severence/references

[Laidoffinnyc]

If received a severence package of 5000 but got hit for withholding taxes on a 7500 forgivable loan, which brought my total severence check to 0, do i have a legal recourse on the firm?

Also, if my new employer checks for references from my old employers and the speak badly of me, do i have any recourse? I was part of a firm-wide "mass layoff".

Thanks.

 

[cbg]

1. Probably not. Severance is not mandated by law; they are not under any obligation to pay severance at all.

2. If they out and out lie about you, yes. They can't say you were fired for stealing if you were let go in a mass layoff, for example. But if they express their honest opinion, and the opinion happens to be negative, no. They are entitled to their opionion and they are entitled to express it, even if you don't agree.