The Ultimate Layoff Survival Guide
What to do in the first hours, days, and weeks after a layoff, in the order the deadlines arrive, and how to get back on solid ground. Severance, unemployment, health coverage, money, the people around you, and the road back to work.
- 190
- pages
- 20
- chapters
- 6
- parts
- 14
- tools at the back
A few of the chapters
A layoff starts several deadlines at once. The book follows them in the order they arrive, so you can handle the urgent ones first and leave the rest for later.
The day it happens
The meeting is short and scripted, and most of what matters is what you ask, what you take with you, and what you don’t sign.
Reading the severance agreement
Severance is a trade: money for your promise not to sue. Know exactly what you’re giving up before you take it.
Negotiating the package
Most packages have room at the edges. What to ask for, how to ask in writing, and what to do with a no.
Health coverage
COBRA, the Marketplace, Medicaid, a spouse’s plan, or Medicare: how to choose, and the windows that close.
Money triage
Work out your runway, cut once and hard, plan for more than one outcome, and ask for help before you miss a payment.
Back to the search
When to start, the first 30 days, and how to talk about the layoff.
What’s inside
Six parts, in the order you’ll need them, plus checklists and templates at the back.
The first days
What to do in the room, and in the week after, in the order the deadlines arrive.
- 01The day it happens
- 02The first week, by deadline
The package
What a severance agreement trades, what you can ask for, and what you’re owed either way.
- 03Reading the severance agreement
- 04Negotiating the package
- 05Final pay, notice periods, and taxes
Money and benefits
Unemployment, health coverage, retirement accounts and stock, and a plan for the money you have.
- 06Unemployment benefits
- 07Health coverage
- 08Retirement accounts and stock
- 09Money triage
You and the people around you
How a layoff feels, telling the people in your life, and the story you’ll tell employers.
- 10How it feels
- 11Telling people
- 12References and your exit story
Your situation
What’s different over 50, on leave, on a work visa, when something seems unlawful, and when it keeps happening.
- 13Laid off over 50
- 14Laid off on leave, pregnant, or with a disability
- 15Laid off on a work visa
- 16When something feels wrong
- 17Laid off again
The road back
Bridge work, restarting the search, and setting up the next job so the next layoff hurts less.
- 18Bridge work and retraining
- 19Back to the search
- 20When the next job starts
Tools
Checklists, prompts, and templates for the moment you need them.
- Day-of checklist
- Every date on one page
- What you’re owed
- Severance review
- Runway at three levels
- Health coverage comparison
- Retirement and stock deadlines
- Filing for unemployment
- Your exit story
- Your first 30 days back
- The first 90 days in a new job
- Messages to adapt
- Signs a layoff is coming
- Where to get help
Questions
Who is it for?
Anyone who’s just been laid off, thinks a layoff is coming, or has a severance agreement to sign. It also has chapters for being laid off over 50, on leave, on a work visa, or for the second or third time.
How do I get it?
Every guide is included with Plus. Once your first payment goes through, they appear on your account page and on these pages, ready to download as PDFs.
Why isn’t it included in the free trial?
A book can be downloaded once and kept, so the guides unlock with your first payment rather than on day one. If you’re in a trial and want them now, you can start your paid plan early from your account page.
What if I cancel?
The guides are yours to keep. Canceling Plus doesn’t take them away, and you can download them again from your account anytime.
What format is it?
A 190-page PDF designed for reading on a phone, tablet, or computer. The contents, cross-references, and Start here page are all clickable links.
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