You Just Got a Layoff Email: What to Do in the First 24 Hours

The First Hour After the Email You open your laptop and there it is. The subject line that stops everything. 'Organizational Changes' or 'Your Position' or just a calendar invite from HR with no context. Your stomach drops. Your mind races. And then — the strange silence of realizing your entire daily routine just became irrelevant. Here's what to do first: nothing impulsive. Don't fire off an emotional email. Don't post on LinkedIn. Don't text your coworker asking if they got cut too. Take an hour. Walk around the block. Call someone you trust. The worst decisions after a layoff happen in the first sixty minutes. After that hour, you have work to do — not the kind you're used to, but equally important. The next 24 hours determine how smoothly your transition goes. Email Template: Requesting Severance Details Subject: Follow-up on today's conversation — severance details Hi [HR Contact], Thank you for walking me through today's news. I'd like to request written details on: severance pa