Understanding Severance Packages
Severance is not legally required in most cases, but many employers offer it — and it's almost always negotiable. The standard baseline is 1-2 weeks of pay per year of service, but packages vary widely. Senior employees and those with employment contracts may receive significantly more.
Key items to negotiate include extended pay, health insurance continuation, outplacement services, stock option vesting acceleration, non-compete modifications, and the separation date (which can affect benefit vesting). You typically have 21 days to review an agreement, and consulting an employment attorney ($200-$500 for a review) is often worth it.