The agreement must be backed by consideration. The employer must give something of value to the employee in exchange for the agreement. Employees must have 21 days to consider the severance offer, or 45 days if more than one employee is laid off as part of a group lay off.
If you're under 40, you get five days to review a severance agreement. If you're over 40, you get 21 days. #EmploymentLawyer #California.
In addition, employees over 40 being terminated as part of a group or class of employees (more than one) are entitled to a consideration period of 45 days. Even if they sign the agreement within the 45-day period, they are entitled to an additional 7 days to revoke the agreement.
Adequate Review Time: The employee must be given 21 days to consider the agreement if they are the sole person being terminated, or 45 days in the case of a group layoff. Revocation Period: After signing, the employee has 7 days to revoke their agreement.
Thankfully, in California, employers are required to follow certain rules when offering severance agreements to older employees, including providing time to consider the agreement and the option to consult with an attorney.
Employees age 40 or older must be given 21 days to consider the employer's offer, unless it is part of a group termination. In a group termination, employees must be given 45 days.
The OWBPA is an amendment to the ADEA that provides additional protections for workers who are 40 years of age or older. It was enacted in 1990 to make it more difficult for employers to use severance agreements to waive older workers' rights.