Ever asked for a Severance Package upfront

[azoomee]

Expecting a job offer nad getting ready for salary negotiatons -- ever asked for a severance package? How did it go ? How did you do it?

 

[bennylong]

NO, never. I'm not that important. All the CEO do though. They make more money if they get fired than if they were working

 

[DaveSimmons]

Unless you're an upper-level executive or possess some rare skill in incredible demand, this is a great way to not get hired.

"Hi, I'm expecting to be fired, please pay me lots when it happens!"

If you're negotiating for a salary over $125K then maybe.

Edit: what is valid is to be compensated for any noncompete clause in your contact that makes it difficult to find work. If they won't let you work in your field for a year, they owe you at least a year's salary.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Edit: what is valid is to be compensated for any noncompete clause in your contact that makes it difficult to find work. If they won't let you work in your field for a year, they owe you at least a year's salary.

What makes you say this? How do you qualify this claim?

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Edit: what is valid is to be compensated for any noncompete clause in your contact that makes it difficult to find work. If they won't let you work in your field for a year, they owe you at least a year's salary.

What makes you say this? How do you qualify this claim?

This isn't a law, it would just be stupidity to accept a strong noncompete that keeps you unemployed without them paying for the privilege.

There's a difference between nondisclosure and noncompete agreements. Nondisclosure keeps you from sharing a company's secrets. You don't get paid extra for that.

Noncompete can keep you from working at all if your skill set is specialized and the noncompete is worded loosely enough.

For example your expertise is in designing optimizations for database engines and you have a job offer from Oracle. They want you to sign a noncompete that you won't go to work for another database company for 6 months. That's 6 months where you can't work in your area. It would be normal and acceptable to negotiate to be paid for that forced vacation.

 

[Nebor]

Yes, there's really no other point at which you can negotiate it. Some people bring it up during hiring, and it's as negotiable as their salary. Those who fail to bring it up get nothing.

You'll never get anything in life if you don't ask.

 

[Greenman]

Do noncompete contracts hold up in court? I signed one once that pretty much said I couldn't ever work as a contractor when I left the company. When I left the company to go back to work as a contractor, no one even tried to suggest that they might take action.

 

[UrbanKnight]

Originally posted by: Greenman
Do noncompete contracts hold up in court? I signed one once that pretty much said I couldn't ever work as a contractor when I left the company. When I left the company to go back to work as a contractor, no one even tried to suggest that they might take action.

IT depends ona few things as to their enforcability.

1. The state it was written in- State laws vary alot. I came from PA, a rewrite state, non-competes are generally very enforceable, Now I am in Florida, a very non enforceable state (if written in FL)
2. Them coming after you depends on what impact you make. If you leave and do something that doesn;t affect them, they generally leave you alone. If you leave and take half the customer base with you, obviously they are more porne to fight.

Botom line, it takes time and money to fight a non-compete contract, they have to weigh the options.

UK

 

[DaveSimmons]

It's true you can ask for anything in negotiations, but what you ask for does affect how you are viewed as a potential hire.

One other valid reason to ask about a severance package is if they want you to sign a multi-year contract to work for them. Then there is a balance: if they can make you stay, then they owe some severance for stopping your employment before that time runs out.

 

[Greenman]

Originally posted by: UrbanKnight

Originally posted by: Greenman
Do noncompete contracts hold up in court? I signed one once that pretty much said I couldn't ever work as a contractor when I left the company. When I left the company to go back to work as a contractor, no one even tried to suggest that they might take action.

IT depends ona few things as to their enforcability.

1. The state it was written in- State laws vary alot. I came from PA, a rewrite state, non-competes are generally very enforceable, Now I am in Florida, a very non enforceable state (if written in FL)
2. Them coming after you depends on what impact you make. If you leave and do something that doesn;t affect them, they generally leave you alone. If you leave and take half the customer base with you, obviously they are more porne to fight.

Botom line, it takes time and money to fight a non-compete contract, they have to weigh the options.

UK

That all makes sense. When I left I was competing with my old company, but I didn't take any of their customers, and when a few of them called me I declined their projects.

 

[RaistlinZ]

It sounds kinda like negotiating alimony before you get engaged.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: bennylong
NO, never. I'm not that important. All the CEO do though. They make more money if they get fired than if they were working

Yup. I just saw a readers digest article on this. (It was at the dentists, so I dont know how old the article was.)
It had a lot of stories about CEO's who only get paid 500,000 a year, rack up bills on the company account to the tune of 1 million a year, cost the company several billion a year (because they cant or wont do their job), and then get paid 30-50 million to leave the company.

Tell me that isnt the dream job right there.

 

[azoomee]

Edit: what is valid is to be compensated for any noncompete clause in your contact that makes it difficult to find work. If they won't let you work in your field for a year, they owe you at least a year's salary.

Dave Simmons:
First I've heard of this idea -- good one.......