skip to Main Content
Have You Been Made Redundant? Don’t Sign A Deed Of Release!

Have you been made redundant? Don’t sign a Deed of Release!

If you’ve been made redundant, don’t sign anything, including a Deed of Release, until you get expert advice.

The warning comes from industrial advocate Miles Heffernan from Industrial Relations Claims.

Mr Heffernan says a Deed of Release is a legally binding document. It can later be used against you in future legal proceedings.

Workers pressured to sign

A Deed of Release is an agreement where usually for a lump sum pay out, you agree to not take any further legal action against your employer.

For example, claims for unpaid wages or unfair dismissal.

Deeds can stipulate that you agree to not disclose confidential information about the company.

They can also stipulate that you must not use any intellectual property that belongs to the company after you leave.

Mr Heffernan says he often represents workers who felt pressured into signing a Deed of Release.

“We recently had a case where an employer offered a community care worker an IPad in exchange for signing a Deed of Release,” he said.

“They literally wanted him to sign away his legal rights in exchange for an IPad.

“His manager shoved the document under his nose, and gave him minutes to sign, threatening to withdraw his redundancy pay out if he refused.”

Employers can’t force workers to sign

Mr Heffernan said employers cannot force an employee to sign a Deed of Release.

“Employers must by law pay you your redundancy and all of your other entitlements at the end of your employment,” he said.

“They must do this regardless of whether you sign a Deed or not.

“They may offer you more money or other incentives to sign the document, including something as token as an IPad, but they certainly can’t force you to do it.

Mr Heffernan cautions that while a lump sum pay out might seem attractive, workers need to crunch the numbers to ensure they’re not missing out on other money that is owed to them.


Call our team at Industrial Relations Claims today on

1300 045 466

To connect with us, please follow us on

 

Back To Top