Your first two weeks after a layoff

← All resources · 8 min read · Updated October 2026

The first days after a layoff are a blur. This checklist puts the time-sensitive items first so nothing important slips while you catch your breath.

Days 1–3: protect the essentials

• Read everything HR sent you before you sign. Note your last day, final paycheck date, unused PTO payout, severance amount and any deadline to accept.
• Save your personal records. Download pay stubs, your offer letter, performance reviews, W-2s and benefits statements while you still have access. Copy personal contacts. Do not take company code, documents or customer data.
• Write down your accomplishments now. Projects, metrics, team sizes, tools and the names of people who can vouch for you. Memory fades quickly.
• On a work visa? Talk to an immigration attorney this week. See the visa section below. Time limits start on your last day of employment.

Days 1–7: money and benefits

• File for unemployment right away. File in the state where you worked, usually online. Many states have a waiting week, and claims are not backdated, so don't wait for severance to run out. Ask your state how severance and PTO payouts affect your benefits.
• Choose your health coverage. Your options are usually COBRA (keep your employer plan, often at full cost plus a small fee), a spouse's plan, or the Health Insurance Marketplace at healthcare.gov. Losing job-based coverage opens a special enrollment period of 60 days for the Marketplace, and you have at least 60 days to elect COBRA. Compare costs before deciding.
• Check your 401(k) and any plan loan. You can usually leave it, roll it into an IRA or a new employer's plan. Cashing out early often triggers taxes and penalties. An outstanding 401(k) loan may become due, so ask the plan administrator.
• Look at stock and equity deadlines. Vested stock options often must be exercised within a short window (commonly 90 days) after you leave. Check your equity portal and plan documents.
• Build a simple runway. List monthly costs, cash, severance and expected unemployment. Knowing your number makes every later decision calmer.

Severance agreements

• You often have time to review. If you are 40 or older, federal law generally gives you at least 21 days to consider a severance agreement (45 days in a group layoff) and 7 days to change your mind after signing.
• Read what you are giving up. Most agreements include a release of claims, confidentiality and sometimes non-disparagement or non-solicitation terms.
• It's fine to ask. Polite requests for extra weeks, a longer COBRA subsidy, a neutral reference or keeping your laptop are sometimes granted. For large amounts or unusual terms, an employment attorney is worth a short consult.

On a work visa

• H1B (and other statuses such as L-1, O-1, TN, E-3). After employment ends you generally have a grace period of up to 60 consecutive days, or until your I-94 expires if that is sooner. Within it you can be sponsored by a new employer, change status or prepare to leave.
• Dependants. H4 and L2 status usually depends on the main visa holder. If the main holder is laid off, the family's timeline is affected too, including H4 EAD and L2 EAD work permission.
• OPT and STEM OPT. Unemployment days are limited: 90 days on post-completion OPT, plus 60 more on the STEM extension (150 in total). Tell your school's DSO about your job change within 10 days.
• Keep records. Your last pay stub, termination letter and I-94 will be needed for any next step.

Week 2: your network and your story

• Agree on your references. Ask two or three former managers or peers now, while your work is fresh in their minds.
• Write a short, honest exit line. For example: "My role was part of a company-wide reduction of 12%. I'm looking for my next platform engineering role and open to contract work in the meantime." Use it in messages, on LinkedIn and in interviews.
• Tell people, in batches. Former colleagues, managers who moved on, and friends in the industry. Ask one specific thing, such as an intro to a team or a referral to an open role.
• Update LinkedIn. Set "Open to work" (visible to recruiters only, if you prefer) and refresh your headline. See our resume and LinkedIn guide.
• Join a group on RestartHub. Post a short introduction in Career transition or your specialty group. Members share leads, interview experiences and what helped them.

Look after yourself

Layoffs are rarely about individual performance, and almost everyone in this community has been through one. Keep a routine, move every day and talk to people. If things feel heavy, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (call or text 988 in the US) is free and confidential, and many employers' Employee Assistance Programs stay available for a period after you leave.