Before Signing: Don't Leave It Unread! – Lessons From Two Precedent-Setting Recent Court Rulings

Most of us are already aware that we must read documents before signing them – but do we always follow this advice? While we often skim through terms and conditions when shopping online, employment-related documents, especially when in an employer position, are always carefully reviewed. Below, we present two recent court rulings that illustrate the serious consequences of failing to exercise proper caution.

In the first case, the employer sought to terminate an employment contract by mutual agreement and offered the employee 5,500 euros if the contract was ended jointly. The employee felt the amount was insufficient and asked the employer to send the draft agreement in writing. The employer complied and sent a bilingual draft the following day. However, the employee modified the amount from 5,500 euros to 25,500 euros, highlighting the change in bold letters. The employee returned the signed document to the employer. Without reviewing the document, the