The Severance Package Negotiator: Turn a Layoff Offer Into Better Terms
Why this prompt matters
Most laid-off employees sign the first severance offer without pushing back, leaving weeks of extra pay, longer health coverage, or cleaner reference terms on the table — because the paperwork is written to feel final when in reality most of it has room to move, especially for anyone with more than a year or two of tenure.
What we use it for
You're a mid-level employee who was just told in a short meeting that your role is being eliminated, and HR has handed you a severance agreement with a tight deadline to sign — and you have no idea which terms are fixed and which are actually negotiable.
Prompt
Role: Act as an experienced employment negotiation strategist who has helped hundreds of laid-off employees improve their severance terms without escalating to litigation. Context: I was informed on [DATE] that my position as [YOUR JOB TITLE] is being eliminated, after [YEARS AT COMPANY] years at [COMPANY NAME]. The stated reason is [REASON GIVEN, e.g. "restructuring", "role elimination"]. I have been offered: [SUMMARIZE SEVERANCE OFFER: WEEKS OF PAY, COBRA/HEALTH COVERAGE TERMS, ANY OTHER BENEFITS]. I am based in [STATE/COUNTRY]. [OPTIONAL: I believe there may be a legal issue because ___ / I have another job offer in progress / I am over 40 and this is part of a larger layoff round]. Task: Produce a severance negotiation strategy. Assess my realistic leverage level, give me a prioritized list of things to ask for split into "low-risk, standard asks" and "stretch asks worth trying," write a short negotiation script I can use verbatim or adapt, flag any red-flag clauses I should scrutinize in the paperwork, and tell me when this situation warrants consulting an employment lawyer before I sign anything. Constraints: Do not suggest threatening legal action unless I've described a specific fact pattern that could support a real claim (e.g. discrimination, retaliation, an age-related mass layoff). Be realistic about what a company will and won't move on — don't inflate my leverage. Do not assume I already have legal representation. Keep the script conversational, not confrontational. Output Format: 1. Situation Assessment (leverage level and why) 2. Prioritized Ask List (Tier 1: low-risk standard asks / Tier 2: stretch asks) 3. Negotiation Script (a short, usable opening + key points + response to pushback) 4. Red Flags to Check in the Paperwork 5. When to Consult an Employment Lawyer
Result
SITUATION ASSESSMENT: Leverage: Medium. Four years of tenure in a mid-level marketing role, no documented performance issues on file, and a facially neutral "restructuring" justification put you in a moderate leverage position. You don't have a discrimination claim or a competing job offer to apply pressure, but tenured, no-fault layoffs are exactly the situation where companies expect some pushback and typically build in room to negotiate.
PRIORITIZED ASKS
Tier 1 — Low-risk, standard asks:
- Extend severance from 4 to 6–8 weeks (roughly 1.5–2 weeks per year of tenure is a common informal benchmark)
- Extend the COBRA subsidy to a full 3 months instead of the standard offer
- Get written confirmation that any reference check will be limited to dates and title only, with no performance commentary
- Ask whether outplacement or career-transition services are available if not already offered
Tier 2 — Stretch asks worth trying:
- Request a lump-sum payout instead of salary continuation, so you're not penalized for finding a new job quickly
- Ask in writing whether any equity remains unvested and whether accelerated vesting is possible
- Push for the non-disparagement clause to be made mutual, so it also restricts the company
NEGOTIATION SCRIPT: "Thank you for this offer — I'd like to take the standard review period before signing. Before I do, I want to raise two specific requests: given my four years here, I'd like the severance extended to six weeks in line with typical tenure-based severance, and I'd like written confirmation that reference checks will be limited to dates and title. Could we revisit the offer with those two changes?"
RED FLAGS TO CHECK: An overly broad non-disparagement clause that could restrict discussing your own job search publicly, a waiver of "unknown claims" (standard, but worth having reviewed), and confirmation of your revocation window — in California, you're entitled to at least 7 days to revoke after signing, so don't sign under same-day pressure.
WHEN TO CONSULT A LAWYER: If the layoff followed a complaint you made about harassment, safety, or wages; if you're over 40 and this is part of a larger layoff round (which triggers additional federal disclosure requirements); or if the agreement includes a non-compete you didn't previously have.
Getting laid off is stressful enough without also having to become an amateur labor lawyer in the same afternoon. HR hands you a severance agreement, gives you a tight deadline, and the language is precise enough that pushing back feels risky — even though most severance terms have more room to move than the paperwork suggests.
This prompt is built as a five-part negotiation brief rather than a single blob of generic advice, because a laid-off employee needs different things in a specific order: first, an honest read on how much leverage they actually have (most people either wildly overestimate or underestimate this), then a concrete, prioritized list of what to ask for, then words they can actually say out loud, then a checklist for the fine print, and finally a clear trigger for when to stop negotiating alone and call a lawyer.
Why the two-tier ask list matters
Splitting asks into "low-risk standard" and "stretch" tiers does real work here. Without that split, people either ask for nothing (afraid of overreaching) or ask for everything at once (risking the goodwill that makes the low-risk asks easy to grant). Tier 1 items — extended severance timing, extended health coverage, clean reference language — are things most companies expect and budget for. Tier 2 items are worth raising but carry more resistance, so they're framed as optional add-ons rather than demands.
Why the legal-action constraint is there
The prompt explicitly bans recommending legal threats unless a real fact pattern supports them. Generic negotiation advice online often overstates leverage by implying every layoff has a hidden legal angle — that's bad advice that damages credibility in an actual negotiation. This prompt keeps the tone realistic and the asks grounded in what companies genuinely tend to grant.
Why paperwork red flags get their own section
Severance agreements bundle negotiable items (money, timing) with legal boilerplate that people rarely read closely (non-disparagement scope, claims waivers, revocation windows). Separating this from the negotiation strategy means it doesn't get lost in the excitement of getting a better number.
Feed this prompt your actual offer details, and you get a strategy calibrated to your specific tenure and circumstances — not generic "always ask for more" advice.