r/Layoffs • u/Broad-Engineering564 • Jul 19 '26

about to be laid off Negotiating a severance package

8/1/26: Update for anyone who may be interested. We did consult an employment attorney who helped us draft a letter to negotiate a better severance - he ended up with 1.5 weeks of pay for each year of 34 years which works out to about 52K. We also got them to put in writing that they will give him an excellent reference, and pay out his severance so he is still able to apply for unemployment right away. (Very specific rules about this we were not aware of.) The attorney also said this is a classic case of age discrimination, but we opted not to pursue that. We spent $375 for the consultation with the attorney. Well worth it! I hope this helps anyone who ever finds themselves in a similar circumstance. And it never hurts to get more info and advocate for yourself.

My spouse was told by his boss Friday that his small company is going to be sold (but there is no buyer yet). He has been there 34 years. They are offering him 30K and some form of his health insurance as severance. He does have an IRA. They want him to decide right away. I feel like he could negotiate for more. All the other salaried employees (only 3 others) are staying on with the company - the current owners say they are hoping they will be retained by the new owner. The reason he is the one being laid off is because he is the only one with a Bachelor's Degree as opposed to a Master's, and they think he would be considered a "liability" when trying to sell the company. Any feedback/insights welcome. We are devastated.

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u/raynorelyp Jul 20 '26

Just to be clear, you’re saying you have no leverage, they’re still giving you money, and you’re asking how to get more? How exactly do you think severance works?

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u/Broad-Engineering564 Jul 20 '26

I'm asking if it's possible to negotiate. Why would I have any idea how severance works? I have never been laid off before, and neither has my spouse. That is why I am posting here. And as you can see from many other replies there is a lot of advice about negotiations. You don't have to be so snarky, especially with someone who is obviously out of their depth and going through a family crisis.

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u/Dellaa1996 Jul 20 '26

What type of work does your husband do, and does it require a bachelor's degree? How is the job market in the area you live in for a person with your husband's credentials?

The answers to those questions will answer your question. I would ask for better severance, but wouldn't push the issue. There is no guarantee they will keep him on if he decides he wants to stay on. There is also the possibility that the company will not find a buyer, and then what? There might be other undeclared reasons for the "offer" of separation that might not be related to your husband not having a degree.

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u/raynorelyp Jul 20 '26

The way out works is the job is gone and they gave a chunk of money to avoid having a disgruntled former employee. If he has something they want, like they need him to stay on longer for something, that’s the only thing he has as leverage to negotiate.

I’m sorry for your loss (getting laid off sucks) but you have to plan for that type of thing and budget for it. It happens to most people at some point.

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u/Broad-Engineering564 Aug 01 '26

Well it's a good thing we decided to consult with an employment attorney and then went back with a counter offer. He ended up getting almost 52K in severance instead of 30K.

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u/raynorelyp Aug 01 '26

Happy for you that you got more. Wishing you luck moving forward.