Yesterday I was told that I was going to be laid off in four weeks. I was hired for this position a little over a year ago and one of the selling points was that it was a “permanent position” that wouldn't go away in a year. They are now offering me a $4,000 severance package if I agree to a non-disclosure agreement and if I agree not to sue them for discrimination or file for unemployment.
I seriously doubt they're doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. So I looked it up and if I was to file for unemployment I would be eligible for $13,000 in benefits. Plus the more people that file for unemployment the more it could make a company's unemployment insurance go up. I'm not too worried about the discrimination or non-disclosure agreement as I don't believe either one is relevant to my situation.
But I'm wondering if I should take the $4,000 and run or if I should try to negotiate a higher severance or if I should turn down the severance altogether in case I do need to file for unemployment. I have four weeks to decide.
It's never taken me more than 2-3 months to find a job before and I've already applied and interviewed to multiple other positions. I doubt I would need the unemployment and would probably prefer a lump sum severance package. I may even come out ahead if I get paid a severance and a wage at the same time. But it's nice to have the option of unemployment if I struggle to find a new job.