I was recently laid off from my job at a startup. I received my separation agreement in late December 2022, which outlined the amount of money I would receive for severance.
I signed the agreement on 1/4/23, as did the CEO and the parent company. I have a confirmation email and PDF showing that the agreement is signed and complete.
HR emailed me on 1/10 stating that they miscalculated the severance amount, and asked me to sign a new agreement that offers me several thousand dollars less than the original contract.
What do I do here? I loved my job and left on good terms—I am still looking for a new job and don’t want to burn bridges with the parent company. But I feel like I’m getting screwed here. All parties had several weeks to review the contract terms, so I don’t understand how they missed such a glaring error.
Can I hold them to the original agreement, which I understand to be a legally binding contract? Is it naive and shortsighted of me to fight this? Do I just suck it up and sign the agreement? Please advise. Thank you!