Protect yourself on the way out
Complete toolkit — pay, severance, unemployment & next steps

Losing the job is bad enough.
Don't lose what they still owe you.

Final paychecks have legal deadlines. Severance agreements have federal review windows — and room to negotiate. Unemployment denials get overturned on appeal constantly. Answer 7 quick questions and get your final-pay demand letter, the severance review system, your unemployment appeal letter, and the playbook for insurance, retirement money, and references.

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Step 1Demand your final pay and your personnel file — in writing.
Step 2Review the severance before signing — then ask for more.
Step 3Appeal the unemployment denial and handle benefits right.

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Part 1 — Final Pay & Personnel File Demand

Send now — deadlines run from your last day

Unlock the complete toolkit

The demand letter collects what's owed. Parts 2–4 protect everything else.

  • Part 2: the severance review checklist — the 21/45-day federal windows, what you're really signing away, and the counter-offer letter
  • Part 3: the unemployment appeal letter + how to win the phone hearing
  • Part 4: COBRA vs. marketplace math, 401(k) moves, the neutral-reference request
  • The wrongful-termination red flags worth a free lawyer consult
  • WARN Act basics for larger layoffs
  • Print / save as PDF, unlimited edits, lifetime access on this device
$35

One-time. One negotiated severance week pays for this 50 times over.

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Part 2 — The Severance Review & Counter

Read BEFORE signing anything

🔒 Unlock to see the severance review system and counter letter.

Part 3 — The Unemployment Appeal

Deadlines are short — check your denial notice today

🔒 Unlock to see your appeal letter and hearing prep.

Part 4 — Benefits, References & Red Flags

COBRA, 401(k), references, and when to call a lawyer

🔒 Included in the $35 kit.

What most people leave on the table when they lose a job

The days after a termination are exactly when the most money is decided — and exactly when most people are too stunned to act. Final paychecks carry state-law deadlines (immediately or within days in many states, not "whenever payroll runs"). Severance offers to workers 40+ come with federally mandated review windows — 21 days for individuals, 45 for group layoffs, plus 7 days to revoke after signing — which means "sign today" pressure is a bluff. Unemployment denials are overturned on appeal at high rates, especially with documents and a prepared 10 minutes. The sequence:

  1. Collect what's owed. Wages through the last day, and in many states accrued PTO, plus unreimbursed expenses. A written demand starts penalty clocks in states that have them — and gets you your personnel file, which many states let you request.
  2. Review before you sign. A severance agreement is a trade: money for your legal claims. Know what you're waiving, use the full review window, and counter — severance is negotiable more often than people believe, especially with tenure, unclear termination reasons, or non-compete asks.
  3. Appeal the denial. "Misconduct" denials often crumble at hearing — ordinary performance issues aren't misconduct in most states. File within the deadline printed on the notice, then prepare the three questions every hearing officer asks.
  4. Handle the mechanics. Health insurance (60 days to elect COBRA — the deadline is a feature, not a rush), 401(k) rollovers, and a written neutral-reference agreement.

Do I have a wrongful termination case?

At-will employment means most terminations are legal — but not ones based on protected traits, retaliation for complaints or claims, exercising legal rights (leave, wage complaints, safety reports), or in breach of a contract. The kit lists the specific red flags that make employment lawyers take cases on contingency — worth checking before any severance waiver is signed.

Before anything else: forward yourself nothing from work systems (that can violate policy or law) — but DO write down, today, from memory: dates, names, what was said at termination, and any promises made. Memory is evidence and it fades fast.

Job Loss Kit provides self-help document templates and general information, not legal or tax advice, and is not a law firm. Final-pay deadlines, PTO payout rules, and unemployment procedures vary by state and change — verify current rules. Facts verified July 2026.

Built by John R. Detty — 22 years as a U.S. Navy Legalman, retired. Two decades in Navy legal offices taught me one thing: the right paper, sent the right way, gets results. Not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice — just paperwork that means business.