Employment lawyer reveals the ‘critical mistake’ most people make when they quit or get fired from a job
- Attorney Ryan Stygar said most people make this “critical mistake” when they leave their jobs
- No matter what managers say, departing employees don’t have to sign anything
- “They’ll say they do, but they’re liars,” he said of signing forms when leaving a job
A US employment lawyer has revealed the biggest mistake an employee can make when quitting or being fired.
Ryan Stygar, who lives in San Diego, shared a 44-second video on TikTok advising viewers to “stop making this big mistake when you quit.”
“I just had to turn away another potential client because there’s literally nothing I can do for him,” he began.
“And it’s because they made a crucial mistake that you’ve probably made on every job.
San Diego resident Ryan Stygar shared a 44-second video on TikTok advising viewers to ‘stop making this big mistake when you quit’
The lawyer, who has 1.8 million followers on TikTok, revealed the worst mistake an employee can make if they resign or are fired.
“Just because your boss or HR tells you to sign something doesn’t mean it’s true. If you are fired, you don’t have to sign anything. You don’t have to sign anything if you quit,” Ryan said.
‘They will say yes, but they are liars. They’re not lawyers. They don’t know what they’re talking about.’
He further described that even “if a company lawyer tells you to do that, please understand: that lawyer works for the company.”
“They’re trying to screw you,” he added.
“Once you sign a severance agreement and take that money, you’re done. I can’t help you anymore. Stop signing things. Real. Don’t let people who are strong arm you.’
Fans of the lawyer, who has 1.8 million followers on TikTok, flooded the comments section with stories about Ryan’s warning.
“My favorite is ‘do this and be a team player.’ Buddy, you’re kicking me off the team, why should I keep playing for you?’ someone wrote about the pressure that future ex-employers would put on a departing employee to sign forms.
“A trick I’ve used in the past: ‘Can I take this home to review?’” chimed in another.
Fans flooded the comments section with related anecdotes and applicable advice from their own work lives
‘I left my last job and a few weeks later I got an email from them telling me to sign these papers and send them back the next day. They have yet to sign them,” a third admitted.
‘Don’t sign anything, period. Save all communications via email,” echoed a fourth.
‘A friend was not allowed to leave the building for more than three hours because he did not want to sign. He then sued them and won,” another shared of a friend’s workplace horror story.
And as one triumphant woman testified about standing up for herself, “I’ll never forget the rush I got the first time I said, ‘I’m not going to sign this.'”