Both state and federal laws determine your rights as an employee. Your employer does have to follow federal workplace regulations, but state laws may limit some of your rights.
Ohio is an at-will employment state, and the current interpretation of state employment statutes heavily favors employers. The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled on wrongful termination cases basically stating that very few factors can limit an employer’s right to terminate someone’s employment at any time.
While state law allows a company to fire you for any reason and also allows you to quit for any reason, your employer may still have obligations to you at the end of your job. Does a termination justify your employer violating the severance agreement in your employment contract?
Your employer will likely have to uphold their agreement with you
Your employer does not have to offer you sufferance or even sign a formal contract with you to hire you. If they take those steps or if you negotiate severance when taking a new job or accepting a promotion, they typically need to uphold the terms included in that contract at the end of your employment.
Paying you severance or allowing you to continue using the company’s insurance benefits for a fixed amount of time are coming contractual obligations employers may still have after terminating a worker. It’s possible that the contract may include certain situations that allow your employer to avoid fulfilling those obligations, so a review of your contract is crucial when alleging a breach related to severance pay.
If a company violates its employment contract with you, that could potentially lead to civil proceedings. Learning more about your rights after the termination can help you make the best of a difficult situation.