For Employees

Severance Review and Negotiation Guidance

Before You Sign

You have a severance offer in hand. Before you sign, an independent HR read tells you what is standard, what is negotiable, and what to ask. Senior HR judgment on your side of the table. Not legal counsel, not your former employer.

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What This Is

A Senior HR Read on the Offer in Front of You

Severance offers are written by employer-side HR and legal teams who do this every day. You may be reading one for the first time. The numbers, the release language, the timeline, the references, every part of the document is doing work, and most of it is negotiable in ways the offer does not advertise.

A severance review is a structured one-hour engagement: we read the document with you, walk through what is typical for your role, industry, and tenure, identify what is below market, and tell you what is reasonable to push back on. You leave the conversation knowing what to sign, what to ask for, and how to ask.

What's Included

Severance Review Engagement

A focused engagement covering the entire offer, not just the headline number. You will leave with a clear picture of where the offer stands, what to negotiate, and how to approach the conversation.

Line-by-line review of the severance agreement
HR perspective on whether the package is at, above, or below market for your role and tenure
Identification of negotiable terms: pay, benefits continuation, references, non-compete, non-disparagement
Plain-language explanation of release and waiver language
Coaching on how to respond and what to ask
Honest read on whether your situation may benefit from legal counsel before you sign

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How It Works

From First Call to Decision

1

Free Consultation

A 30-minute call to understand the situation, scope the review, and confirm whether we are the right resource for your specific offer.

2

Document Review

You send us the offer documents. We read them carefully against typical market norms and identify every negotiable point.

3

Strategy Session

A working session where we walk you through the document, the market read, and a clear recommendation for what to sign and what to push back on.

The first offer is rarely the best offer. Knowing what to ask for is the difference.

Common Questions

Severance Review Questions

Is severance always negotiable?

More often than employees realize. The first offer is a starting position. Employers expect that some recipients will negotiate, and they leave room for it. The terms most commonly negotiated are pay weeks, benefits continuation length, the reference language, and the scope of restrictive covenants like non-compete or non-solicit. Whether your specific offer has room depends on the situation, but the answer is rarely "no room at all."

How is this different from talking to an employment attorney?

An attorney is the right call when there is an active legal claim or when you need privileged conversation. We are the right call when you want senior HR judgment on the offer itself: what is normal, what is light, what to ask for, and how. Many of our clients use both: they start with us to understand the document, and they engage counsel only if the situation calls for it. We are HR professionals, not attorneys, and our conversations are not protected by attorney-client privilege.

I have a deadline to sign. How quickly can you help?

Severance offers typically come with a 21-day or 45-day consideration period under federal law for employees over 40, and shorter windows for employees under 40. We can usually complete a full review within 48 to 72 hours of receiving the documents. Mention the deadline on the first call and we will adjust the timeline accordingly.

What if I think the separation itself was unlawful?

If your situation has the markers of an unlawful separation, discrimination, retaliation, or violation of contract, that is a moment where legal counsel adds value beyond what HR review can provide. We will tell you that on the first call and help you decide whether to engage an attorney before you sign anything. Signing a release before you understand a potential claim can foreclose options that would otherwise be available to you.

Take the Next Step

Read the Offer With Someone on Your Side

A 30-minute consultation costs nothing. Tell us what you have in front of you and we will tell you whether a review is worth it for your situation.