Severance Pay Non-Clicky Poll

[ellipses84]

If you have ever been laid off, did you get severance pay?

What percentage of your yearly gross income did you receive?

How long had you worked at the company?

I'm being laid off soon, along with the rest of my department, and will get about 2 weeks pay, or less than 4%. I thought it was ok, but from what close family has said and Internet reading, that is low considering I've been with the company over 4 years. I am glad to get any severance but I would have been vested in a few months if I wasn't being laid off. I'm curious if there is a standard.

[Deleted]

I got laid off after 2 weeks shy of 5 years at the university I worked at. I got 12 weeks severance.

[Deleted]

I had been there a little under three years. No severance but I got paid out my PTO which was nice. They also were going to let me pay the same employee contribution for health insurance for a year (so better than regular COBRA). They also gave us 4 months notice so we had time to job hunt. We still had to come to work but there was little to do.

Sorry about your layoff.

[Deleted]

Yes. One weeks salary for every 6 months of employment with the company.

[pamela]

I wasn't laid off, but the people that were got 2 weeks paid. Which was 2 weeks more than their contract specified, but the company didn't want to totally screw them over.

[Deleted]

It depends on a lot of things. You can take your severance agreement to an employment lawyer to review before you sign anything. If you're concerned it may be a good idea since usually to get the severance you sign something agreeing that you will not pursue any legal action related to the lay off.

[limey]

At my current company, severance is one week per year of employment.

[noodleoo]

My friend just got laid off. She got 4 weeks severance, had been with the company for 2 years. Plus vacation payout. I think that was pretty good considering how small our company is.

[ReenaP]

I took a voluntary lay-off before I attended grad school. I had worked there 3 years. I received 6 months of full pay + paid out vacation. It worked out amazingly well because I'd planned on quitting anyway for grad school.

My current company provides 2 weeks of severance pay for every year you've been with the company (I think cap of 30 weeks).

[ellipses84]

Dec 10, 2012 10:48:42 GMT -5 @notquiteblushing said:

Sorry about your layoff.

Thank you. This year has been hell at work, so while the MM part of it sucks, I am looking forward to a fresh start.

[Deleted]

I received 6 weeks pay, plus payout of vacation days. I had been there for 3 years.

2 weeks-1 month of pay per year is what I've commonly seen among clients.

[ellipses84]

Dec 10, 2012 11:27:38 GMT -5 @randomcdn said:

It depends on a lot of things. You can take your severance agreement to an employment lawyer to review before you sign anything. If you're concerned it may be a good idea since usually to get the severance you sign something agreeing that you will not pursue any legal action related to the lay off.

Yes, they have given me a copy to review. I'm also being paid out my vacation time. They extended my last day and may have me consult as needed, so I probably won't fight it. The agreement also says I'll help in all future litigation, which is likely due to the nature of my business.

Follow up questions:

Has anyone ever negotiated severance in exchange for signing a severance agreement?

If I assist in future litigation, is it fair for me to charge an hourly rate to do so? Nothing in the agreement addresses this or defines assistance. Of course I would be willing to testify, but I wouldn't be willing to spend hours helping them prep their case for free.

ETA: Edited for typos.

[Deleted]

Dec 10, 2012 11:55:14 GMT -5 ellipses84 said:

Dec 10, 2012 11:27:38 GMT -5 @randomcdn said:

It depends on a lot of things. You can take your severance agreement to an employment lawyer to review before you sign anything. If you're concerned it may be a good idea since usually to get the severance you sign something agreeing that you will not pursue any legal action related to the lay off.

Yes, they have given me a copy to review. I'm also being paid out my vacation time. They extended my last day and may have me consult as needed, so I probably won't fight it. The agreement also says all help in at future litigation, which is likely due to the nature of my business.

Follow up questions:

Has anyone ever negotiated severance in exchange for signing a severance agreement?

If I assist in future litigation, is it fair for me to charge an hourly rate to do so? Nothing in the agreement addresses this or defines assistance. Of course I would be willing to testify, but I wouldn't be willing to spend hours helping them prep their case for free.

Are you an attorney? I don't remember.

I charge clients a flat rate for a demand letter and negotiation of severance. In the instances where this fails and litigation is necessary, I ask for a retainer and charge an hourly rate. Depending on the state and claims alleged, filing with the EEOC may be a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit.

[ellipses84]

Dec 10, 2012 12:15:36 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

Dec 10, 2012 11:55:14 GMT -5 ellipses84 said:

Yes, they have given me a copy to review. I'm also being paid out my vacation time. They extended my last day and may have me consult as needed, so I probably won't fight it. The agreement also says all help in at future litigation, which is likely due to the nature of my business.

Follow up questions:

Has anyone ever negotiated severance in exchange for signing a severance agreement?

If I assist in future litigation, is it fair for me to charge an hourly rate to do so? Nothing in the agreement addresses this or defines assistance. Of course I would be willing to testify, but I wouldn't be willing to spend hours helping them prep their case for free.

Are you an attorney? I don't remember.

I charge clients a flat rate for a demand letter and negotiation of severance. In the instances where this fails and litigation is necessary, I ask for a retainer and charge an hourly rate. Depending on the state and claims alleged, filing with the EEOC may be a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit.

No, I'm just in an industry that gets involved in a lot of law suits, unrelated to personnel. The company's in-house counsel handles a lot of it and in tough cases they hire outside counsel. I have more history and technical knowledge than most people here and I have been asked to help with info. and documentation for past cases.

[kershnic]

My work's written policy is 1 week per year of service.

[ddi741]

If you have ever been laid off, did you get severance pay? Yes

What percentage of your yearly gross income did you receive?

I got 1 week for every year I worked for the company and then another 4 weeks as an incentive to agree to stay until the end.

How long had you worked at the company? 8

So I ended up with 12 weeks total plus paid out for unused vacation.

[Deleted]

In Canada, the norms are very different.In my industry, its not unheard of to get 1 month per year of service. You also automatically vest any non-vested earnings.

[holly116]

Company policy was 1 week for every year. I had been there 5.5 years and I got 10 weeks plus the pay out of my PTO which I had been hoarding since I was pregnant at the time and had planned on using it to extend my time off when I had the baby.

They were also nice enough to let me keep my company blackberry and laptop over the weekend. They requested I hand over the corporate credit card right away though .

[Chirp]

H just got laid off last week. He had been for the company for 9.5 years.

He got 2 weeks severance. If he signs the "I won't sue you for wrongful termination" letter he gets 9 weeks severance, vacation/sick time payout, 3 paid months of COBRA and a lump sum payout of his company pension (it's only like $20k).

[Deleted]

Dec 10, 2012 12:54:58 GMT -5 ellipses84 said:

Dec 10, 2012 12:15:36 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

Are you an attorney? I don't remember.

I charge clients a flat rate for a demand letter and negotiation of severance. In the instances where this fails and litigation is necessary, I ask for a retainer and charge an hourly rate. Depending on the state and claims alleged, filing with the EEOC may be a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit.

No, I'm just in an industry that gets involved in a lot of law suits, unrelated to personnel. The company's in-house counsel handles a lot of it and in tough cases they hire outside counsel. I have more history and technical knowledge than most people here and I have been asked to help with info. and documentation for past cases.

I'm confused as to what you would charge for.

I'd be very careful, you don't want to do something that can be construed as the unauthorized practice of law.

[Deleted]

Dec 10, 2012 14:24:50 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

Dec 10, 2012 12:54:58 GMT -5 ellipses84 said:

No, I'm just in an industry that gets involved in a lot of law suits, unrelated to personnel. The company's in-house counsel handles a lot of it and in tough cases they hire outside counsel. I have more history and technical knowledge than most people here and I have been asked to help with info. and documentation for past cases.

I'm confused as to what you would charge for.

I'd be very careful, you don't want to do something that can be construed as the unauthorized practice of law.

If former employees testify on behalf of our clients (as fact witnesses), we pay them an hourly rate if they want it (for the time spent testifying, but also travel, review of documents, meetings with us, etc.).

[ellipses84]

Dec 10, 2012 14:33:55 GMT -5 v said:

Dec 10, 2012 14:24:50 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

I'm confused as to what you would charge for.

I'd be very careful, you don't want to do something that can be construed as the unauthorized practice of law.

If former employees testify on behalf of our clients (as fact witnesses), we pay them an hourly rate if they want it (for the time spent testifying, but also travel, review of documents, meetings with us, etc.).

Thank you for saying it better than I could! I definitely wouldn't venture into practicing law territory. I plan to ask to be paid for my time and don't want them to say, that's why we paid you severance, because it is not worth it to me. The agreement only says I have to cooperate with future litigation.

[Deleted]

gotcha.