Before you sign a severance agreement

A severance agreement is a contract in which you give up claims in exchange for money. The claims are often worth more than the money; the only way to know is to have the facts of your departure looked at by someone who does this weekly.

Three things to check before anything else: the release language, the non-disparagement clause and whether the non-compete has quietly been extended.

Bring the agreement and your last two performance reviews. We can usually tell you within the hour whether to negotiate.