I have still not received my letter. I have been in contact & having tracking now.
Did anyone not sign the letter, or have other circumstances where they would not want to sign away their legal rights?
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The CBDM position is receiving severance. However, I am hearing people that were there 1 year are getting 2 weeks & while others have been there a lot longer am only getting 1 week per year?
This is in regards to the CBDM positions - not bookseller positions. They are salary positions and their separation from BN is a different process than booksellers.
I haven't heard of any letter that any former employee in this series of layoffs that require a signature. They aren't offering any severance or requirements on your part...it is a simple one page letter. Maybe its different for the few stores that are permanently closing, but barnes doesn't have money to pay anyone and they don't seem to care what happens to you or where you work after. It s—s but there it is. If you want to stick with retail there are plenty of places hiring that treat employees better than barnes has in the last 5 years. Good luck 🙂
The only employees eligible for severance are those at stores that are closing.
Refusing to sign will not affect your unemployment in California. It will affect any severance.
I, also, have not received a severance letter. I would have to carefully review the letter & I would not sign anything that: A - prohibits me from working at another book store, OR, B - gives me no right to pursue legal action if I learn that BN is guilty of wrongdoing in the way we were severed, OR, that we have not received official letters with an official date of severance. Also, if, in any way, former employees are denied the right to file for unemployment, that would be a reason to seek legal help.
Apparently, we're not getting any severance pay because of the financial devastation brought on by COVID. At least, that's the impression I got from other recently laid-off employees on other BN threads.
If there's no severance, what's left to lose by refusing to sign?