Do not sign a separation agreement your employer just handed you. Not today, not this week, and certainly not under pressure. By signing, you may permanently waive claims under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), the California Labor Code, and the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) — rights that could be worth far more than the severance on the table. Your single most urgent step: tell your employer in writing that you need time to consult an attorney, then preserve every document you have access to right now. Huprich Law Firm and attorney Joseph Huprich offer free consultations for Glendora employees facing exactly this situation.
Table of Contents
- What every Glendora employee should do in the next 72 hours
- How Joseph Huprich reads a severance offer — and what he looks for first
- Huprich Law Firm is ready to review your Glendora separation agreement
- Trusted sources and local resources for Glendora employees
- Key Takeaways
What every Glendora employee should do in the next 72 hours
- Do not sign yet. California guidance requires employers to give you at least five business days to review a separation agreement and to notify you of your right to consult an attorney. If your employer is pushing for a same-day signature, that pressure itself is a red flag.
- If you are 40 or older, your timeline is longer. The ADEA’s Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (OWBPA) requires a 21-day consideration period and a 7-day revocation window after signing for any age-discrimination waiver. An employer who skips these steps produces an invalid release.
- Collect your documents now. Gather paystubs, your offer letter, the employee handbook, performance reviews, any written warnings, and all communications about your termination. Once you lose system access, these become hard to recover.
- Watch for illegal clauses. A confidentiality or nondisparagement clause that prevents you from reporting harassment, discrimination, or other unlawful acts to a government agency violates SB 331, California’s Silenced No More Act. PAGA waivers in private severance agreements are generally unenforceable under California law. Non-compete provisions are void under Business and Professions Code section 16600.
- Know what you can negotiate. Severance agreements are often negotiable, and common targets include additional pay, COBRA or benefit continuation, a neutral reference letter, carve-outs for specific claims, and an extended review period.
- Understand the unemployment question. How severance is characterized in the agreement can affect your EDD eligibility. Confirm this with counsel before you finalize any terms.
Pro Tip: Before you negotiate, estimate your potential damages. If your employer owes you unpaid overtime, missed meal breaks, or failed to provide required notices under the WARN Act, those figures become leverage. An attorney can help you calculate them quickly.
How Joseph Huprich reads a severance offer — and what he looks for first
The first thing an employment lawyer examines in a separation agreement is not the dollar amount. It is the release language. A broad release that sweeps in every claim “known or unknown” can extinguish wage claims, discrimination claims, and retaliation claims in a single paragraph — often without the employee realizing what they gave up.
California law draws hard lines here. SB 331, the Silenced No More Act, limits confidentiality and nondisparagement clauses that would prevent an employee from disclosing or discussing unlawful workplace conduct. An employer can protect genuine trade secrets. An employer cannot use a severance agreement to silence someone about harassment or discrimination. Those are different things, and many agreements blur the line deliberately.
For Glendora employees over 40, the OWBPA adds a procedural layer that employers frequently get wrong. The 21-day review window and the 7-day post-signing revocation period are not optional courtesies. Miss either, and the age-discrimination waiver is invalid regardless of what the agreement says.
On the negotiation side, the levers we use most often are severance topping (pushing the pay figure higher based on tenure and potential claim value), COBRA or extended benefit coverage, a carve-out preserving the right to file charges with the EEOC or California Civil Rights Department, and a neutral reference agreement in writing. Employers in Glendora and the surrounding San Gabriel Valley area are generally willing to negotiate when an employee comes to the table with documented leverage — unpaid wages, a pattern of discriminatory treatment, or a procedurally defective agreement.
When clients come in for a first meeting, they should bring the separation agreement itself, their most recent paystubs, the employee handbook, any written performance records, and any communications from HR or management about the termination. That package lets us move fast.
Pro Tip: If your employer set a signing deadline that falls before the statutory review window closes, the deadline is unenforceable. Do not let an artificial urgency push you into a decision that cannot be undone.
Huprich Law Firm is ready to review your Glendora separation agreement
When you are staring at a separation agreement with a deadline, you need a lawyer who knows California employment law and knows your community. Huprich Law Firm reviews and negotiates severance agreements for employees in Glendora and nearby cities throughout the San Gabriel Valley and greater Southern California. Attorney Joseph Huprich handles these matters personally, from the initial red-flag review through written negotiation and, when necessary, litigation.
A free consultation covers the key clauses in your agreement, an honest assessment of your potential claims, and a clear explanation of your options. There is no obligation to proceed, and for qualifying claims, the firm works on contingency, meaning you pay nothing unless there is a recovery. If you want to understand how to negotiate severance in California before your deadline hits, that conversation starts with one call.
Contact Huprich Law Firm today to schedule your free case evaluation. Glendora employees can also reach the firm through the online case-evaluation form for a prompt response.
This article provides general legal information, not legal advice. Employment law rules change, and your specific situation may differ. Confirm current rules with the California Civil Rights Department or a qualified employment attorney.
Trusted sources and local resources for Glendora employees
Protecting your rights in a separation agreement starts with knowing where the rules come from. The table below summarizes the key timelines and legal limits every Glendora employee should understand before signing.
| Rule | Requirement | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard review window | At least five business days to review; employer must advise of right to consult counsel | CA Civil Rights Dept. FAQ |
| OWBPA (age 40+) | 21-day consideration period; 7-day revocation after signing | ADEA/OWBPA guidance |
| SB 331 (Silenced No More Act) | Confidentiality/nondisparagement clauses cannot silence reports of unlawful acts | Ogletree analysis |
| PAGA waivers | Representative PAGA waivers in private severance agreements are generally unenforceable | Employment Law Aid |
| Non-compete clauses | Void and unenforceable under Business and Professions Code § 16600 | Severance lawyer guidance |
Recommended reading and local resources:
- A Guide to Employment Separation Agreements in California — Shouse Law Group
- California Imposes Significant New Restrictions on Severance and Settlement Agreements — Ogletree
- Employment, Separation, and Settlement Agreements: Limitations on Confidentiality and Non-Disparagement Clauses (California Civil Rights Department FAQ)
- California Severance Agreements: What to Know Before You Sign
- Best Severance Lawyer Guidance on Non-Waivable Rights — Leeran S. Barzilai | A Professional Law Corporation
- Huprich Law
Key Takeaways
Glendora employees who receive a separation agreement should get legal review before signing, because the release language often waives claims worth more than the severance offered.
| Point | Details |
|---|---|
| Do not sign immediately | California law gives you at least five business days to review; employees over 40 get 21 days under OWBPA. |
| Illegal clauses are common | SB 331 voids gag clauses on unlawful acts; PAGA waivers and non-competes are generally unenforceable in California. |
| Severance is negotiable | Pay, COBRA continuation, neutral references, and claim carve-outs are all standard negotiation targets. |
| Gather documents now | Collect paystubs, the handbook, performance records, and HR communications before you lose system access. |
| Huprich Law Firm | Offers free consultations and contingency representation for Glendora employees reviewing or negotiating separation agreements. |
