What options does an employee have when its employer is merging?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

What options does an employee have when its employer is merging?

Can a company that is merging two of it’s divisions demand you to either voluntarily resign so that you get severance package (but then cannot collect unemployment benefits), or relocate to another city? What action can the company take if you do not sign either?

Asked on September 21, 2010 under Employment Labor Law, Wisconsin

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 13 years ago | Contributor

1) You can be asked to resign in order to get  a package, though as you note, you then don't receive unemployment compensation. If you choose to not do this, then the company can fire you as long as:

a) Doing so is not a violation of any employment contracts, agreements, etc.

b) You are not being discriminated against in being fired (or pressured to resign) because of your membership in specifically protected category (e.g. race, religion, sex, age over 40, disability)

c) You are not being fired or pressured to resign as retaliation for your having filed a protected claim--like a claim for overtime--or exercised any legally protected rights (like taking FMLA leave).

Otherwise, companies can generally fire employees at any time, for any reason.

2) You can be told your job is being relocated; if you don't take the relocation, you can be fired, subject to the above.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption