Terminating the Employment Relationship

S ECTION 5 Retirement and Retirement Incentives.........................................................................................................................56 A. Disability Retirement ....................................................................................................................................56 1. Retirement System Overview ..................................................................................................................56 2. Eligibility .................................................................................................................................................57 3. Does the Member Qualify? ......................................................................................................................57 4. Applying for Disability ............................................................................................................................63 5. Labor Code Section 4850 and Industrial Disability Retirement of Safety Members ...............................64 6. After the Application is Accepted or Denied ...........................................................................................66 7. Procedures for Handling Local Safety Disability Retirement Applications: A Primer for PERS Agencies.......................................................................................................................73 8. Involuntary Disability Retirement ...........................................................................................................77 9. Involuntary Discontinuance of Disability Retirement Benefits ...............................................................79 B. Service Retirement ........................................................................................................................................80 1. CalPERS Retirements ..............................................................................................................................80 2. ’37 Act Retirements .................................................................................................................................80 C. Early Retirement Incentives ..........................................................................................................................81 1. General Incentives ...................................................................................................................................82 2. “Golden Handshake” For PERS Agencies...............................................................................................88 3. “Golden Handshake” for ’37 Act Employers...........................................................................................91 S ECTION 6 Layoffs ........................................................................................................................................................................92 A. Layoff Rules..................................................................................................................................................92 B. Duty to Meet and Confer Over Impact of Layoffs ........................................................................................92 C. Potential Legal Ramifications: Discrimination/Wrongful Termination/Retaliation......................................93 D. Layoffs In Lieu of Termination: Due Process Concerns ..............................................................................93 S ECTION 7 Legally Enforceable Settlement and Separation Agreements ......................................................................................94 A. Preliminary Issues .........................................................................................................................................94 1. Preamble ..................................................................................................................................................94 2. Recitals.....................................................................................................................................................94 B. Common General Provisions.........................................................................................................................95 1. No Admission ..........................................................................................................................................95 2. Payment/Consideration ............................................................................................................................96 3. Waiver & Release ....................................................................................................................................97 4. Integration..............................................................................................................................................102 5. Supersession Clause...............................................................................................................................102 6. No Representations ................................................................................................................................102 7. Modification...........................................................................................................................................102 8. Interpretation..........................................................................................................................................103 9. Severability ............................................................................................................................................103 10.Further Documents and Actions ............................................................................................................103 11.Voluntariness/Representation by Counsel .............................................................................................104 12.Choice of Forum and Law .....................................................................................................................104 13.Execution in Counterparts......................................................................................................................105 C. Variable Provisions .....................................................................................................................................105 1. No Reemployment .................................................................................................................................105 2. References for Future Employment .......................................................................................................105 3. Dismissal of Action(s) ...........................................................................................................................106 4. Attorneys’ Fees ......................................................................................................................................107 5. Confidentiality and Disclosure...............................................................................................................107 6. Non-disparagement ................................................................................................................................109

Terminating the Employment Relationship ©2019 (s) Liebert Cassidy Whitmore v