What it is
A release is the consideration side of most severance agreements. Federal law adds specific duties for age-discrimination waivers under the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act: 45 days to review for an individual, 21 days for a group exit, 7 days to revoke, and disclosure of the ages and job titles of the group.
What to do about it: Signing starts the revocation clock. Some states void releases signed under a coercive process; carve-outs for claims you cannot waive are standard: unemployment filing, workers compensation, and protected disclosure.
Plain-language description of US practice, not legal, tax, or financial advice. The paired guide carries the citations, dates, and thresholds; the state pages carry the local windows.