The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to provide severance pay to their employees. It is a matter of agreement between the employer and the employee (or their representative). However, there are two exceptions when a company must grant severance payments. First, some states have laws that require employers to offer fired employees severance pay when their layoffs are due to the closure of a facility or because the company is laying off large numbers of employees.
Depending on state laws, employers may have to pay a small amount of severance pay. For more information about your state's laws, contact your state's labor department. Therefore, each state has different laws, from the deadline for employees to receive their severance pay to whether a state requires severance pay. The reason and manner in which an employee is separated from their employer is a determining factor in whether an employer should pay severance pay.
If you have evidence of discrimination, if the language in the package is too complicated or comprehensive, or if the agreement is several pages long, it may be beneficial to hire a lawyer specializing in employment law. Additionally, if your organization has more than 100 people and you're preparing to fire a lot of people, the law requires your employer to give you 60 days' notice of the closure of a company or important department. In situations where the law does not require the need for severance pay, employers can still offer a separation package as a way to protect themselves from potential litigation and maintain their reputation as a good employer. Employers develop their own formulas for severance pay, often using length of service as a factor - for example, two weeks of severance pay for each year of employment.
