A factory worker, Joe, is advised that his company is going to close down. The human resources department prepares a package of documents for the empl

A factory worker, Joe, is advised that his company is going to close down. The human resources department prepares a package of documents for the employee including an agreement to pay the employee $500 for each year that he was with the company as a severance package in exchange for his agreeing not to sue the company for any reason including age discrimination or other type of discrimination or for any other reason. The factory is located in the midwest where everyone works for the factory. After discussing the matter with his wife, he feels he has no alternative but to sign the agreement. He walks to the local post office and drops his signed contract in the mail box. Along comes a co-worker named Jim. Jim says that he went back to the human resources department, along with others, and said $500 per year was not enough of a severance package. HR increased it for him and others to $1,000 per year. Joe gets the Post Master to open the mail box and he goes off to HR to get his changed to $1,000. HR refuses to change his severance. First of all can HR put the restrictions on suing the company as part of this agreement? What is the legal basis for HR not paying Joe anymore money? See the chapter on offer and acceptance.