee. The non-compete must not inflict undue hardship on the employee.

Once an employee leaves a business, there are several different ways that non-compete agreements can impact the employee. When the employee finds another job, that new job may violate the terms of the non-compete agreement. If an employee takes a position that the former employer believes is in violation of the non-compete agreement, the former employer may sue the employee and seek a court order to prevent the employee from working. A former employer must show that the employee has, in fact, taken or threatened to take an action in violation of the non-compete agreement. Other than an injunction, the employer can seek money damages, such as lost profits.

Charles W. Miller & Associates frequently consults with clients when issues arise concerning a non-compete agreement. If you have a question regarding a non-compete agreement, contact us today to discuss your legal options with a skilled employment law attorney.

Severance Agreements

Employers sometimes offer a severance package when the employment relationship ends. Severance agreements generally accompany any offer of severance pay. This agreement will require the employee to waive certain legal rights they may have in order to receive the compensation included in the severance package.

Severance agreements result from many different scenarios:

• An employer can offer a severance package to an employee they are terminating
• An employee can approach their employer and request a severance package after they have been terminated
• An employee wants to negotiate a severance package as part of their resignation

You should not automatically accept a severance package offered by your employer. Your severance agreement will likely require you to waive certain legal rights in exchange for the benefits offered in the severance agreement. If, for example, you were wrongfully terminated due to racial discrimination, accepting a severance package will more than likely require you to waive or release your rights to file suit based on that wrongful termination. Non-compete provisions (and many other provisions) are often included in severance agreements, which may make it harder for you to obtain employment elsewhere. The amount of money offered in the severance package may not provide sufficient compensation for the rights waived or to overcome the obstacles the severance package creates.

A severance agreement must also comply with the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA). In order to have the employee successfully waive any potential age discrimination claims, this act requires that an employee get a minimum of 21 days to review the severance agreement before signing it and have at least seven days after signing it in which to revoke his or her signature. The OWBPA applies only to employees who are over 40.

Why You Should Consult an Employment Law Attorney

Employees presented with severance agreements should schedule an appointment with an employment law attorney to not only review the agreement but also discuss the facts surrounding the separation of the employment so that the attorney can determine if there are any potential claims you may have that would be waived by signing the severance agreement. Your attorney will discuss with you the reason your employment ended, your area of employment and the possible repercussions this severance agreement could have on future employment, the reasonableness of the severance agreement, and whether you have any potential claims regarding your employment that you would be waiving if you sign the severance agreement.

Aside from advising our clients as to the contents and possible ramifications of their proposed severance agreement, we can also negotiate the terms of the severance agreement.

Many terms that can be negotiated in settlement agreements include:

• The financial terms of the agreement including:
  • The amount of the severance
  • Potential tax consequences of receiving a severance payment
  • The schedule of payments
• Employment benefits, including health insurance and retirement benefits
• Whether the employer will challenge the employee’s application for unemployment benefits
• Confidentiality
• Whether the employee will be eligible for rehire at any future time
• The terms of any non-compete agreement including its geographical boundaries, the time frame, and what constitutes competition
• Non-solicitation of employees or former clients
• Non-disparagement
• References
• Applicable law
• What consequences are specified if either party breaches the severance agreement

At Charles W. Miller & Associates, we frequently consult with clients when issues arise concerning a severance agreement. If you have a question regarding a severance agreement you are presented with or one you wish to request, call us today to discuss your legal options. Our Louisville employment contract attorneys can assist you with these and a broad range of other contract issues.

Call our office today at (502) 890-9954 for a free consultation.