HOW TO SURVIVE A LAYOFF

Things you should do first:

FACT

• Each year more than 18 million Americans lose their jobs unexpectedly.
• On average, most of those who have lost their job will find a new one within five months.
• Last year, laid off Americans were out of work for an average 20.3 weeks.

Now that you have been laid off, you need to hurry up and find a new job,

right? Wrong.  Before you exit the door, there are a few important things you must do, a few loose ends that need to be tied up between you and your ex

employer. 

Before you go out looking for a new job, you must make a plan of action, map out what you are going to do next. Add these items to your to-do list for your first week out of work.

1. Synchronize Your Records

            First, be sure that you and your former employer are on the same page regarding what you feel is owed to you.  Work closely with your manager, employment benefits manager, union rep and/or HR manager to determine what is owed to you. 

            Record the agreed upon date of your termination or the date you submitted your resignation letter.  Also read over your company hand book very carefully, anything you don’t understand call your former HR manager and have he or she explain it to you in simple terms.

            Be sure to make a copy of project plans you spearheaded, designs you made, templates you created. These documents will come handy as you interview and will also help to remind you of things you are good at, be sure to add your impressive documents to your portfolio.

2.         Salary and Accrued Vacation Time

• Make sure that you are not due any vacation time, if you received paid vacation, then you are entitled to pay for time accrued.

• Call your state labor board and make sure you understand what the law mandates.  Some states require that the employer pays you in full on your last day of work, others give the employer some slack.  Some states mandate payment for unused vested vacation time, others may not. 

3.         Unemployment and Healthcare

• A major issue most people must deal with is providing for themselves and their families. Finding out if you qualify for unemployment compensation should be the next thing that is taken care of. There are certain criteria that must be met. Visit www.dol.gov to find your local labor office.

• The next issue to deal with is healthcare insurance. In the U.S. more than 64 percent or 177 million of Americans receive some form of healthcare insurance through their employer. Usually when a job is lost so is the coverage. However, you may be entitled to COBRA benefits, your health plan must give you a notice stating your right to choose to continue benefits provided by COBRA. You financially contribute to this fund. You must respond in 60 days or you may lose your right to the benefits. 

4.         Important Tax Forms

• Who has your W-2? If you haven’t received your W-2 form by mid February, contact the IRS to request a substitute.  You will be asked to produce your final paycheck for that tax year. Go to www.irs.gov for more info.

• Consult your tax accountant and financial planners. There are many firms that handle rollovers at no charge to you.  Some firms also offer tax planning that will allow you to minimize the tax bit while still using as much cash as you need to carry you until you land your next job.

5.         Cash Flow

Now that you have found yourself in the middle of a layoff, it can go without saying, you should take a conservative approach to your cash flow situation.  Pool your resources, you have more money than you think. Here are some conservative avenues to take into consideration:

• Consolidating Credit Card Debt

• Defer Student Loan payments – Ask for a forbearance

• 401k rollover to a IRA or ROTH IRA (consult a financial advisor)

• Refinance Your home

• Consult your tax preparer about certain options

• Utilize your tax refund, have your accountant review previous returns for possible additional returns

• Re-assess your household spending

• Contact your creditors regarding reducing your interest rates

6.         Moving On

• Once we have come to terms with all matters emotional and practical, it is time to move on. We must decide where to go from here. First you must look at why you lost your job. Was the company downsizing? If so, is this a trend in the industry? How is the industry changing? Do you want to stay in the same field? Is a career change in order? If not, maybe this is a good time to spruce up some skills in order to make yourself more marketable.

• Take the time to make some changes – research different careers and industries, learn new skills (you must show value to a potential employer) and improve upon the ones you already have, or perhaps consider relocating. Look forward to your next opportunity.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy"
Martin Luther King