IV. Termination and Transfer
Adequate notice of termination of employment should be given by the employee or employer as appropriate.
Professional Employee
1. If the professional employee decides to terminate employment, the employee should assist the employer in maintaining a continuity of function and should provide at least one month's notice. When termination is initiated by the employee, no severance pay is due.
2. Upon termination, the professional employee should maintain all proprietary information as confidential.
Employer
1. In a personal interview, the employer should inform the employee of the specific reasons for his/her termination.
2. Additional notice of termination, or compensation in lieu thereof, should be provided by the employer in consideration of responsibilities and length of service. Permanent employees (after initial trial period) should receive notice or equivalent compensation equal to one month, plus one week per year of service. In the event that the employer elects notice in place of severance compensation, the employer should allow the employee reasonable time and facilities to seek new employment.
3. Employers should make every effort to relocate terminated professional employees either within their own organizations or elsewhere. Consideration should be given to continuing major employee protection plans for some period following termination and to their full reinstatement in the event of subsequent reemployment.
4. If, for the convenience of an employer, a professional employee is terminated through early retirement, provision should be made by the employer for assuring an adequate income.
5. Agreement should be reached on the assistance and amount of compensation for the terminated employee in obtaining patent protections or in patent litigation.
6. In the event of transfer, the employer should allow adequate time for the employee to settle personal matters before moving. All normal moving costs of the transfer should be paid by the employer, including moving expenses, realtor fees, travel expenses to the new location to search for housing, and reasonable living expenses for the family until permanent housing is found. Unusual moving expense reimbursement should be settled in a discussion between the employee and employer.