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The severance letter has five lines that decide your next three months.

Amount and timing, the benefits end date, the unused vacation payout, the release you are signing, and the deadline to sign. Read all five before you respond.

You asked for the five-line checklist. It is below, as the slides from the post, then the one move, then the tool the chart points at.

Slide 1 of 7: The severance letter has five lines that decide your next three months.Slide 2 of 7: Find these before you do anything else.Slide 3 of 7: The letter is an offer, and offers can be countered, especially when a release is attached.Slide 4 of 7: Asking for more will not make them withdraw the offer, in nearly every case.Slide 5 of 7: The one email to send before you sign.Slide 6 of 7: An employment lawyer will often review a severance agreement for a flat fee, and it is worth it when the amount is large.Slide 7 of 7: Save this before you ever need it.

Find these before you do anything else.

  1. 01
    The amount, and whether it is a lump sum or continued pay.Continued pay may keep benefits running. Lump sums usually do not.
  2. 02
    The date your health coverage ends.It decides your COBRA and marketplace deadlines.
  3. 03
    Whether unused vacation is paid out.Required in some states, optional in others. Ask.
  4. 04
    The release: what claims you give up by signing.This is the part the company wants. It is the part you can negotiate against.
  5. 05
    The deadline to sign, and the revocation period if any.Some workers get extra time by law. Ask how long you have, and do not sign on day one.

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