Five Things You Should Take with You When You Get Laid Off

Layoffs have become increasingly common given today's economy, and nowadays, when there is a sudden gathering announced in the conference room, you know that most probably it is to deliver bad news and not for a celebration. Of course, the sudden announcement that you are losing your job is quite disorienting, but you must calm yourself down soon and make the most of the bad situation.

Here's a list of five things that you should not step out of your office without once you are told that you are being laid off:

Your contacts: If you do not have a backup copy of your contact list at home, the first thing to do when you are asked to leave is to go to your desk and copy your contact list. This is not possible if you are asked to leave the premises immediately from the conference rooms, but most companies nowadays are not so strict. They do let you return to your desk and collect your belongings. So, when you return to your desk, copy your Outlook contacts and if someone asks what you are doing, tell them honestly that you are taking a copy of your contact list. This is important as in the days to come, you may want to get in touch with your contacts and ask them for information on any suitable open positions that they may be aware of.



Layoff letter: Be aware of the reality that you may not find a new job soon and that you will need some money in the interim to tide your out. Hence, ensure that you ask your boss to provide you with a letter stating that you are being laid off. Further, if your being laid off because the company's new products are not doing well and hence the company wants to cut costs in order to minimize losses, ask your boss to state that in the letter. Such a letter would have two benefits: One, you can submit this letter to your local unemployment bureau and speed up the processing of your unemployment benefits. Two, you can show a copy of this letter to prospective employers to prove that you were not laid off because of performance issues.

Your last paycheck: Do not leave with collecting your last paycheck and ensure that it covers remuneration for all the days that you have worked and for all the unused paid time off. This is mandated by the law and hence you company cannot refuse your request. However, if they need a few days to process your payment, ask them for a letter stating the same and make sure that they put in a date as to when you can expect your check. If you do not take care of this formality, you may go crazy chasing the accounts department for your money, and you definitely do not want that additional hassle. Further, ask whether in your settlement paycheck, they would be accounting for any of the bonuses or pay increases that you are entitled to. After all, there is no harm in asking, is there?

Your COBRA information: It may be some time before you get a new job, and in the interim, you may want to be covered for insurance and hence apply for COBRA. So, make sure that you have accurate COBRA information with you prior to leaving the office on that last day.

Letter of Recommendation: If your boss is sincerely apologetic for having to let you go, ask him if you can cite his as a reference. If he agrees, ask him to write you a letter of recommendation letter then and there. In the letter, request him to detail your workplace performance and state that you were not let go because of poor performance. You could even maybe request him to add you to his LinkedIn network and provide you an online reference on the site.

While these five things will not reduce the pain caused by your lay off, they will definitely go a long way in help you come to terms with it and get on with your life.