Severance & Separation Negotiations Guide

The “Difficult” Employee’s Guide to Severance and Separation Negotiations

Most employees accept whatever they’re offered and walk out the door. You don’t have to.

Whether you’re being laid off, negotiating a mutual separation, or navigating a termination, there is almost always more on the table than what you’ve been offered. The question is whether you know how to ask for it.

This guide was written by an HR director who has been involved in hundreds of separation conversations. She knows what employers budget for, what they’ll move on, and what they won’t, and she’s telling you everything.

What’s inside:

•       How to assess your leverage honestly before you say a word

•       What you’re already owed before negotiation even starts: final pay, PTO, bonuses, commissions, equity

•       The exact language to open a negotiation in a layoff, mutual separation, or termination

•       Everything that’s on the table: severance pay, reference agreements, benefits, equity, non-competes, non-disparagement, and more

•       Special protections for employees 40 and over, the OWBPA rights that most people sign away without knowing

•       Red flag clauses to push back on before you sign anything

•       What to do when they say no

This guide covers U.S. employment law. Instant digital download. Educational purposes only. Not legal advice.