What to know when you’re let go

Business and political environments can change suddenly, and organizations must adapt. Sometimes those changes cause entire groups or departments to suddenly be eliminated, and employees can find themselves laid off with little or no warning. While a layoff is never a pleasant experience, you can lessen its impact on your life and career.

Adjust your attitude. Take some time to process what has happened—especially if the layoff has come as a shock. Don’t make any rash decisions, and especially don’t say or write anything in the heat of the moment. Stay professional throughout discussions; the people in the room who are letting you go may not be the ones who made the decision.

Try to remember that a layoff occurs because of changes in the internal functioning of the organization, and it does not reflect on you personally or on your professional abilities.

Gather your research. Ask about and negotiate your severance package, and explore all your options. If you are in the United States, when does your employer-sponsored health insurance end, and can you continue your coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act—or COBRA—which allows qualified individuals to keep their group health insurance for a certain amount of time? How will stock options, bonuses, sales commissions, tuition reimbursements, and other benefits be handled? Will you get paid for unused vacation, paid time off, and overtime allotments? Will your final paycheck come on the regular schedule? Will the organization provide outplacement assistance?

Will you receive severance pay? This is more likely if you have been with the organization for a long time or have worked at a senior level. Now is a good time to review your original employment contract and employee handbook to determine what was previously agreed.

Do not be pressured into signing anything immediately. Take the time to read all documents carefully, and consult your lawyer if necessary.

Leaving professionally. Find out if you will be expected to help transition your responsibilities to someone else, to leave the building immediately, or something in between. If you still have access to your work files, make copies of any personal information such as contact information for people you’ve worked with, reports from nonproprietary projects, performance reviews and other human resources documents with your signature, and so on. Do not copy any company data, proprietary procedures, or anything that could be considered confidential. Return any computers, monitors, and other equipment owned by your employer using the method they request.

Moving forward. File for unemployment benefits as soon as possible, if you are eligible. Compensation varies by country and state, and every little bit will help.

Find out if you can apply for other positions within the company and whether you will get preferential treatment if you do. Ask your supervisor to provide a reference, LinkedIn endorsement, or letter of recommendation to aid you as you start the search for a new job. Agree with your supervisor on what you will and will not tell others about the separation.

Update your resume and LinkedIn profile as soon as possible, and let everyone in your network know that you are open to work. Connect with others who were also let go, and share job leads and resources.

Being told your contributions are no longer needed is never pleasant, but it is an experience many go through at some point. Ideally, you will make the best of the situation and come out better in the end.

Get involved in the discussion. The ACS Career Tips column is published monthly in C&EN. Send your comments and ideas for topics for future columns to careernavigator@acs.org.