Lawyer shares one common mistake nobody should make when quitting or getting fired

More and more people continue to lose their jobs today. In such situations, it can be difficult for individuals to be fully be aware of things that they sign before they leave a company. Companies can coerce employees into signing clauses or agreements that could prove to be troublesome for them in the future. Worry not, as The Labor Lawyer—who goes by @attorneyryan.12 on TikTok—shared a helpful video citing important advice for employees who had been laid off.

The creator begins the video by sharing that he had to turn down another potential client because there was nothing he could do to help them with their mistake. He shares that the mistake was a "critical" one that many people have done at jobs that they have worked at. The man explains, "So listen, just because your boss or HR says you have to sign something, does not make it true!" He states how employees were not obligated to sign anything when they were fired or quit.

The lawyer mentions how employers would insist on such formalities but they were ultimately lying as they were not lawyers. He continues, "If a lawyer for the company says you have to do that, please understand that lawyer works for the company, they're trying to screw you." The man explains how employees were "done" once they signed a severance agreement and took money from the company. He explains how lawyers could not help individuals in such cases and requests them to stop signing documents without properly checking them.

People shared their own experiences when it came to being laid off from their companies in the comments section. @patriciarcole said, "I didn’t sign my severance contract because it said I had to promise not to make disparaging remarks about the company ever." Another user, @zombiesheep5, shared, "I refused to sign a writeup. They accidentally left it behind in the boss's office. At lunch I noticed it, somehow it disappeared and was never found." @jadedjourney commented, "I quit a hospital I worked at. I showed up at HR to turn in my keys and badge. They were like we need you to sign some paperwork. I said I'm not."

This article originally appeared 2 years ago.