Since California is an at-will employment state, an employee can be terminated for any legal reason without warning, as long as it is not for any discriminatory or retaliatory reasons.
Cause just means that you, the worker, were terminated because of some stated condition of employment (example you did not follow some handbook rule)... without cause are things that you may be terminated for where may be you were just not the right person for team cohesiveness.
While no mandate requires employers to provide severance under California law, SB 331, signed into law in October 2021, introduced important provisions: Time to Review: You have a minimum of five days to review the severance agreement.
Is California an At-Will State and What Does that Mean? Yes, California is an at-will state. Legally, that means an employer can terminate an employee for any reason and without warning. The opposite is true as well.
Under Labor Code Section 202, when an employee not having a written contact for a definite period quits his or her employment and gives 72 hours prior notice of his or her intention to quit, and quits on the day given in the notice, the employee is entitled to his or her wages at the time of quitting.
Cause just means that you, the worker, were terminated because of some stated condition of employment (example you did not follow some handbook rule)... without cause are things that you may be terminated for where may be you were just not the right person for team cohesiveness.
It makes no difference how long you've been with a company so yes, it's legal to lay off any and everyone without severance. The exceptions: a union agreement requiring severance, a personal contract calling for a severance. This is usually only for executives and ``key'' people.
Employers are not legally required to offer severance during layoffs, but many choose to do so to maintain goodwill and ease the transition for their former employees. If you are offered a severance agreement, remember that you don't have to sign it right away.
Severance is never a requirement of any employer unless you have a signed employment agreement stating otherwise, or, it is a written policy of the company.
disparagement clause generally prevents employees from disclosing certain confidential business information or saying anything negative about their former employer. Confidentiality clauses generally prohibit employees from sharing details of the severance agreement.