warn act
What PayPal Employees Should Know About Their 2026 Severance Package
Federal WARN Act, state mini-WARN laws, OWBPA waivers, and UI rules across PayPal's major US hubs. Site-by-site severance guide for 2026.
By Tara Bird · July 10, 2026
Insights
Editorial deep-dives.
Citation-backed guides to severance, WARN Act, equity acceleration, OWBPA, COBRA, and non-compete enforceability. The detail that drives what your offer should look like.
Posts
warn act
What Cloudflare Employees Should Know About Their 2026 Severance Package
Federal WARN Act, Cal-WARN, OWBPA waiver rights, and UI eligibility details for Cloudflare employees affected by the 2026 layoffs.
By Tara Bird · May 28, 2026
warn act
What Cisco Employees Should Know About Their 2026 Severance Package
Federal WARN Act, Cal-WARN, OWBPA timelines, UI eligibility, and negotiable terms for Cisco workers affected by the 2026 AI-restructuring layoff.
By Tara Bird · May 15, 2026
benchmarks
How Severance Packages Shrink Across RIF Rounds: Data From Public 8-K Filings
Public 8-K filings document the full arc of multi-round reductions: how many rounds companies run, which program labels they use, and how the package terms can change between round 1 and round N. Nine of the 29 public companies in the layoffcalculator.com corpus ran two or more rounds.
By Tara Bird · May 11, 2026
warn act
7 States with Stricter WARN Laws Than Federal
Seven states layer their own WARN protections on top of federal law: California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, Tennessee, and Washington.
By Tara Bird · May 4, 2026
non compete
The FTC Non-Compete Ban Is Dead: What the Ryan, LLC Ruling Means for Workers
The FTC's 2024 rule banning non-competes was vacated by a federal court in August 2024, formally removed from the Code of Federal Regulations in February 2026. Your non-compete is governed by state law. Here is what that means.
By Tara Bird · May 4, 2026
warn act
WARN 90-Day Aggregation Rule: When Layoff Rounds Add Up
Federal WARN combines separate layoff rounds at one site within any 90-day window. Round 3 can trigger retroactive back-pay for everyone affected.
By Tara Bird · May 3, 2026
negotiation
Voluntary Separation Package vs. Involuntary RIF: Which Should You Take?
When your employer is running a multi-round reduction, round 1 is often a voluntary separation offer and round 2 is mandatory. The accept-or-wait decision turns on OWBPA timing, equity acceleration, ERISA plan rights, and WARN coverage. Here is how to decide.
By Tara Bird · May 3, 2026
warn act
Laid Off in a Second or Third Round: How Repeated RIFs Affect Your Severance
The federal WARN Act's 90-day aggregation rule combines separate layoff rounds that each fall below the threshold into a single covered event. Here is how that rule works, what OWBPA group disclosures require in a multi-round RIF, and why later-round employees often have more room to negotiate.
By Tara Bird · May 3, 2026
warn act
Multi-Round Layoffs: How Round 2 Differs From Round 1
When a company runs a phased reduction in force, each round changes the legal posture of the next. Federal WARN aggregation, OWBPA decisional units, and ERISA plan rights all shift across the timeline. Here is how to read your position in a multi-round program.
By Tara Bird · May 3, 2026
owbpa
How to Read Your OWBPA Disclosure List: A Tactical Guide for Workers 40 and Older
If you are 40 or older and your employer just laid off two or more people, the OWBPA disclosure list is the most important document in the packet. Here is how to read it.
By Tara Bird · May 3, 2026
warn act
Comparable-Role Offers in a Restructuring: When to Accept and When to Take the Severance
When a restructuring eliminates your role and the employer offers you a different one, the legal posture turns on whether the new role is 'comparable' under 20 CFR § 639.3(f). The accept-or-decline decision shapes your WARN claim, your continuous-service clock, and your equity-vesting position.
By Tara Bird · May 3, 2026
negotiation
Negotiating Severance When You Weren't Laid Off: Mutual Separations, PIP Exits, and Resignations
Severance isn't just for layoffs. Learn how to negotiate an exit package during a mutual separation, PIP, or resignation under pressure.
By Tara Bird · May 1, 2026
warn act
What Meta Employees Should Know About Their Severance Package
Meta's April 2026 layoffs: California and Washington employees' rights under the WARN Act, Cal-WARN, the OWBPA 45-day window, UI eligibility, and what is negotiable.
By Tara Bird · April 30, 2026
warn act
The 60-Day WARN Notice Period: What Counts and What Doesn't
The federal WARN Act requires 60 days of advance written notice before a covered plant closing or mass layoff. Here is which employers are covered, which separations count, the recognized exceptions, and how state mini-WARN laws layer on top.
By Tara Bird · April 28, 2026
tax
Severance Tax Withholding: Why Your Check Was Smaller Than You Expected
Severance is taxed as supplemental wages. Federal rules apply a 22% flat withholding rate (37% above $1M), plus FICA, Medicare, and state rates from 0% to 11.7%.
By Tara Bird · April 28, 2026
owbpa
How Long to Sign a Severance Agreement at 40+: The OWBPA Rule
Federal law gives workers 40+ at least 21 days to consider a severance agreement and 7 days to revoke after signing. Here is how the OWBPA rule works.
By Tara Bird · April 28, 2026
negotiation
Negotiating Severance When HR Is the Team Being Cut
HR workers know the severance playbook from the inside. Here is how to use that knowledge when your own people org is the one being reduced.
By Tara Bird · July 22, 2025
equity
Equity Acceleration Clauses: A Plain-English Guide
Single-trigger vs. double-trigger equity acceleration explained for laid-off workers, plus tax rules, 280G golden parachute limits, and what to look for in your plan docs.
By Tara Bird · July 18, 2025