Severance Package Negotiation Prep: Turn a Layoff Offer Into Your Best Possible Outcome
Why this prompt matters
Roughly 9 in 10 laid-off employees sign their first severance offer without countering it, according to employment law surveys — even though companies routinely build negotiating room into initial offers. A successful negotiation on severance duration alone commonly recovers an extra 2-6 weeks of pay, often worth $4,000-$15,000 depending on salary level, and costs the employee nothing but a single well-structured email.
What we use it for
You're a mid-level individual contributor who was just told in a 15-minute call that your role is being eliminated in a company-wide restructuring. HR emails you a severance agreement the same afternoon with a 5-business-day deadline to sign, and you have never negotiated anything like this before.
Prompt
ROLE: Act as a senior employment negotiation strategist who has reviewed thousands of severance agreements and coached executives and individual contributors through layoff negotiations. CONTEXT: I was just informed that my position is being eliminated as part of [REASON FOR LAYOFF, e.g., a company-wide restructuring / department closure / performance-unrelated headcount reduction]. Here is what I know: - Company: [COMPANY NAME AND SIZE, e.g., 2,000-employee publicly traded tech company] - My role and tenure: [YOUR TITLE, LEVEL, AND YEARS AT THE COMPANY] - Current compensation: [BASE SALARY, BONUS TARGET, EQUITY DETAILS] - The severance offer I received: [PASTE KEY TERMS: WEEKS OF PAY, BENEFITS CONTINUATION, EQUITY VESTING TREATMENT, OUTPLACEMENT SERVICES, NON-COMPETE OR NON-DISPARAGEMENT CLAUSES, DEADLINE TO SIGN] - My situation: [RELEVANT CONTEXT: DEPENDENTS, HEALTH COVERAGE NEEDS, JOB SEARCH TIMELINE, WHETHER YOU HAVE OTHER OFFERS, WHETHER YOU SUSPECT THE LAYOFF WAS DISCRIMINATORY OR RETALIATORY] TASK: Analyze this offer and produce a complete negotiation plan that includes: (1) an assessment of how this offer compares to typical severance packages for someone in my position, (2) the 3-5 specific terms most worth negotiating given my situation, prioritized by leverage and impact, (3) a word-for-word counter-proposal script I can send via email or say on a call, (4) anticipated pushback from HR or my manager and how to respond to each, and (5) a clear walk-away point — the minimum I should accept before involving an employment attorney. CONSTRAINTS: Do not suggest anything illegal or that misrepresents facts. Do not recommend threatening litigation unless I've indicated I believe the layoff was discriminatory or retaliatory — in that case, flag clearly that I should consult an employment attorney before signing anything, and do not draft legal threats yourself. Keep the tone professional and non-confrontational throughout — the goal is a mutually acceptable outcome, not an adversarial standoff. Do not fabricate industry benchmark numbers; where you cite a typical range (e.g., 'X weeks of pay per year of tenure'), state that it's a general norm, not a guarantee specific to my situation. OUTPUT FORMAT: ## Offer Assessment [2-3 sentences on how the offer compares to norms for this role/tenure/company size] ## Priority Negotiation Points (ranked) 1. [Term] — [Why this has the most leverage] 2. [Term] — [Why this has the most leverage] [continue for 3-5 items] ## Counter-Proposal Script [Full word-for-word email or talking-point script, ready to send/say with minimal editing] ## Anticipated Objections and Responses | Likely Objection | Your Response | |---|---| [3-4 rows] ## Walk-Away Point [The clear minimum threshold and what happens next if the company won't meet it]
Result
Offer Assessment
Your offer of 4 weeks of base pay after 3 years of tenure at a 2,000-person public company is below the typical norm of 1-2 weeks per year of service for individual contributors at companies this size, which would suggest a range closer to 6-8 weeks. The 60-day COBRA subsidy is standard, but the requirement to sign within 5 business days is aggressive — most companies allow 21-45 days for employees over 40 under the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act, and even without that trigger, a rushed deadline is itself a negotiable point.
Priority Negotiation Points (ranked)
- Severance duration — Moving from 4 to 8 weeks aligns you with market norms for your tenure and is the single highest-dollar-value ask.
- Signing deadline extension — Requesting 2-3 weeks instead of 5 days costs the company nothing and gives you room to consult an advisor and negotiate calmly rather than under pressure.
- Equity acceleration — If you have unvested equity within 90 days of vesting, ask for acceleration through that date; companies often grant this quietly since the cost is usually small.
- Outplacement services upgrade — If none was offered, request 3 months of career coaching; this typically costs the company under $2,000 and is an easy concession.
- Neutral reference language — Request that the company agree to confirm only dates and title if contacted for a reference, protecting you from an inconsistent manager reference later.
Counter-Proposal Script
"Thank you for the offer and for the transition support. I've had a chance to review the terms, and I'd like to discuss a few adjustments before signing. Given my three years here, I'd like to request 8 weeks of severance pay, consistent with typical practice for my tenure. I'd also appreciate 2-3 additional weeks to review the agreement, since 5 business days doesn't give me enough time to consult with a financial advisor. Finally, since my next equity vesting date falls within 90 days, I'd like to request that tranche be accelerated. I'm approaching this collaboratively and appreciate you working with me on these points."
Anticipated Objections and Responses
| Likely Objection | Your Response |
|---|---|
| "This is our standard offer for everyone at your level." | "I understand there's a standard policy, but I'd still like this reviewed given my specific tenure and circumstances — is there flexibility for exceptions?" |
| "We can't extend the deadline company-wide." | "I'm not asking for a company-wide change, just a short individual extension so I can make an informed decision." |
| "Equity acceleration isn't something we do." | "I understand it's not standard — I'm asking because the vesting date is so close, and it would mean a lot given the circumstances." |
Walk-Away Point
If the company won't move past 5 weeks of severance and won't extend the signing deadline at all, that's your signal to pause and consult an employment attorney before signing anything, particularly if you suspect the layoff selection criteria were inconsistent with how it was described to you.
Most laid-off employees sign their first severance offer without countering it. This prompt builds a complete negotiation plan — priority asks, a ready-to-send script, and anticipated objections — from the offer you actually received.
Use Case
You're a mid-level individual contributor who was just told in a 15-minute call that your role is being eliminated in a company-wide restructuring. HR emails you a severance agreement the same afternoon with a 5-business-day deadline to sign, and you have never negotiated anything like this before.
Why This Matters
Roughly 9 in 10 laid-off employees sign their first severance offer without countering it, according to employment law surveys — even though companies routinely build negotiating room into initial offers. A successful negotiation on severance duration alone commonly recovers an extra 2-6 weeks of pay, often worth $4,000-$15,000 depending on salary level, and costs the employee nothing but a single well-structured email.
Example Output
Below is a realistic example: a 3-year employee at a 2,000-person company receiving a below-norm 4-week severance offer with an aggressive 5-day signing deadline.