EMPLOYMENT TERMINATION NOTICE
(State of Washington)
[// GUIDANCE: Replace all bracketed placeholders before issuing to Employee. Remove all guidance comments prior to finalization.]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Document Header
- Definitions
- Operative Provisions
3.1 Termination of Employment
3.2 Final Pay & Accrued Benefits
3.3 Continuation of Health Coverage (COBRA / WA-Mini COBRA)
3.4 Unemployment Insurance Eligibility Notice
3.5 Return of Company Property & Post-Employment Obligations - General Provisions
- Acknowledgment & Execution
1. DOCUMENT HEADER
To:
[EMPLOYEE FULL LEGAL NAME]
[EMPLOYEE ADDRESS]
From:
[COMPANY LEGAL NAME]
[COMPANY ADDRESS]
Date of Notice: [DATE]
Effective Termination Date (“Separation Date”): [SEPARATION DATE]
Governing Law & Forum Selection:
This Notice, and any dispute arising herefrom, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Washington, and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state courts sitting in [COUNTY, WA].
2. DEFINITIONS
“Company” means [COMPANY LEGAL NAME], together with its parents, subsidiaries, and affiliated entities.
“Employee” means [EMPLOYEE FULL LEGAL NAME].
“Final Pay Date” means the next regularly-scheduled Company payroll date following the Separation Date, or such earlier date as may be required under RCW 49.48.010.
“Separation Benefits” collectively refers to any wages, accrued but unused paid time off (“PTO”), expense reimbursements, and benefit continuation options provided in Section 3.
3. OPERATIVE PROVISIONS
3.1 Termination of Employment
Pursuant to the Company’s at-will employment policy, the Employee’s employment will terminate effective as of the Separation Date indicated above. Nothing herein alters the at-will nature of the employment relationship prior to the Separation Date.
3.2 Final Pay & Accrued Benefits
(a) Wages & PTO. All earned but unpaid wages and accrued PTO through the Separation Date will be paid on or before the Final Pay Date in compliance with RCW 49.48.010.
(b) Expense Reimbursements. Submit any outstanding, properly-documented business expenses no later than [NUMBER] days after the Separation Date for reimbursement pursuant to Company policy.
[// GUIDANCE: If the Company will provide any severance or additional consideration, insert here and condition upon execution of a separate release agreement.]
3.3 Continuation of Health Coverage (COBRA / WA-Mini COBRA)
If the Company employed 20 or more employees on at least 50% of its typical business days in the preceding calendar year, the Employee and any eligible dependents may elect to continue existing group health coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (“COBRA”), 29 U.S.C. § 1161 et seq., for the statutorily-prescribed period.
If the Company employed fewer than 20 employees, Washington’s continuation coverage statute may apply. A separate COBRA or WA-Mini COBRA election package outlining premium costs, election deadlines, and payment procedures will be forwarded by the Company’s plan administrator within the required timeframe.
3.4 Unemployment Insurance Eligibility Notice
The Employee may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits through the Washington Employment Security Department (“ESD”). Eligibility determinations are made solely by ESD. To file a claim, visit: https://esd.wa.gov/unemployment or call 800-318-6022.
[// GUIDANCE: Washington does not mandate a specific state separation form; however, best practice is to provide this notice to facilitate the employee’s claim process and minimize potential claims of interference.]
3.5 Return of Company Property & Post-Employment Obligations
(a) Property Return. No later than the Separation Date, Employee must return all Company property, including keys, fobs, badges, credit cards, documents (electronic and hard copy), and devices.
(b) Confidential Information & Restrictive Covenants. Employee remains bound by all survivable confidentiality, intellectual property assignment, non-solicitation, and/or non-competition obligations contained in [REFERENCE AGREEMENT(S)].
(c) Access Termination. Employee’s electronic access, including email, VPN, and remote systems, will be disabled effective as of the Separation Date.
4. GENERAL PROVISIONS
4.1 No Admission of Wrongdoing. This Notice does not constitute, and shall not be construed as, an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the Company.
4.2 Entire Notice. This document constitutes the entire termination notice required by applicable law and supersedes any prior oral or written communications concerning termination of employment, except for any separate written agreement expressly intended to survive termination.
4.3 Severability. If any provision of this Notice is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
4.4 Electronic Delivery; Counterparts. Delivery of an executed counterpart of the Acknowledgment below by DocuSign, PDF, or similar electronic means shall be effective.
5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT & EXECUTION
Please sign and date below to acknowledge receipt of this Notice. Your signature confirms only that you have received this Notice and does not constitute acceptance of its terms or a waiver of any legal rights.
| [COMPANY LEGAL NAME] | [EMPLOYEE NAME] |
| By: ______ | ______ |
| Name: [AUTHORIZED SIGNATORY] | |
| Title: [TITLE] | |
| Date: ____ | Date: _______ |
[// GUIDANCE:
1. Attach the COBRA/WA-Mini COBRA election notice package if available.
2. Attach final paycheck statement showing wage and PTO payout calculations to reduce wage-hour claims.
3. Retain signed acknowledgment in personnel file for no less than 6 years to align with WA record-keeping and statute-of-limitations periods on wage claims.
]