General Release for Employment Termination

Notice: Various state and federal laws prohibit employment discrimination based on age, sex, race, color, national origin, religion, handicap, or veteran status.  These laws are enforced through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Department of Labor, and state human rights agencies.  If you feel that your election of [Your Business]'s severance package was coerced and is discriminatory, you are encouraged to speak with [designated person] at your earliest convenience.  You may also want to discuss the release below with an attorney.

In any event, you should thoroughly review and understand the effect of the release before acting on it.  Therefore, please take this release home and consider it for at least [pick a number — we recommend at least 21] days before you decide to sign it.  If you do sign this release, you will have seven days after signing to reconsider your decision and to rescind your acceptance of the offer if you so desire. [Note: the preceding sentence is required only in the case of workers over 40.]

This release, unless signed by both parties, will expire as of [pick a date that coincides with the number of "consideration days" you chose in paragraph two, above].

General Release

As consideration for the following [list here the severance pay, extended benefits, or other valuable items you are agreeing to provide]: offered to me by [Your Business], I release and discharge [Your Business], its successors, subsidiaries, employees, officers and directors (hereinafter referred to as "the Company") for all claims, liabilities, demands, and causes of action known or unknown, fixed or contingent, which I may have or claim to have against the Company as a result of this termination and do hereby agree not to file a lawsuit to assert such claims.

This includes but is not limited to claims arising under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act or other federal, state or local laws prohibiting employment discrimination or claims growing out of any legal restrictions on the Company's right to terminate its employees.
This release does not have any effect on any claim I may have against the Company unrelated to this termination.

I have carefully read and fully understand all of the provisions of this agreement and release, which sets forth the entire agreement between me and the Company, and I acknowledge that I have not relied on any representation or statement, written or oral, not set forth in this document.

Signed:_________________________________	Date: ______________________
(employee)

Signed:_________________________________	Date: ______________________
	(for the Company)