Send the requester an email about the decision asking if you understand their request correctly. Then save your emails (keep copies of them off of company computers so you have access to them in the case of unlawful termination).

There are very few things considered an “unlawful termination” in at Will employment. A difference of opinion about an implementation is definitely not one of them.

A company is very unlikely to ever side with a subordinate over their manager.

I'm not sure if this is unlawful termination, but I have a friend who was recently terminated with cause. The cause was supposedly lying about something. He had proof in his emails that proved he was innocent, but he has no access to his emails and was told all his accounts were deleted immediately on termination. What actually happened is some higher ups who had no hand in his brainchild saw how successful it was and wanted him to put their names on it. He refused (in retrospect, stupidly) and thus was fired so that they could take it over and claim it as their own. Because he was fired for cause, he has no severance, unemployment, cobra health insurance, etc. If he had copies of his emails it would be an entirely different story.

Out of three, severance is not a government guaranteed thing. If he signed a contract before he was hired guaranteeing severance (which usually doesn’t happen) he could file a suit.

If he had his status changed from fired with cause to without cause, it would have made a difference in his unemployment. I do not believe that they could deny Cobra. Why would they? He would have to pay the full cost with no subsidy from the employer.

No, it's not job security related, just awkward.

I'm just choosing to believe I'm doing a poor job explaining the tradeoffs, and then time or someone else does a better job a few months later.