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

Episode 4 of The Layoff Podcast dives into a specific but critical negotiation point that most employees overlook: the deadline for signing your severance agreement. Lucas and Luna walk through the real legal clock you're facing, the difference between federal minimums and what your state requires, and exactly how to ask for an extension without sounding difficult. They unpack a case from a former...

Most people assume their severance check is theirs to keep. But the IRS has a surprise waiting: severance is treated as supplemental wages, taxed at a flat 22% federal rate — and that's before state taxes and FICA. In this episode, Lucas and Luna walk through a real-world example: a $40,000 severance package that becomes $27,000 after withholding, and how the timing of payment can push you into a...

Lucas and Luna break down the fine print of severance agreements using a real example from a 2025 mass layoff at a major tech company. They walk through the key clauses — release of claims, non-disparagement, garden leave, and stock vesting — and explain what employees commonly miss before signing. Luna shares a story about a friend who negotiated an extra month of pay just by asking. Lucas explai...

In the debut episode of The Layoff Podcast, Lucas opens with a staggering number: 285,000 tech workers were laid off in 2025 alone, and 2026 is already outpacing that pace. He and Luna zero in on one unexpected story — the mass layoff at Zillow in late 2025, where the company let go of 25% of its workforce after a failed algorithmic home-flipping bet. Lucas breaks down what happened, why Zillow's...