Laid off? Your first two weeks

Few work moments land as hard as a layoff. One meeting, sometimes a few minutes long, and the routine, income, and identity you had that morning are suddenly uncertain. If you're reading this in that moment, start here: you don't have to solve everything today. You need a sequence, not a sprint.

A layoff is usually a business decision about budgets, structure, and priorities, not a verdict on your talent. That doesn't make it painless, and it doesn't mean you have to turn it into an opportunity by Friday. It means the next two weeks are about a few things in the right order: protect your money and coverage, understand what you're being offered, steady yourself, and then begin a search you can sustain.

This guide is organized by time horizon. Items marked time-sensitive have deadlines. Everything else can wait until you're ready.

The first 24 hours: stabilize

Your only job today is to avoid irreversible decisions and capture the facts while they're fresh.

• Don't sign anything on the spot. Severance agreements usually come with a review period. Use it.
• Write down what you were told: your last day, final pay date, benefits end date, severance terms if mentioned, and the name of your HR contact.
• Save what's yours. Personal contacts, your own pay stubs, and any performance reviews or offer letters you were given personally. Never take confidential company files, code, or data, even if you still have access.
• Hold off on public posts. Give yourself a day or two so you speak from clarity rather than shock.
• Tell one person you trust. You don't need to carry this alone.
• Take care of your body. Eat, sleep, move. Decisions made exhausted are rarely your best ones.

The first 72 hours: secure your basics

Now turn to the things with deadlines. None of them requires you to be at your best emotionally. They just need to get done.

Ask HR for clarity, in writing

You're entitled to understand what you're being offered. Ask factual questions and request the answers by email so you have a record. This isn't adversarial; it's how careful people handle important paperwork. Keep in mind that HR's role is to represent the company. Most HR teams are helpful and professional, but it's wise to stay courteous, factual, and in writing.

Thank you for the information shared in our meeting. To make sure I understand everything correctly, could you confirm the following in writing?

1. My official last day of employment
2. When I'll receive my final paycheck, and whether it includes accrued, unused vacation or PTO
3. The severance amount, payment schedule, and the deadline to sign
4. When my health, dental, and vision coverage ends, and when I'll receive COBRA information
5. What happens to my unvested equity, vested options (including the exercise window), and any earned bonus
6. Whether outplacement or career transition support is offered
7. How references or employment verification will be handled
8. Who I should contact with follow-up questions

Thank you for your help.

Understand severance before you sign

A severance agreement is a contract. It typically offers money or benefits in exchange for your release of legal claims against the company. Read every section and note anything you don't understand.

• What you receive: amount, timing, and how it's paid.
• What you give up: the release of claims, plus any confidentiality, non-disparagement, or non-solicitation terms.
• Benefits: when coverage ends, and whether the company contributes to continued coverage.
• Equity and bonus: treatment of unvested stock, the exercise window for vested options, and any earned bonus.
• Your review period. In the United States, if you're 40 or older, federal rules on age-discrimination waivers generally require at least 21 days to consider an individual offer, at least 45 days when the offer is part of a group layoff or exit program, and at least 7 days to revoke after signing. The employer must also advise you in writing to consult an attorney. Whether these periods apply depends on your age, whether the agreement releases age-discrimination claims, and whether the offer is individual or part of a group program. Your agreement may state a different deadline, and state law may add requirements, so read the deadline in your agreement carefully.

Severance is sometimes negotiable, particularly with long tenure, a senior role, or a specific reason such as equity close to vesting. Get qualified advice before signing if the agreement involves a significant amount of money, complex equity, or rights you may be giving up, such as potential discrimination or wage claims. An employment attorney can tell you whether anything deserves a second look, and many offer a flat-fee review. For equity and tax questions, a tax professional can help too.

Protect health coverage

In the United States you usually have two main paths, and you can compare them before choosing.

• COBRA lets you continue your employer's group plan, generally for up to 18 months. Plans must give you at least 60 days to elect it. It's often expensive, because your employer usually stops paying its share.
• The Health Insurance Marketplace. Losing job-based coverage typically qualifies you for a Special Enrollment Period. You generally have 60 days after coverage ends to enroll, and you can pick a plan up to 60 days before, so there's no gap. Depending on your household income, you may qualify for savings that COBRA doesn't offer.

File for unemployment benefits

Unemployment insurance is run by each state. Eligibility, waiting periods, benefit amounts, and whether severance delays or reduces benefits all vary by state and by how severance is paid. File with your state agency as soon as you can; waiting may delay benefits. If you're unsure how your severance is treated, ask the agency rather than assuming.

Check your final pay

Rules on final paychecks and unused vacation differ by state. In California, for example, an employee who is discharged must be paid all wages at the time of termination, and earned, unused vacation counts as wages. If something looks wrong, your state labor department is the place to ask.

Map your runway

Fear gets louder when the numbers are vague. A simple runway estimate turns "I don't know how long I have" into a number you can plan around. This is a planning aid, not individualized financial advice.

MONEY YOU CAN COUNT ON
Accessible cash (checking, savings):  $________
Final pay and vacation payout (net):  $________
Severance (net, if any):  $________
Expected unemployment benefits per month:  $________
Partner or other household income per month:  $________

ESSENTIAL MONTHLY EXPENSES
Housing:  $________
Health coverage (COBRA or Marketplace):  $________
Food and household:  $________
Transportation:  $________
Minimum debt payments:  $________
Dependents, insurance, other essentials:  $________
TOTAL ESSENTIALS PER MONTH:  $________

NEAR-TERM OBLIGATIONS (next 90 days)
Tuition, taxes, renewals, one-time costs:  $________

RUNWAY
Monthly gap = monthly essentials minus monthly income:  $________
If the gap is more than $0:
(Lump sums minus near-term obligations) divided by monthly gap = ______ months
If the gap is $0 or less: your income covers essentials for now.
Note when each income source ends (unemployment benefits are temporary)
and recalculate from that date.

Review date: __________

• Trim, don't panic. Pause non-essentials, but keep what supports your health and your search.
• Be careful with retirement accounts. Withdrawing early can trigger taxes and penalties. Learn your rollover options before touching them.
• Call before you miss a payment. Many lenders and utilities have hardship options if you ask early.

Days 4 to 14: steady, then start

Once the basics are secure, shift toward your story, your network, and a search plan. None of this has a hard deadline. Go at a pace you can keep. Rest is part of the plan, not a reward for finishing it.

Tell your story with confidence

How you describe a layoff shapes how others hear it. Keep it short, factual, and forward-looking. You don't owe anyone a long explanation or an apology.

Practice it until it feels natural. In interviews, say it once and move straight to what you bring.

Reach out, the right way

• Start with people who know your work: former managers, peers, and collaborators.
• Be specific. "I'm looking for a senior product role in fintech" is far easier to help with than "Let me know if you hear of anything."
• Ask for one small thing: an introduction, a referral, or 20 minutes of advice.
• Ask for LinkedIn recommendations while your work is fresh in people's minds.

Decide which search you're running

Not every layoff calls for the same search. The right approach depends mostly on two things: how soon you need income, and how clear you are about the role you want. Use this to choose a starting mode. You can switch later.

Maya is an illustration, not a real client, and your numbers will differ. The point is to choose deliberately and decide in advance what evidence would make you adjust.

A weekly rhythm you can sustain

Applying to everything, immediately, feels productive and usually isn't. A balanced week protects both your results and your energy. Adjust the proportions to your mode.

The Next Role Playbook goes deeper on positioning, referrals, and interviews. When an offer comes, the offer negotiation guide and compensation calculator will help you weigh it.

How you'll know it's working

Measure what you control, and expect results to lag effort. Over the first month, healthy signs include:

• You've completed the time-sensitive basics: health coverage, unemployment filing, severance decision.
• You can say your short story without your stomach dropping.
• You're having a steady number of real conversations each week, not just submitting applications.
• At least some conversations are turning into referrals, screens, or introductions.

If, after four to six weeks, you're applying but not getting conversations, that's information. Change the inputs: tighten your target, ask more people for referrals, or get feedback on your résumé from someone who hires for the role.

Plan B: if the search takes longer

Searches often take longer than anyone wants, and hiring markets shift. Planning for that isn't pessimism. It protects your choices.

• Revisit your runway monthly and decide in advance the point at which you'll add bridge income.
• Widen thoughtfully: adjacent titles, industries, company sizes, or contract-to-hire roles.
• Keep one thing that builds momentum: a course, a volunteer project, or consulting that keeps your skills and confidence current.
• Get support. A mentor, a peer group, or a professional can help you see what you can't see from inside the search.

Job searches have quiet stretches and silent rejections. That says more about hiring processes than about you.

You were valuable before that meeting. You are just as valuable after it.