It was announced earlier this week that the Jets offered buyouts to 170 of their 250 employees.
David Samson was President of the Miami Marlins baseball team from 2002-2017.
On his podcast – “Nothing Personal” – Samson offered some analysis of what took place at 1 Jets Drive from the perspective of a long-time pro sports executive and lawyer.
“When you offer buyouts to people, you are trying to say, ‘We do not agree or believe in what you’ve done or what we’ve had you do, so we are starting from scratch and when we start from scratch, so we are going to offer you something that you normally wouldn’t get. We are going to offer you, let’s say, 18 months of severance, plus insurance. We are going to offer you a package that is so tempting that you are going to take it.’ We will show losses, and then we have a clean slate,” Samson said.
According to Samson, buyouts can protect the team legally.
“The reason buyouts are offered to employees is because the company has decided that you are not the right employee for them and it’s way easier to agree on a severance package, prior to a termination, because you avoid litigation,” Samson said. “It’s why every time you try to terminate somebody, you try to get them to agree to resign or agree to severance package and agree not to sue in advance. A buyout package is simply a formal way to get severance to people who you want to get rid of without calling it a ‘termination,’ but don’t be confused, it’s a straight termination.”
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