Community Guidelines
Last updated: July 1, 2026
The Separation Index exists to hold companies accountable for how they treat people on the way out — through honest, firsthand reporting on layoffs, terminations, and separation practices. These guidelines protect the integrity of the Platform for employees, former employees, and companies alike. Reports that violate these guidelines may be removed without notice.
Write from your own experience
Only submit reports about separation events you personally experienced — a layoff, termination, reduction in force, or forced resignation. Do not submit reports on behalf of others, based on secondhand accounts, or about companies you did not work for or were not separated from directly.
Be specific and factual
Strong reports describe what happened, when it happened, and what made it notable — positive or negative. "I was laid off via a 5-minute Zoom call with no severance explanation and received 2 weeks pay after 4 years of employment" is useful. "This company is terrible to work for" is not. Specific, factual accounts are more credible, more legally defensible, and more useful to others evaluating potential employers.
NDA acknowledgment
If you are subject to a non-disclosure agreement, you are responsible for ensuring your report complies with its terms. The Separation Index does not provide legal advice. Do not include information that would constitute a breach of a valid, enforceable NDA. You may report factual details about your separation process — notice method, severance amount, outplacement support, and communication quality — without disclosing confidential business information.
Distinguish opinion from fact
You may share your opinion about how your separation was handled. You may not present opinions as objective facts. Saying "I felt the severance offer was low relative to my tenure" is an opinion. Saying "This company deliberately underpays severance to exploit departing employees" as a statement of fact may expose you to legal risk. Frame your experience as your experience.
Do not identify private individuals by name
Do not include the full name of individual HR professionals, managers, or executives in your report. You may reference their title or role (e.g., "my manager," "an HR representative," "the CHRO"). Public executives of public companies may be referenced by name when their actions are directly relevant to your report and documented publicly.
No fabricated or coordinated reports
Submitting false reports, submitting multiple reports about the same separation event, or coordinating with others to flood a company's profile is a serious violation. We use technical and editorial controls to detect coordinated inauthentic activity. Violations may result in permanent removal from the Platform and referral to legal counsel.
No competitor manipulation
Do not submit negative reports about a company you compete with for business purposes. The Platform exists to serve employees and job seekers, not as a competitive intelligence or reputation management tool for businesses.
Positive reports are welcome
If a company handled a layoff with dignity — generous severance, extended benefits, real outplacement support, honest and respectful communication — say so. Positive reports are equally valuable and help people make better decisions about where they work. Companies that demonstrate consistently respectful separation practices are recognized on our platform.
No personal attacks or harassment
Reports that target individuals with personal attacks, profanity, threats, or content designed to harass rather than inform will be removed. Criticism of a company's separation practices is appropriate. Personal attacks on individuals are not.
Reporting violations
If you see a report that you believe violates these guidelines, contact us at guidelines@theseparationindex.com. We review flagged content and act on clear violations. We do not remove reports simply because a company finds them unflattering.