Guides

If you’ve been laid off

Plain-English answers to the questions people ask first, checked against federal sources and linked to them.

  1. The WARN Act: your right to advance notice

    When your employer must warn you about a layoff, who is covered, and what you can do if they didn’t.

  2. How to file for unemployment, state by state

    The official place to file in every state, and what to have ready.

  3. Severance: what federal law requires, and what it doesn’t

    There is no federal right to severance pay. For workers 40 and older, federal law sets minimum terms for releases of age-discrimination claims.

  4. Keeping your health insurance with COBRA

    Who COBRA covers, how long it lasts, what it can cost, and the federal deadlines.

  5. Laid off? Key rules and deadlines for your first week

    The federal rules and deadlines that matter right after a layoff, with links to the official sources.