The Severance Agreement

Forty pages. Fourteen days to review. Seven days to revoke.

Paragraph one: they’re giving you money. Paragraph two through forty: everything you give up to get it.

You can’t sue. You can’t talk about it. You can’t disparage them. You can’t work for a competitor. You can’t contact former colleagues about anything related to your departure. You release all claims, known and unknown.

For money. A specific amount. Usually less than a year’s salary. Sometimes much less.

The severance agreement isn’t compensation for your loss. It’s the price of your silence. And they know exactly how much silence costs because they’ve bought it before.