I was laid off/ terminated yesterday by my employer of almost a year. I searched this topic before responding to their 1 week salary severance offer, and everyone said “don’t negotiate a severance, they don’t have to give you anything at all.”
I still decided to negotiate and they accepted my counter offer. Here is my email, feel free to copy pasta:
Hello,
Thank you for your explanation of my termination yesterday, and presentation and review of the severance package.
I really appreciate the agreement offered. I am reaching out because a reasonable severance package would hopefully also meet my needs whilst I enter the job market to seek comparable employment.
In an effort to obtain an agreement that is more likely to sustain myself and my family during this time period that I am in the job market in, I would like to request a sum equal to (2) weeks of my regular wages, equal to $???? be paid to me, along with all allotted/earned PTO, which is currently (?) hours according to ADP. I would also like to request that the benefits I do receive (dental and vision) be extended until one month. My children make use of the dental, and my oldest has a pediatric dental appointment on this Friday. I do not have enough time to find other dental benefit arrangements, these additional two weeks would give a bit of time to figure it out.
I do not mean to imply that the severance is inadequate. When list of achievements. I believe that my contributions to the team are notable.
This is a time of anxiety and uncertainty for me, and I appreciate the offer for placement and reference assistance. Thanks for treating this transition with empathy and humanism.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
The worst they can say is no.