The Layoff Podcast with Fexingo: Severance, Job Loss, and Bouncing Back from Termination

In this episode of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how severance packages differ by job level—from entry-level to C-suite. Drawing on recent data from a 2026 report by the outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas, they break down the typical severance formulas: one week per year of service for individual contributors, two weeks per year for managers, and a month or more per year fo...

Lucas and Luna explore how the details of your severance offer — from the payout formula to the non-disparagement clause — can reflect your relationship with your direct manager. They examine a real-world case from Disney's 2023 restructuring where employees in the same department received vastly different packages based on their manager's advocacy. The hosts discuss why some managers fight for hi...

Lucas and Luna dive into a topic most people don't think about until it's too late: how your severance package interacts with state unemployment benefits. Using the example of a marketing director laid off in June 2026 with a 12-week severance, they explain the 'waiting period' rule in states like New York and Texas, how lump-sum vs. salary continuation changes your eligibility timing, and a real...

Episode 51 tackles a sensitive and often overlooked severance scenario: what happens when you're laid off while pregnant, on parental leave, or recovering from childbirth. Lucas and Luna walk through the legal protections under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and FMLA, explain how severance offers can be structured to waive future claims, and discuss real-world tactics like asking for extended he...

Episode 50 of The Layoff Podcast tackles a nightmare scenario: your old company files for Chapter 7 or Chapter 11 after laying you off. Lucas and Luna break down how bankruptcy changes your severance claim, what the priority of unsecured creditors means for you, and the specific steps to take if your check bounces or your COBRA subsidy vanishes. They walk through the difference between a general u...

Lucas and Luna explore how the timing of severance payments can push you into a higher tax bracket, using a concrete example of a $60,000 severance package. They break down marginal tax rates, withholding vs. actual liability, and strategies like deferring into the next tax year or negotiating a lump-sum versus installment payout. Listeners learn one practical takeaway: ask your employer about you...

Lucas and Luna explore what your severance package reveals about the norms and health of your industry. Using the 2025 mass layoffs in tech versus retail as a backdrop, they break down why a big-tech severance of 16 weeks with benefits is standard, while retail workers often get two weeks or nothing. They discuss how severance signals an industry's profit margins, talent competition, and whether i...

In this episode of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a rarely discussed but critical consequence of severance: its impact on your personal credit. When you lose a job, income disruption can cascade into credit score drops, especially if severance is structured as lump-sum payments that push you into a higher tax bracket or affect loan applications. The hosts break down the mechanics of ho...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a surprising angle on severance: what the structure of your package reveals about your CEO's leadership style and the company's actual culture. They break down real-world cases — from a CEO who offered 12 months' salary with no strings attached to one who demanded a non-disparagement clause for two weeks' pay — and explain how to decode the hidden signals in...

When the layoff list lands, the size of your severance check often depends on one number: how long you've been at the company. But the link between tenure and severance is more complicated than 'more years equals more weeks.' In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down a real case: a marketing director at a mid-size B2B software firm who was laid off after nine years and offered a standard formula...

Episode 44 of The Layoff Podcast explores a growing landmine in severance negotiations: the return-to-office mandate. When a company announces a five-day in-office policy after a layoff, severance offers can shrink or shift. Lucas and Luna break down a real case from a major retailer where 300 corporate employees were offered a choice between in-office work and a reduced severance. They discuss th...

In this episode of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how severance packages reveal deeper truths about company culture. They dissect a real case: a midsize tech firm that offered former employees a subscription to a meditation app instead of cash severance, sparking debate about dignity, respect, and corporate values. The hosts discuss what to look for in your own severance offer beyond t...

When your company gets acquired, your severance package can change overnight. In this episode of The Layoff Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna break down exactly what happens to your severance during an acquisition, using the real-world example of Slack's acquisition by Salesforce in 2021. They cover the key terms to look for in your employment agreement — including change-in-control provisions,...

In this episode of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down a critical but often overlooked piece of severance strategy: timing. When your severance payments fall in the calendar — and how you split them between tax years — can push you into a higher bracket, trigger Medicare surtaxes, or cost you thousands. Using a concrete example of a $60,000 lump sum paid in December versus January, they...

Episode 40 of The Layoff Podcast digs into a blind spot most people miss during a layoff: how a severance package can change the timing and amount of your Social Security benefits. Hosts Lucas and Luna walk through the Social Security earnings test, the difference between earned income and severance pay, and a real-world example of a 63-year-old marketing director whose lump-sum payout accidentall...

When you get laid off, the severance package you receive is more than just money — it's a reflection of how the company values its people and its reputation. In this episode, Lucas and Luna examine several real-world severance patterns to decode the cultural and strategic signals behind them. They look at the difference between a flat two-weeks-per-year formula and a more generous tiered structure...

Episode 38 of The Layoff Podcast tackles a high-stakes scenario: what happens when you're laid off shortly after reporting misconduct at work. Lucas and Luna walk through the legal protections under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Dodd-Frank, the difference between retaliation and a legitimate RIF, and the practical steps you should take if you suspect your severance offer is a silencing tool. They dis...

In this episode of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a quietly terrifying severance trap: the clawback clause. Using the real-world case of a former Meta executive who had to return $1.2 million in severance after violating a non-disparagement agreement, they explain exactly how these clauses work, why they're becoming more common in white-collar severance packages, and what you can negoti...

Lucas and Luna tackle a tricky scenario: you're laid off but your employer offers you an internal transfer to a different role. Does taking it forfeit your severance? What if the new role is a demotion or pays less? They walk through a real case from a Fortune 500 tech company where an employee was offered a lateral move two weeks before a mass layoff — and how they negotiated a severance anyway....

When a company shuts its doors permanently, severance gets complicated. Lucas and Luna break down what happens when your employer simply has no money left to pay you. They walk through the legal pecking order of creditors, the difference between voluntary and involuntary shutdowns, and real steps you can take if you're caught in the middle. Using the 2024 closure of a mid-size retail chain as a ca...

Lucas and Luna dive into the unique challenges of surviving a mass reduction in force or RIF. Unlike a personal layoff where you can negotiate one-on-one, mass RIFs come with standardised severance formulas, accelerated timelines, and often a signed waiver that bars you from suing. They walk through the typical 2-weeks-per-year-of-service rule, what happens to unvested stock grants, and the crucia...

In episode 33 of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a little-discussed but increasingly common severance benefit: paid career coaching. They break down why companies are adding it, how to ask for it if it's not offered, and what to look for in a coaching program. Using the example of a marketing director at a midsize tech firm who secured twelve weeks of coaching in her severance, they off...

In Episode 32 of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle garden leave — the paid notice period that keeps you on payroll but out of the office. Lucas explains why companies use it to protect trade secrets, citing a 2024 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research that found garden leave reduces competitor poaching by 18 percent. Luna shares a real-world case: a product manager at a finte...

Lucas and Luna dig into a surprising trap that catches many laid-off workers: the way severance payments can delay or reduce state unemployment benefits. Using the example of a mid-level marketing manager in California who received a lump-sum severance of $30,000, they explain the difference between severance paid as a lump sum versus paid out over time, and how each state's rules—like California'...

In this episode of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a growing but under-discussed scenario: what to do when you're laid off with severance — and then your former employer misses payroll, delaying or threatening the payout. They walk through a real case from early 2026 involving a mid-size tech firm in Austin that furloughed 200 employees, promised four weeks' severance, then failed to pay...