What to do in your first week after a layoff

In your first week after a layoff, do four things. Get your separation agreement and its deadline in writing before you sign. Save your own records while you still have access. File for unemployment in the state where you worked. Find out when your health coverage ends. The rest can wait until next week.

This list is in the order the clocks run. It is general information, not legal, tax or medical advice. Your state and your own agreement decide the details, so each step links the official page.

Today

1. Get the dates in writing. Ask HR for your last day, the date of your final paycheck, the day your health coverage ends, and the severance terms with the date you must sign by. Every other step this week depends on these dates.
2. Do not sign the separation agreement on the spot. Severance is an agreement between you and your employer, so read it first (Department of Labor). If you are 40 or older, federal law gives you time to consider it and time to change your mind after you sign, and the agreement must tell you in writing to talk to a lawyer (EEOC). For the questions to ask, read how to read and negotiate your severance.
3. Save what is yours before access ends. While you can still log in, keep your personal contacts and references, work samples you are allowed to keep, your recent reviews, wins and numbers (the raw material for your resume), and your benefits and payroll documents, with the name of the HR person who can answer questions next week.

If your employer's layoff is in the news, Offboard's company pages show what is public about it, with a source next to every figure.

This week

1. File for unemployment. The Department of Labor says to contact your state's program as soon as possible after you lose your job (Department of Labor). There is no federal program: file in the state where you worked (USA.gov), and find its office with the CareerOneStop finder. Each state sets its own rules for who qualifies, so ask your state how your severance counts instead of guessing. Filing is free.
2. Choose your health coverage before the window closes. COBRA lets you keep your work plan, but you usually pay the full premium (Department of Labor). Losing job coverage can also open a Special Enrollment Period for a Marketplace plan (HealthCare.gov), where you may qualify for savings based on your income. You do not have to take COBRA: compare first (HealthCare.gov on COBRA). If your income drops, you can apply for Medicaid any time of year (HealthCare.gov on Medicaid). Each page gives its deadline. Our health insurance guide compares the options.
3. Check your final paycheck. Federal law does not require it on your last day, but some states do (Department of Labor). If payday passes without it, contact your state's labor department.
4. Leave your retirement savings alone for now. The Department of Labor says to leave them in your plan or roll them over (Department of Labor). A cash payout you do not roll over is taxed, and may cost more (IRS).
5. Work out how long your money lasts. Add your savings and any severance, then divide by what you really spend in a month. That number tells you whether you are deciding from comfort or from urgency. Offboard's runway view turns your savings, severance, and benefits into a number of months, and shows which decisions change it (Layoff & Benefits).

This month

1. Tell a small circle first. A few people who know your work, and will think of you when they hear of a role. A public post can wait until you have your footing; see how to announce a layoff on LinkedIn.
2. Ask about help if there was no notice. The WARN Act requires advance notice for some plant closings and mass layoffs (Department of Labor). If you were laid off without notice, the Department of Labor says to contact your state's Rapid Response team (Department of Labor on Rapid Response).
3. Watch for job scams. Honest employers never ask you to pay to get a job (FTC). If a posting looks off, read our guide to ghost jobs.
4. Start the search when you are ready. Begin with your resume: rebuild your resume after a layoff.

What can wait

• Rewriting your whole resume. Save your wins first; polish later.
• Applying to dozens of roles. A scattered first week rarely lands.
• Big career decisions. Make them with a clear head and a known runway.

Where Offboard fits

Offboard puts these steps in order for you. Your Layoff Plan is built from your situation, state, and dates. The steps with a real deadline come first, and you can do the rest in any order. Offboard is independent, not a government agency, and claiming your benefits is always free.

Sources

• Severance as an agreement: Department of Labor, Severance Pay, read November 11, 2026.
• Severance agreements for workers 40 and older: EEOC, Understanding Waivers of Discrimination Claims in Employee Severance Agreements, read November 11, 2026.
• Unemployment: Department of Labor, Unemployment Insurance; USA.gov, Unemployment benefits; CareerOneStop, Unemployment Benefits Finder, read November 11, 2026.
• Health coverage: Department of Labor, COBRA; HealthCare.gov, Special Enrollment Period; HealthCare.gov, COBRA coverage; HealthCare.gov, Medicaid and CHIP, read November 11, 2026.
• Final paycheck: Department of Labor, Last Paycheck, read November 11, 2026.
• Retirement savings: Department of Labor, Top 10 Ways to Prepare for Retirement; IRS, Rollovers of Retirement Plan and IRA Distributions, read November 11, 2026.
• WARN and Rapid Response: Department of Labor, WARN; Department of Labor, Help for laid-off workers, read November 11, 2026.
• Job scams: FTC, Job Scams, read November 11, 2026.