(c) istock/Sohel_Parvez_Haque
Do you have to sign a release to get a severance package in Ontario? For most employees who find themselves suddenly unemployed, a severance package is often accompanied by a "Full and Final Release Agreement." The employee is often told that, in order to receive the severance package he or she will have to sign the Full and Final Release.
Releases often contain language that essentially says that in consideration of the receipt of the amount offered the employee agrees to waive all claims for wrongful dismissal damages, Human Rights damages, claims for vacation pay and other statutory entitlements, and, less frequently, claims to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
Is an employee legally obligated to sign such a document in order to receive his or her severance package? The answer is "no, but."