LayoffNext — Free layoff recovery tools for employees

Build Your Layoff Plan

A layoff changes your job—not your future.
Follow a practical roadmap to protect your finances, benefits, career, and family.

Private checklistNo loginFirst 24 hours, 7 days, 30 daysEducational guidance onlyEmployee-first
Start My Plan

Where are you today?

Whether you've just been laid off, think layoffs may be coming, or simply want to prepare, follow this step-by-step plan to protect your finances, career, benefits, and family.

I was laid off todayStart your first 24 hours action plan.Go thereI think layoffs are comingPrepare quietly while you still have access.Go thereI'm on H-1B or another work visaUnderstand your post-layoff timing.Go thereI want to protect my financesEstimate your runway and plan your money.Go there

Build Your First Layoff Action Plan

Answer a few quick questions. Your answers stay in your browser and create a prioritized checklist for today, this week, and the next 30 days.

A. What best describes your situation?
B. Do you have a written separation or severance agreement?
C. Do you know your official termination date?
D. Do you know when health insurance ends?
E. Do you know when final paycheck and PTO payout will happen?
F. Do you plan to file unemployment?
G. Do you have urgent health insurance, medication, or family coverage needs?
H. Do you have H-1B, visa, work authorization, or immigration timing concerns?
I. Do you have severance, bonus, commission, RSUs, options, or 401(k) questions?
J. How many months of essential expenses do you roughly have saved?
K. Is your resume and LinkedIn ready?

0 of 11 answered

Answer the first question above to generate your prioritized action plan.

Your answers stay in your browser. LayoffNext does not save this checklist.

First 24 Hours

Stabilize — don't try to solve everything

First 24 hours

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What Not to Do Today

Do not sign immediately if you do not understand the agreement.
Do not copy confidential company data, customer files, source code, trade secrets, or employer-owned materials.
Do not assume severance is guaranteed until terms are in writing.
Do not assume COBRA is your only health insurance option.
Do not spend severance before understanding timing, taxes, and benefit gaps.
Do not cash out retirement accounts without understanding taxes, penalties, and alternatives.
Do not panic-post on LinkedIn.
Do not ignore deadlines in separation, unemployment, health insurance, or visa documents.

First 7 Days

File, review, and understand your situation

First 7 days

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First 30 Days

Build momentum and a steady routine

First 30 days

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Questions to Ask HR After a Layoff

Before you leave — or in your first follow-up email

Final pay and employment dates

  • What is my official termination date?
  • When will I receive my final paycheck?
  • Does final pay include PTO, vacation, bonus, commission, or expense reimbursement?
  • Who can I contact after system access ends?

Severance and agreement

  • Will I receive severance?
  • Is it a lump sum or salary continuation?
  • What is the review deadline?
  • Are there release, non-disparagement, non-compete, non-solicit, or confidentiality terms?
  • Can I review the agreement with an attorney?

Benefits

  • When does health coverage end?
  • When will COBRA information arrive?
  • Are there employer-paid benefit continuation terms?
  • How do I access retirement, HSA, FSA, or benefits accounts after access ends?

Unemployment and references

  • How will the separation be coded?
  • Will the company contest unemployment?
  • Will the company provide a neutral reference or employment verification?
  • Is outplacement support available?

Equity, bonus, commission

  • What happens to RSUs, options, ESPP, bonus, commission, or deferred compensation?
  • Are there vesting or exercise deadlines?
Review severance details

Deadlines to Verify

Confirm exact dates from your own notices and state rules

Unemployment

File with the state where you worked and contact the state unemployment program as soon as possible after becoming unemployed.

U.S. DOL

COBRA

COBRA may allow you to continue employer group health coverage for a limited period after job loss or reduced hours. Confirm eligibility and election dates from your notice.

U.S. DOL

Marketplace

Losing job-based coverage may trigger a Special Enrollment Period. HealthCare.gov says Marketplace coverage generally must be selected within 60 days of losing job-based coverage.

HealthCare.gov

Severance

Federal law generally does not require severance under the FLSA; severance usually depends on employer policy or an agreement.

U.S. DOL

Final paycheck

Final-paycheck timing rules vary by state, so verify the requirements where you worked.

Visa / H-1B

Confirm your official termination date and speak with qualified immigration counsel before making immigration decisions.

If you think layoffs are coming

Preparation is the highest-leverage thing you can do before a job loss. Get ready quietly while you still have income and access.

Before a layoff: prepare while employedCheck your layoff riskBuild an emergency budget

If you're on H-1B or another work visa

Immigration timelines after a layoff can be short. Confirm your official termination date and speak with qualified immigration counsel quickly.

H-1B & visa layoff guideH-1B 60-day countdownH-1B transfer checklist

If you want to protect your finances

Know how long your money lasts, then make severance, benefits, and spending decisions from that number.

Layoff runway calculatorSeverance pay calculatorAll financial tools

Choose Your Next Step

I need to review severance

Estimate and understand your severance before signing.

I need to know how long money will last

Estimate your financial runway from savings and expenses.

I need unemployment help

Understand filing steps and what to expect.

I need health insurance help

Compare COBRA and Marketplace options.

I am on H-1B or a visa

Review timing considerations after a layoff.

I need resume and LinkedIn help

Use templates to rebuild your job-search materials.

I want to prepare before layoffs happen

Get ready quietly before a possible job loss.

I want to check layoff risk

Score warning signs before a layoff.

I want all financial tools

Browse every calculator and money planner.

I want all guides

Explore the full library of layoff articles.

A Quick Emotional Reset

A layoff is a business decision — feeling shock, anger, or anxiety is completely normal, and your skills and relationships don't disappear with the job. Three grounding actions:

1Give yourself a day or two to process before full action mode.
2Talk to one person you trust — isolation makes this harder.
3Keep a basic daily structure: wake time, meals, movement.

If you feel unsafe, may harm yourself, or are in immediate crisis, contact local emergency services or a crisis hotline right away. In the U.S., you can call or text 988(Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). LayoffNext provides general planning information only and is not a substitute for professional mental health support.

How This Action Planner Works

  • It does not predict outcomes.
  • It organizes common post-layoff priorities into a sequence.
  • It prioritizes urgent items — health coverage, unemployment, severance deadlines, visa timing, and cash runway.
  • It is private and runs in your browser.
  • It is educational only.
  • It links to deeper calculators and guides rather than repeating all content.
AboutAbout DeepakEditorial StandardsDisclaimer

Frequently asked questions

What should I do first after being laid off?+
Stay calm, avoid signing anything under pressure, and confirm the basics: your official termination date, when your final paycheck arrives, when health coverage ends, and whether severance paperwork is coming. The action planner on this page turns your answers into a prioritized checklist.
What should I do in the first 24 hours after a layoff?+
Write down what was said, confirm your termination date, ask about final pay and benefits end dates, save only personal documents you are permitted to keep, and pause non-essential spending. Do not copy confidential company data or employer-owned materials.
Should I sign my severance agreement right away?+
Not if you do not understand it. Ask for the review deadline in writing and read the terms carefully. Severance is not guaranteed until it is in writing, and you can ask whether you may review the agreement with an attorney.
What questions should I ask HR after a layoff?+
Ask about your termination date, final paycheck contents, severance terms and deadlines, when health coverage ends and COBRA arrives, how the separation is coded for unemployment, and what happens to equity, bonus, or commission. This page includes a grouped list you can copy.
When should I file for unemployment?+
File with the state where you worked as soon as your state allows after becoming unemployed. Filing early helps avoid delays. Confirm the exact steps with your state unemployment program.
How do I handle health insurance after a layoff?+
Confirm exactly when your coverage ends, then compare options such as COBRA, the Marketplace, a spouse or partner plan, or Medicaid/CHIP where relevant. Losing job-based coverage may open a Special Enrollment Period, so watch the deadlines on your notices.
What documents should I keep after a layoff?+
Keep personal records you are legally permitted to keep, such as your offer letter, pay stubs, benefits summaries, and any separation paperwork. Do not copy confidential company data, customer files, source code, trade secrets, or employer-owned materials.
What should I not copy from my employer?+
Do not copy confidential company data, customer files, source code, internal documents, trade secrets, or any employer-owned materials. Keeping those can create legal risk. Save only personal information you are permitted to retain.
What should H-1B workers do after a layoff?+
Confirm your official termination date and speak with qualified immigration counsel quickly, because some post-layoff timelines are short. This page links to a visa and layoff guide, but it is not immigration advice.
How do I calculate how long my money will last?+
Add up your essential monthly expenses and compare them with your available savings and any severance or benefits. The layoff runway calculator linked here can help you estimate the number of months you have.
How soon should I update my resume and LinkedIn?+
Within the first week if you can. Refresh your most recent role and accomplishments, update your headline, and consider setting LinkedIn to Open to Work when you are comfortable.
Is this page legal, financial, or immigration advice?+
No. This page is educational only and organizes common post-layoff priorities. It is not legal, financial, tax, insurance, unemployment, employment, immigration, investment, or mental health advice. Consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.

Educational content only. LayoffNext does not provide legal, financial, tax, insurance, employment, immigration, unemployment, investment, or mental health advice. Always consult a licensed professional or official government source for guidance specific to your situation.

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Deepak Middha, Founder of LayoffNext
Deepak MiddhaFounder of LayoffNext

Deepak Middha is the founder of LayoffNext and a Chartered Accountant (ICAI, India). A U.S. immigrant with nearly 20 years of experience — and 17 years in hedge fund and private equity administration, including as Vice President of Fund Accounting at NAV Fund Administration Group and Associate Director of Private Equity and Real Estate at SS&C Technologies — he builds free, plain-language layoff tools and guides for employees, H-1B workers, and immigrant families.

Updated July 3, 2026
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