The Separation IndexThe Separation Index Blog
Guides on severance, WARN Act rights, and how companies handle exits.
Before You Sign. A Severance Agreement Checklist
A practical, step-by-step checklist to work through before signing any severance agreement.
Read →Severance and Your Taxes. What Often Gets Overlooked
Severance pay is taxed differently than people often expect, and a lump sum can create a real, unwelcome surprise at tax time.
Read →How Companies Handle Layoffs Differently, and Why It Matters
Two companies can cut the exact same number of jobs and handle it in completely different ways. The difference is worth understanding.
Read →Should You Sign the First Severance Offer?
The first offer is rarely the final offer. Here is why signing immediately is usually a mistake, even when the pressure to do so feels real.
Read →COBRA After a Layoff. What It Costs and How to Ask for Help
Losing employer-sponsored health coverage is one of the most immediate financial pressures after a layoff. Here is what to know and what to ask for.
Read →Which States Actually Require Severance Pay
Severance pay feels like it should be a guaranteed right. In nearly every state, it is not. Here is where the exceptions apply.
Read →What to Negotiate Beyond the Severance Check
The cash number is only one part of a severance offer. Here is everything else that is typically on the table.
Read →Severance Packages Are Shrinking. Here Is What the Data Shows
The median severance package has fallen substantially since 2023. Here is what changed and what it means if you are negotiating one now.
Read →The WARN Act: What It Requires and Why It Matters When You're Laid Off
Federal law requires 60 days notice before mass layoffs. Here's what that means for workers, what exceptions employers use, and how to find your company's filings.
Read →You Have 21 Days to Review That Severance Agreement
If you're 40 or older, federal law gives you 21 days to review a severance agreement before you sign. Here's what the OWBPA requires and what to look for.
Read →Tracking the 2026 Layoff Wave by Industry
Rather than quote a specific layoff count that goes stale the day after we publish it, here's how to read the live data yourself, and what it actually captures.
Read →What a Non-Disparagement Clause Can and Can't Stop You From Saying
Non-disparagement clauses are common in severance agreements, but they're narrower than most people assume, and broader in a few specific ways.
Read →Layoff, Furlough, or Restructuring: What the Terms Actually Mean
Companies use different words to describe a job loss, and the differences aren't just euphemism. They carry real, different practical consequences.
Read →What Happens to Your Benefits the Day You're Laid Off
Health coverage doesn't usually end the instant you're notified, but the details of when and how it ends vary more than most people expect.
Read →Do You Have to Sign an NDA to Get Severance
Severance agreements often come bundled with confidentiality language. Here's what that typically covers, and what it generally doesn't.
Read →Companies Hiring While Laying Off: What the Data Shows
It looks contradictory on its face, but companies running layoffs and active job postings at the same time happens more often than you'd expect.
Read →What Outplacement Support Should Actually Include
Outplacement gets offered as a soft benefit after a layoff. Some versions are genuinely useful. Others are a line item nobody ever uses.
Read →How Companies Time Layoffs Around Earnings Reports
Layoff timing isn't always random. Public companies in particular tend to cluster announcements around a predictable financial calendar.
Read →The Anatomy of a Layoff Call: What Good and Bad Look Like
The actual notification call is often what people remember most about being laid off. Here's what separates a respectful one from a harmful one.
Read →Severance 101: What's Standard, What's Negotiable
There's no legal minimum for severance in most cases. That makes knowing what's typical, and what's actually up for negotiation, more important.
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