General Release in MD

[Jfortoul]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

I just signed a General Release to receive severance payments on a bi-weekly basis. If I start a new job prior to the end of the weeks included in the agreement, am I required to communicate my start ate to my employer and thus terminate the payments?
There are no provisions in the letter which state so.
The only thing that the agreement states at the end is,
"I further agree that should I breach any of the provisions of this General Release, and in addition to any other remedy XXX may have for a breach, including, but not limited to specific performance of the provisions, I will immediately return the value of the consideration set forth in Attachment A and pay all reasonable attorney fees incurred by XXX pertaining to the breach of this General Release and/or its enforcement."

 

[swalsh411]

Absolutely not. Whether or not you start at a new job has no bearing on your severance pay and your former employer has no right to know. This is not like with unemployment where you must report all income when you file claims. (or stop filing alltogther once you become gainfully re-employed).

 

[sandyclaus]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Maryland

I just signed a General Release to receive severance payments on a bi-weekly basis. If I start a new job prior to the end of the weeks included in the agreement, am I required to communicate my start ate to my employer and thus terminate the payments?
There are no provisions in the letter which state so.
The only thing that the agreement states at the end is,
"I further agree that should I breach any of the provisions of this General Release, and in addition to any other remedy XXX may have for a breach, including, but not limited to specific performance of the provisions, I will immediately return the value of the consideration set forth in Attachment A and pay all reasonable attorney fees incurred by XXX pertaining to the breach of this General Release and/or its enforcement."

Does the terms of the release require you to remain unemployed? If not, then there should be no reason why obtaining a new job should void the agreement, stop the payments, or require you to repay payments received after securing new employment.

 

[cbg]

While I am always hesitant to try to interpret an agreement that I have not read, I would tend to agree that if there is nothing in the agreement that says you have to report it or that severance stops if you get another job, that you do not have to and it doesn't. There is certainly nothing in the law requiring you to report a new hire date or that automatically stops severance if you become employed.