Employers who offer a severance agreement to induce you to waive your rights must follow special rules if you are over the age of 40. Federal law requires these severance agreements to be clearly written and explicit. You must be given adequate time to review the agreement and cannot be pressured into signing it.
1. How long do I legally have to sign a severance agreement in California? You usually have 5 business days. However, people 40 and older must be given at least 21 days to consider the agreement or 45 days in group layoffs.
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.
Employers who offer a severance agreement to induce you to waive your rights must follow special rules if you are over the age of 40. Federal law requires these severance agreements to be clearly written and explicit. You must be given adequate time to review the agreement and cannot be pressured into signing it.
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.