I was unexpectedly laid off on Monday as my company has now shrunk to 30 people, and leadership indicated it could not justify the salary nor the content director role I had held for two years after being promoted from a content specialist.

20 Comments

1. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 2:33PM UTC

   How long have you been with the company? 6 weeks of severance for 2 years is good/above standard for a director role. Unless you had a severance package previously negotiated (as most C-Suite have) standard is 1-2 weeks per year of service. Some places don’t offer severance at all and aren’t required to in at will states.

   I was part of a RIF after 15 years of employment and successfully negotiated for a better severance package in 2021 after I consulted with an employment attorney.

   A friend of mine who worked for the same company was part of another RIF this January after 35 years. They contacted 2 different employment attorneys and were advised that due to current economic times, what they were being offered was a good offer. They were also advised that severance is not guaranteed and by trying to negotiate they could risk losing the original offer.

   I didn’t realize how much of my identity was associated with my role and title at my previous company. It took me a long time to come to terms with my position elimination. I did seek counseling and would recommend this if you’re struggling in any way. I also recommend taking as much time as you need and can to look for your next opportunity. If you’re not in the right frame of mind you may not interview well and you don’t want to miss out on a good opportunity because you can’t present your best self.

   I landed my current role through networking and couldn’t be happier. For me, the RIF was a blessing in disguise and hopefully it will be for you too!

   Best wishes for you and prayers for what you’re currently going through.

2. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 7:09PM UTC

   Thanks for your well wishes and insights. While I was completely blindsided, I also recognize that business is business. I'm fortunate to have a robust network and I've already had one call with a recruiter today and will chat with another one tomorrow.

   Fortunately, my skillset lends itself to long- and short-term contract work, too, so I'm planning to lean into those gigs if necessary to tide me & my kiddo over until I can find something that's permanent and a good fit job-wise and culturally.

   It does sound, from what others have said, that my company's being fairly generous with what they're offering, so I think I'll reread the paperwork again, sign it and move on with the next stage in my career path.

   Thanks again!

3. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 2:38PM UTC

   How many were laid off? In a mass layoff, even sometimes with individual performance terminations, the employer will offer severance as a good-faith gesture, and it helps with the PR when news gets out about the layoff. If the purpose of the layoff is budget cutting due to reduced revenues and budget cuts, additional severance is likely not an option. If the company is restructuring or this was a "redundancy" due to an acquisition, your chances are better, but I have never seen this work as if they do it for one, they would have to do it for everybody.

4. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 7:06PM UTC

   Ah, interesting. Six folks were laid off, including me. Mine was likely the highest salary although we did lose a couple of PR directors & managers as well, plus a content specialist. The layoff was about 15% of the company, which is now down to 30 employees. It really is mind-boggling when I think that when I was hired three years ago, there were close to 65 people working there. This is the third RIF in three years — courtesy of the market volatility in the tech industry, no doubt.

   Thanks for your insights.

5. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 2:59PM UTC

   I had the same thing happen to me at a SaaS start-up. I got an unexpected invite and was gone. In fact, my access was shut off during the layoff meeting.

   I was also a high performer and was even told as much in the layoff meeting. One thing you can do is get LinkedIn recommendations from coworkers now when it is fresh and spend time documenting your success in your role/getting links to published content/making sure to make some PDFs in case the links go bad, etc.

   Being a high performer won't save you when it is about money. It is all about what is costing them money vs. what is making them money.

   And severance packages have already gone through lawyers and are basically a done deal when offered but it doesn't hurt to ask for more, just keep your expectations in check. Just make sure NOT to sign the deal until you are ready to do so. If you do, you are stuck with what you signed off on.

6. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 7:04PM UTC

   Good advice! I did reach out to my colleagues to request LinkedIn recommendations and, bless them, they've delivered in spades. Everyone's still in shock about the RIF and many are ticked about who the company chose to let go. I'm worried about my team's morale and their huge workload, but there's not much I can do since I'm no longer there to advocate for them.

   Thanks for your insight.

7. Jenn EtheridgeFebruary 28,2024 at 3:05PM UTC

   In CA, the WARN act basically guarantees 2 months of severance, however not all companies are required to follow it. Maybe give a quick check to see if any similar laws in your state?

8. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 3:24PM UTC

   The two different companies (two different industries) that I've worked for that have gone through RIFs, we had similar policies - for someone at your level, it would be 2 weeks for every year of severance with a minimum of 6 weeks (so anyone 0-3 years would get 6 weeks), typically with COBRA covered for that same period and 3 months of outplacement services. Previous company, depending on timing, individuals would also receive their annual bonuses paid at a prorated amount.

9. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 3:25PM UTC

   I find the severance offering good and a little bit generous with so little tenure. RIFs are financial.

10. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 3:25PM UTC

    This really depends on what state you're in too. Look into WARN and if your company qualifies. If you don't have any state laws around this that apply, 6 weeks is considered generous as commonplace is usually 2. I have experienced everything from 2 to 14. You can try to negotiate and even offer your services as a 1099 contractor without compromise of your severance if that is something you're interested in trying to work out with them.

11. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 3:41PM UTC

    At ~30 employees, WARN act does not come into play here.

12. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 4:00PM UTC

    Yup, it really depends on the company, size of the layoff, and other factors. The original number of employees was not mentioned in the OP

13. AnonymousFebruary 28,2024 at 4:06PM UTC

    I got a week for every year.

14. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 7:36AM UTC

    The days of good severance are also gone. in 2003 I got 3 weeks for every year. This job go around I got 1 week for every year. They are greedy and stingy.

15. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 9:49AM UTC

    You can certainly try but since the company reduced its size due to financial hardship so I'm not sure there is $. 6 weeks severance seems fair according to current market trends.

16. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 3:37PM UTC

    You can negotiate but hiring a lawyer may be more effective. Usually companies are more willing to do this when there is a potential lawsuit or they know they have done you wrong.

17. AnonymousFebruary 29,2024 at 7:19PM UTC

    I chatted with a long-time friend from college who’s an employment attorney & he reviewed the separation agreement my company sent. While red flagged a list of items, overall he said the compensation offered was fair/above average—and then got annoyed because he feels that I was generally speaking, grossly underpaid.

    So! Onward & upward it is for me as I seek the next opportunity — and a company that offers fair compensation & market value for my skills, experience & expertise! Thanks for your comment!

18. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 4:30AM UTC

    It really depends on length of employment and your level of role because high level roles sometimes have employment agreements that spell out a certain severance and how it is calculated.

19. AnonymousMarch 1,2024 at 8:49PM UTC

    6 employees affected (including me — content director, a PR director, the director of internal communications, a content specialist, and two PR managers). Employee headcount has now shrunk to about 35.

20. Diane Frances Lesley-NeumanMarch 1,2024 at 3:22PM UTC

    Get a promise of a recommendation, apply for benefits and go forth in the labor market.