Thread regarding Cigna layoffs

@a8 I read the current severance package info which is in workday. You basically get 6 months of pay and since they are doing it before bonus pay outs the you don’t get that because the rule states you have to be an employee at the time of pay outs. They don’t give you healthcare and it runs out the first Sunday after the layoff.

I agree to your statement about getting an attorney to review and negotiate on your behalf. The first thing you should do is notify HR you need more time to review than what they offer, usually 3 days added is the norm.

A couple of years ago when I was laid off at a company they offered as a default the following:

• one time payment of 6 months of pay, bonus included and depending on when you left it was prorated, a full year of PTO payed out minus was you used.
• company continued paying benefits for 6 months which included life insurance, short term disability and long term, EAP, healthcare Insurance
• 6 months for a job coach to help you with interviewing skills, resume writing, help you find a job, etc.
• I was able to keep my pension which I still have today as a benefit
• keep any equity given to me and any vesting requirement was canceled since I wasn’t necessarily leaving on my own

@f4 depends. Technically for folks laid off 1/29 their last day is in a future date so they can be denied if they apply earlier than that.

@en It's good I think to apply right away just in case. You can always reopen if severance runs out and at least they will have processed your application by then.

@en Varies by state. Definitely apply for UE benefits right away but in some states you can’t start collecting until your severance runs out.

@en Depends by state.

Does anyone know when or how someone goes about applying for unemployment or if the severance takes that option away?

@aa They will have to change the company policies first, and inform all employees the changes. If they want to continue running the business, they won’t risk the damages it might cause

Make sure you save the recording/transcript of the layoff meeting in webex/teams.

Definitely prepare by looking at your expenses and cutting back aggressively in any ways possible. Make sure your partner is on the same page.

@a8 This checklist might not work for everyone. Some terms are different at varying times. Technically they can take away the severance at some point.

I havent been layed of yet, but...

Don't sign anything right away!

Its your legal right to both fully read the contract and seek legal council (a lawyer's review) before signing a legally binding agreement. If they require you to sin it immediately without understanding it, the terms of the contract are not legally enforceable.

Take this time to compare the offer with your ex-coworkers that have already been layed off. They might not be able to legally say what is in their contract but they can legally advise you that your contract "is what you should take". If the company tries to stiff you on severance compared to others they are making themselves legally vulnerable to you collecting more.

The bare minimum you should be getting is:

• 2-4 weeks of pay per year of service to the company. Find documentation that proves your start date.
• Continuation of health insurance during the above period.
• Maybe PTO payout. Check if you are in a (usually Blue) state that views PTO as an earned/deferred payment.
• Your yearly bonus (due in March) that you've earned from the prior year's work. Find documentation of your previous bonuses to make sure they dont stuff you here either.

Severance is basically hush money. Its to make sure that you dont cause a problem on your way out or after you're gone. Its cheaper for the company than you causing $100,000 in losses by posting signs all over your town that "cigna is outsourcing our jobs" or the company getting their pharmacy factory sabotaged/burned down because the remaining workers hear there is no cushion when they get fired.

what general org are you?