Articles
Know the moves before the meeting
Short, plain answers to the questions people search for at the worst possible moment. Each one starts with the answer, explains the rule, and links to a game or tool to practice it.
Before you are told
Signs a layoff may be coming, and what to get in order now.
Signs a layoff may be coming, and what to get in order nowThe patterns that often come before a separation, the lawful way to keep your own records, and the four dates to know on day one.Can you record your exit meeting in California?California's all-party consent rule for recording conversations, and the note-taking habit that works instead.
When the agreement arrives
Deadlines, negotiation, second documents and revised versions.
How long do you have to sign a severance agreement in California?The California five-business-day rule, the federal 21, 45 and 7 day rules for workers 40 and over, and what happens when the agreement changes.Can you negotiate severance? What is usually on the tableWhich parts of a severance package tend to be fixed, which are often discretionary, and how a short, specific written request is usually structured.Why a second release can arrive on your last dayWhat a supplemental or confirming release is, why employers use one, and what people check before signing either document.Is my non-compete enforceable in California?Why employment non-competes are void in California, what changed in 2024, and the restrictions that can still apply.How to tell if a revised separation agreement changedFour quick checks anyone can run on two versions of an agreement, using software you already have, before signing the new one.What Civil Code 1542 means in a severance agreementThe paragraph in capital letters that releases claims you do not know about yet, what the statute says, and why it matters before you sign.40 or older in a group layoff? What the agreement must includeThe federal disclosure rules for group releases of age claims, the 45-day and 7-day periods, and what the information tells you.Can a severance agreement stop you from filing with a government agency?The rights a release generally cannot take away, and the sentence California requires about discussing unlawful acts at work.What happens to stock options and RSUs when you are laid off?Why the separation date often matters more than the payment, how vesting and exercise windows usually work, and what to read before signing.What a "no pending claims" statement means in a separation agreementThe sentence that asks you to confirm you have not filed any claims, why it matters, and what people commonly check.
After you sign or leave
Final pay, taxes, records and the clauses that last.
Your final paycheck after a layoff in CaliforniaWhen final wages are due, what has to be included, what you are owed whether or not you sign, and the penalty for late payment.Why your severance check was smaller than expectedSupplemental wage withholding, Social Security and Medicare on severance, and why a job-loss year often ends with a refund.Can you collect unemployment if you get severance in California?How EDD treats severance, vacation paid out when a job ends, and pay in lieu of notice, and why you report all of it.COBRA or Covered California after a layoff?How COBRA pricing works, the 60-day windows for COBRA and Covered California, and why comparing both first often saves money.How to request your personnel file and payroll records in CaliforniaThe three written requests that cover what you signed, your personnel file and your payroll records, with the deadlines and penalties.Already signed a severance agreement? What you can still doThe revocation window for workers 40 and over, the rights a signature does not take, and the records worth getting now.
General information about California law, not legal advice. Every example on this site is a fictional story.