Your opening offer should be direct and certain: "I understand that my termination is a necessary decision given the company's financial situation. From past experience, you have dealt fairly with other employees who have been laid off. Because of that, I am confident that my severance package will be at least the following: (give your plan for the severance arrangement)."
Remember to include all important items: State the amount of severance pay you expect and how long you expect your benefits to be continued. In addition, if your company gives outstanding vacation pay to employees who voluntarily leave the company, you should reasonably expect to receive payment for outstanding vacation days in addition to any severance pay. As when you negotiated a starting salary, know what you need, be prepared to ask for everything, and know what you can give up.
TO RETURN OR NOT TO RETURN
You have one more decision to make as you negotiate your departure: Is there a possibility the company could hire you back and, if so, do you want to come back? Many people are too angry and upset to even consider this question. In fact, your first response to the question may be "No way in hell." However, as with the severance pay issue, the question is one that should be evaluated and answered logically, focusing on your current financial situation, the current economic outlook in your area, and your specific marketable skills.
In any event, if you handle yourself calmly and professionally throughout the process of being notified and negotiating your severance agreement, you will be able to leave the door open to return. You may even wish to approach the subject before you leave the company. Let your employer know that you value the experience you gained with the company, that you believe in their ability to turn the company around financially, and that you'd like to be considered when the company begins to grow again.
LEAVING ON A POSITIVE NOTE
Regardless of how you feel about the company, your manager, and the whole situation of being let go, you should make every effort to leave on a positive note. Take a minute to talk with co workers, particularly those with whom you have enjoyed working.
Again, be sure you are calm enough to do this in a positive way. Under no circumstances should you denigrate the company or its management. At this point, it s best to stick to your mother's old adage, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
As you look for a new position and continue on in your career, the contacts you have made in the past will always be valuable to you. No matter how angry you are at being laid off, don't burn bridges. If you feel too upset to talk with anyone, leave and come back later, or call each individual to tell him or her how much you have appreciated the chance to work with him or her. The reputation you save will be your own.
WHAT TO TELL YOUR CLIENTS OR CUSTOMERS
If you are in sales, marketing, customer support, or any one of a number of areas that requires direct customer contact, you and your employer will ponder the question of what to tell your clients. If your company is large and the layoffs are public knowledge, your employer will feel reasonably comfortable if you choose to call your customers and tell them the situation. If you are departing from the company because of unfulfilled promises or other friction between you and the company's management, you may wish to tell your customers nothing more than that you are resigning under duress and that you'd rather not go into a great deal of detail about the situation, If your departure is a result of financial difficulties that are not well known, the problem is somewhat more difficult.
You and your employer may have opposing viewpoints on what to tell customers. Your employer wants to maintain the company's reputation and keep valuable customers from finding some other supplier because they become concerned over the company's financial state. On the other hand, you have your own reputation to protect. Allowing your employer to tell customers anything but the truth can damage your reputation. The best approach is to discuss the question openly and honestly with your employer. Tell him or her that you plan to call each of your valued customers to inform them that you will be leaving the company. You can reinforce to the customer that you have every confidence in the company and that you hope to stay in touch with him or her.
Again, the most important thing to remember is to be positive. You personally gain nothing by dragging your employer's name through the mud, regardless of how angry you are that your job has been terminated. The best approach is to be as positive as possible and retain all important business contacts. This strategy will protect your reputation, ensure a positive departure from your company, and possibly even provide you with a valuable source of job leads.
One note: Under no circumstances should you allow your employer to sacrifice you to save his or her own reputation. Don't let your employer tell the customer that you quit on your own, were fired for cause, or took another position, unless, of course, any of those things actually happened.
