Navigate a Layoff

How to Navigate a Layoff — A State-by-State Guide

A layoff is a financial and administrative emergency compressed into a few weeks. Unemployment filing rules, final-paycheck laws, COBRA deadlines, 401(k) rollovers, non-compete enforceability, and severance negotiation all have their own clocks — and the consequences of missing them land directly in your bank account.

This guide walks every phase of navigating a layoff: the first 24–48 hours, financial triage, severance and legal review, retirement and financial accounts, administrative and professional steps, and looking forward. Every state has its own page with actual weekly benefit amounts, filing URLs, WARN Act thresholds, and non-compete enforceability so you're not guessing at the rules that matter.

What this guide covers

Each phase contains the specific, in-order steps that apply across every state — with state-specific amounts, deadlines, and official links layered in on the per-state pages.

How Life Mapt does this differently

Life Mapt sequences all of this for your state, your employment type, your severance status, and your financial runway — so you're making the high-stakes decisions with full information and nothing important slips.

State-by-state guides

Pick your state for the specific deadlines, fees, and official links that apply to you. Pages marked Verified have fully researched state-specific data; all other states include the same complete workflow with clear prompts for local verification.