Employment Settlement Agreements
Settlement Agreements arise in several different situations.
Sometimes individuals may be offered a Settlement Agreement as part of a standard redundancy package. This usually means the proposed dismissal will not be contentious, with the result the employee may have little scope to argue for improved terms. In other words, the Settlement Agreement is offered on a “take it or leave it” basis. In those circumstances the key issue is whether the sums on offer represent reasonable recompense over and above what the individual would be entitled to receive anyway.
Similarly, an individual may be offered severance terms following a workplace dispute, perhaps where the employer knows it may have committed a repudiatory breach of contract. The employer will be keen to avoid any potential litigation and adverse publicity. In those situations, individuals have an opportunity to look more critically at what is being offered. It may help to take specialist advice so that the pros and cons of any offer can be assessed against what could be achieved if an Employment Tribunal claim or other proceedings were pursued instead.
Clearly, compensation alone should not be the sole driver and individuals always need to look at the bigger picture. For example, the irrecoverable costs, the distraction of litigation, the time and stress involved, the likelihood of securing new employment quickly, and reputational issues all need to be carefully considered.
Whilst most Settlement Agreements contain standard provisions, individuals still need to think carefully about negotiating the less obvious (and often overlooked) concessions from their employer. This could be anything from making the termination payments more tax efficient, securing the continuation of certain employee benefits (e.g. private health insurance, death in service and company car use), to insisting on provisions such as the transfer of a mobile phone, PAC codes and/or laptop computers – all of which are generally of little value to employers.
There are also reputational issues to consider. For example, making sure any internal announcement is not disparaging, and obtaining an agreed reference which is both positive but at the same time does not look contrived.