After a layoff, protect your deadlines and cash flow first: save your separation paperwork, file for unemployment through the official state program, confirm when health coverage ends, and compare replacement coverage before making a choice. Then review your retirement-plan options and separation terms, and connect with public workforce support. This checklist is general U.S. guidance; state rules, plan terms, and your separation agreement can change what applies to you.
What should you do first after being laid off?
Save the paperwork and mark the dates
Keep copies of the layoff or separation notice, severance offer, benefits notices, recent pay records, and retirement-plan contact information. Record the date your employment ends and the date your health coverage ends, along with any response, election, or signature deadlines. Keep only personal copies of records you are entitled to retain; do not take confidential employer or customer information.
Make a short cash-flow plan
List expected final wages, any severance payment dates, essential bills, insurance premiums, and the status of your unemployment claim. Use actual dates and amounts from your documents where available. Final-pay timing, unused vacation payout, and severance rights are not universal; check your state labor agency and written employment terms.
How do you apply for unemployment?
Contact the official unemployment insurance program for the state where you worked as soon as possible after becoming unemployed. Unemployment is state-administered, so eligibility rules, claim procedures, and payment timing vary. Provide complete, accurate information and follow the agency’s instructions. If you live in a different state from the one where you worked, or worked in multiple states, ask the agency where you live how to file. The U.S. Department of Labor says an initial benefit check generally takes two to three weeks after filing, but that is not a guarantee for an individual claim. See the Department of Labor’s unemployment insurance guidance.
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Navigate to your state’s unemployment agency from an official government site rather than following an unsolicited link. USAGov warns that scammers may use another person’s information to file a claim. Contact the state agency using its official contact details if you receive an unexpected benefits notice, learn someone has already filed using your identity, or receive an unexpected 1099-G. USAGov explains how to apply and report unemployment fraud.
What happens to your health insurance?
First confirm the exact date your job-based coverage ends. Then compare a Marketplace plan, COBRA if offered and eligible, and a spouse’s employer plan if available. Check the actual premium, deductible, doctors and hospitals in network, prescription coverage, and coverage start date—not just the monthly premium.
Marketplace coverage
HealthCare.gov says loss of job-based coverage generally gives you 60 days to enroll in a Marketplace plan. Its guidance says coverage can start on the first day of the month after the old coverage ends. Verify your eligibility, dates, and enrollment instructions against the current official notice. Medicaid and CHIP enrollment is available at any time if you qualify. Read HealthCare.gov’s guidance on losing job-based coverage.
COBRA continuation
COBRA can let eligible workers and family members temporarily continue the former employer’s group health plan, usually for up to 18 months after job loss. The worker often pays the full premium plus a small administrative fee, so compare the total cost and benefits with other coverage. COBRA election can be retroactive: electing later may mean paying premiums back to the date coverage ended. Do not cancel or decline one option until you have confirmed when replacement coverage begins. The Department of Labor explains COBRA continuation coverage.
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A spouse’s employer plan
If you are eligible to join a spouse’s employment-based plan because you lost coverage, the Department of Labor says you generally have 30 days to request special enrollment. Ask the plan administrator for the applicable deadline and effective date. Review the Department of Labor’s health-plan and COBRA FAQs.
What should you do with your 401(k) or other retirement plan?
Before requesting a distribution or rollover, ask the plan administrator for the Summary Plan Description and an individual benefit statement. Review the options the plan actually permits, any fees, your vested balance, and whether you have an outstanding plan loan. If considering a rollover to a future employer’s plan or an IRA, check the receiving plan’s rules and compare access, fees, and tax treatment. There is no universally best destination; plan terms determine which choices are available. The Department of Labor’s retirement-plan guide describes information to review.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How should you review a severance agreement?
Keep the full agreement and identify the deadline to respond, payment schedule, any benefit subsidy, release language, and return-of-property requirements. If a term is unclear or the consequences are significant, consider qualified advice in the relevant state before signing.
Do not assume every laid-off worker is entitled to severance. The Department of Labor says severance and vacation pay are generally governed by contract and state law, and sometimes ERISA. Federal WARN rules apply to qualifying plant closings and mass layoffs, not to every individual separation. For certain covered plant closings or mass layoffs, WARN requires 60 calendar days’ advance notice, subject to coverage rules and exceptions. Read the Department of Labor’s WARN guidance and its guidance on final pay and severance.
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Where can you get free job-search help?
Contact your state Rapid Response team or an American Job Center. Depending on local availability, services may include job-search assistance, career counseling, resume preparation, interview workshops, training information, and benefits guidance. Attend a Rapid Response session offered to affected workers. Find an American Job Center through CareerOneStop.
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