Abel Lenz recently was on the receiving end of words no employee ever wants to hear.
“Abel, you’re fired. Out.”
Lenz was the creative director of Patch, AOL’s hyper-local news division. His dispatch came from AOL CEO Tim Armstrong – minutes into a conference call with about 1,000 of his co-workers listening in.
A recording of the call was leaked, of course, and has since gone viral on the Internet, with more than a million people hearing it.
Lenz isn’t commenting, but one could imagine he’s considering his options (taking photos of company meetings reportedly was part of his job description). No one wants to think about it, but do you know what your options are, if you’re suddenly holding a pink slip?
In “Be Prepared To Get Fired – Know How to Hire A Lawyer,” Forbes’ Deborah L. Jacobs offers some advice.
- Have a lawyer look at any severance deal with an eye out for a legal claim, such as for discrimination or retaliation.
- Be realistic about your expectations; you might not have a legal claim.
- “I need something to say other than please,” Cliff Palefsky, a lawyer with McGuinn, Hillsman & Palefsky, told Forbes.
- Something else Jacobs says to consider: Think long and hard before filing a lawsuit, weighing any benefits against the potential harm to your future job opportunities.
- Even absent a claim, a lawyer might be able to negotiate better terms for you, such as a bigger payout (or any payout at all), more toward health insurance or help with job placement.
- To find an attorney, Jacobs recommends starting with referrals, meeting with at least two attorneys, and checking their references.
- The attorneys will want to see any relevant documents, such as performance reviews and memos, as well as a written summary of your situation.
It’s hard, and maybe you didn’t see it coming. But an attorney might make it a little easier to move on.