{"product_id":"the-severance-playbook","title":"The Severance Playbook","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat they handed you, what it actually says, and what to ask for before you sign.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSomeone gave you a document in a meeting that lasted fifteen minutes. There was a deadline on it. You were probably told it was standard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt's an offer. Offers get negotiated. This guide shows you how.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA 30-page playbook with scripts, worksheets, and a printable one-page card. Instant PDF download.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat most people don't know\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNegotiating doesn't cost you time.\u003c\/strong\u003e If you're 40 or older and your employer makes material changes to the offer, your 21-day consideration period starts over. The clock works for you, not against you.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe deadline on the page is usually theirs, not the law's.\u003c\/strong\u003e Employment attorneys request extensions routinely and rarely get refused. There's a template inside.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHow your severance is paid can change when unemployment starts.\u003c\/strong\u003e Lump sum versus salary continuation is a negotiable term, and in many states it's worth more than anything you'll win on the dollar amount.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThere is no federal ban on non-competes.\u003c\/strong\u003e The FTC rule was vacated in court and formally withdrawn. Most advice written in 2024 gets this wrong.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhat's inside\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe First 48 Hours\u003c\/strong\u003e — Your real deadline, how to ask for more time, and what to gather before your accounts get shut off.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eReading the Agreement\u003c\/strong\u003e — Clause by clause. Release scope, non-disparagement, confidentiality, non-compete, cooperation clauses, and what to push back on.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWhat You're Actually Giving Up\u003c\/strong\u003e — Rights that survive no matter what you sign, and the ones you're selling.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Unemployment Trap\u003c\/strong\u003e — The three ways states treat severance, the lump-sum question, and the three questions to ask your state agency before you sign.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBuilding the Ask\u003c\/strong\u003e — Nine things on the table, not one. Cash, COBRA, equity, references, end date, non-compete carve-outs.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Negotiation\u003c\/strong\u003e — Who to contact, how to frame it, the counter-offer script, and what to say when they tell you it's non-negotiable.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eWhen to Stop Reading and Call a Lawyer\u003c\/strong\u003e — An honest checklist, with real cost figures, including when hiring one isn't worth it.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eTemplates and worksheets\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDeadline calculator\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWhat you're owed vs. what's offered\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eClause decoder — fifteen clauses with the ask for each\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUnemployment call log\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFive letter templates: extension request, counter-offer, narrowing after a refusal, reference language, revocation notice\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOne-page printable card\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWho this is for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnyone who's been handed a severance agreement and hasn't signed it yet. Laid off, restructured, or offered a package on the way out. Useful whether you're 25 or 55, with the rules that apply at each age clearly marked.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWho this is not for\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnyone who's already signed and passed their revocation window. Anyone who believes they were fired for discriminatory reasons — the guide will tell you to call a lawyer, and it's right.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eWhy it's researched, not generic\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEvery legal claim in this guide is sourced. The federal requirements come from EEOC guidance and the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act. The non-compete section reflects the actual current state of the law after the FTC rule was vacated. The section on gag clauses reflects NLRB decisions through 2026, including which workers those protections don't cover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhere sources conflict — and on state unemployment treatment, they do — the guide says so and tells you how to get the real answer for your state instead of printing a table that might be wrong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e PDF (instant digital download)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLength:\u003c\/strong\u003e 30 pages\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDelivery:\u003c\/strong\u003e Available immediately after purchase, plus a download link by email\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLicense:\u003c\/strong\u003e Single-user, personal use\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorks on phone, tablet, desktop, or printed\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis guide is educational material, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It includes a directory of free and low-cost help: your state bar referral service, the EEOC, legal aid, and your state department of labor. Laws change and vary by state. Verify current rules where you live before acting.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBacked by Fresh Start Library.\u003c\/strong\u003e Practical guides for the moments that come with paperwork and a deadline.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fresh Start Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49461283061915,"sku":"FSL-SEV-001","price":57.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0766\/6155\/5355\/files\/c9fe55b7-973f-4a39-98a2-f5059f83385f.png?v=1788751572","url":"https:\/\/freshstartlibrary.com\/products\/the-severance-playbook","provider":"Fresh Start Library","version":"1.0","type":"link"}