Thread regarding PNC layoffs

Ok. Now I am shivering. Go back to your shed

Stop with the fear monger. We are not discussing some trade secrets, we are simply talking about layoffs.

Besides, you might wanna double check what you are saying about us waiving any of our rights, because the NLRB issued the decision in Feb this year which significantly restricts companies from demanding silence from laid-off employees through confidentiality, non-disclosure, and non-disparagement provisions in their severance agreements. And yeah, it applies retroactively for all previously signed NDAs.

Maybe it is HR. But what this person is saying is pretty much true about waiving your rights when you accept severance.

One of the reasons employees offer severance to begin with is to prevent any nasty PR or legal issues. They aren't giving away free salary out of the goodness of their heart. LAst thing they want is bad PR from angry ex-employees going to the press and giving an interview about how badly they felt they were treated etc. They also don't want ex employees trying to file a class-action lawsuit because they were let go etc....

So basically they say, we will give you X numbers of weeks of pay. In return you cant talk about any of this to anyone in the public and you won't try to sue. Severance is an insurance policy expense against any bad PR or legal issues that might affect consumer sentiment.

Ladies and gentleman, an HR lackey has entered the chat below ⬇️

That is not correct.

When you accepted your severance, you were required to sign off on the document and accept the terms of the severance. Anyone who is given severance is always required to sign a waiver. This is true at any company.

In exchange for accepting the severance benefits, the fine print in the waiver states the following:

• You agreed to not attempt to sue the corporation for damages.

• You agreed to not discuss the terms of your severance package with the public.

• You agree to not divulge any information related to your time with the company or any trade secrets. This includes any and all information related to your separation from the company or the details of the severance package and benefits.

• You agreed that the employer retains all legal rights to the above information and only they can choose to decide which information to divulge to the public. This includes the number of layoffs, the compensations packages, the terms of any specific severance agreements..etc..

• You agreed that violation of any of the above agreements in the contract puts you in default of this contract and your status with the corporation can be changed from separated to terminated. In addition, your severance benefits will be be revoked at the discretion of the employer.

You signed it and agreed to it. Most people don't read the fine print but it's there. FSLA law has absolutely no bearing on this contract that you agreed to by signing.

They can indeed revoke your severance if you are proving information to the general public on the internet.

In addition, your employee status would be changed from Separated to Terminated. This means that when the next employer calls for a reference and they get to the obligatory question, 'Would you rehire this individual? ', the answer will be 'No'. This will sting if you have been with your employer for a lengthy period of time.

Not trying to be alarming to anyone. Are they going to try to take away severance because people are venting online? No. Just saying I wouldn't push your luck too far with this and provide specific information.

This would apply if we were still employed there. Since we were laid off that does not apply. There is literally an FSLA law that says employers cannot stop laid off employees from talking about the issue.

Correct...there is nothing illegal about sharing work experiences online.

There is also nothing illegal about walking up to your manager and telling him/her to go F himself.

Both will easily get you terminated.

there is nothing illegal nor proprietary in sharing work experiences online. in fact, the NLRA specifically protects employees right to openly discuss wages and working conditions with each other.

besides, there are hundreds of other forums listed on this platform, and prob millions of other users posting for decades without being revealed, so i would say it’s also pretty safe to post here..

just don’t post something illegal (like threats, violence, some trading secret) and you are good.

and to stay on a safe side, don’t use corporate devices and don’t share too much details about your self in one post (that can be identifiable).

And if you are extra paranoid you can always use VPN, like a poster below me.

Well my IP address shows that I am in New York City when I am clearly not 😂 so good luck PNC!

+1

i dont think employer will be wasting time going after people just generally venting. They know people will do it. But when posters start dropping manager names, specific details and internal company info or trashing individuals on a personal level...thats going to get a lot of attention and they will want to know who is doing it. And they have ways of finding out .

i am not trying to take sides here. Getting laid off su-ks big time. I feel bad for folks. But I also will feel bad seeing someone come back here crying that they just got their severance cut and can't pay the bills..

nobody is saying not to share you emotions or vent..just be careful with specific details and think about what you are sharing..keep it general..

Having been displaced by PNC in the past, I would follow this persons advice very carefully. There is a group that gets hits on everything posted under that name on the internet, it is reviewed and dealt with as needed. Best advice is to do your job until your last day, sign your package, take a vacation then find a new job. In the end, they probably did you a favor as you were in job you did not love anyways. Best of luck to those displaced.