3 steps to take immediately after an unexpected layoff: 'Make sure your basic conditions' are met
It's been a rough beginning of 2024 for lots of workers across industries.
Google cut hundreds of jobs in early January, specifically in the hardware and engineering teams. Citigroup announced it would cut 10% of its workforce the same week. Amazon cut dozens of jobs in its Buy with Prime unit on January 18.
Just this week the Los Angeles Times laid off more than 100 journalists, and Microsoft laid off 1,900 in its gaming unit.
If you find yourself unexpectedly out of a job, here are a few steps experts recommend you take.
Forward all layoff communication to a personal email
To begin with, preserve interactions or communications regarding your layoff that happened over company email, Slack, or other platforms.
"Any emails, evidence, correspondence you have about that," says Arick Fudali, partner and managing attorney of civil rights firm the Bloom Firm, "forward to your personal email. Take screenshots. Whatever you have to do to preserve that is important, because once you're gone from the company, you no longer have access to those emails."
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How quickly you cease to have access to your work accounts can vary. In some cases, you may lose the ability to log in immediately, as some former Twitter employees reported. In others, you may have until the end of day or week.
If there's other emails or data from work that you want to send to your personal accounts, remember that any company policies around proprietary information will still apply.
Read severance agreements carefully before signing
Do not immediately agree to any of the terms presented in the layoff, Fudali recommends.
"My best advice is, do not sign any severance agreements, do not sign any acknowledgement forms," says Fudali. Do not even reply to an email saying, "Confirmed," he says.
Especially when it comes to cases where the layoff may have been unlawful due to discrimination or a violation of the WARN Act, this could result in you signing your rights away, he says.
Read through what the company is offering, read through your HR policy to make sure you know the company stance on layoffs, and do some research on laws around human and employment rights in your state. If you suspect or aren't sure if you've been unlawfully terminated, speak to an attorney, he says. Some offer free consultations.
'Make sure your basic conditions' are met
Do what it takes to make sure you're in a comfortable position and the bases are covered as soon as you can.
File for unemployment if you qualify. Look into your eligibility for COBRA, which provides the ability to keep the health plan you had through your employer for a limited period of time, or health insurance plans on your state's marketplace.
Start looking for another job and reach out to your professional networks.
Regardless of whether or not you decide to take action against what could be an unlawful termination, "make sure your basic conditions and yourself are taken care of" first, says Daniela Urban, executive director of the Center for Workers' Rights.
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