If you’re one of the 8,000 Meta employees laid off in May, the difference between a good and great result could be $50,000 or more. The main reason for the layoffs is to compensate for their huge AI CAPEX.
I’ve spent 14 years helping people negotiate severance packages, including engineering my own and my wife’s layoffs, and Meta’s offering is one of the more interesting case studies I’ve seen in some time. Let me break it down component by component.
Here is the highlight of Meta’s internal memo that has surfaced:
“We will support those laid off with a generous severance package, including 16 weeks of base pay in the US plus two weeks for each year of employment. We will also cover the cost of COBRA health care coverage for US workers and their families for 18 months.”
On the surface, 16 weeks’ basic pay and two weeks’ service per year sounds impressive. If you’ve been in META for 10 years, that’s 16 + 20 = 36 weeks’ salary. Based on $250,000, you’re looking at about $173,000. not bad.
But here’s what most employees don’t know, and it changes the picture somewhat.
Warning Act: What is Meta Required vs. What is Negotiable for Payment
Under the California WARN Act, companies with 75 or more employees must give all workers 60 days’ notice or 60 days’ pay before conducting a mass layoff. It’s 8 weeks, non-negotiable, legally mandated, and Meta isn’t doing you any favors.
This matters because Severance pay is voluntary. Warning Act is not pay. When you remove the 8 weeks required to legally pay Meta, the actual discretionary severance reduces to just 8 additional weeks of base pay, plus two weeks per year of service.
This changes the grade.
Grading Meta’s Severance Package
Base Pay Factor: B+
The total of sixteen weeks (8 mandatory + 8 voluntary) is above average, but not exceptional. The gold standard that I have consistently seen, in my conversations and with the over a hundred people I have consulted with, is Three weeks’ salary for each year of serviceNot two.
That 50% jump is absolutely achievable and worth fighting for. My wife and I got this. Many of my consulting clients have found this as well.
Meta gives you two weeks per year. You should ask for three.
Cobra Coverage: A+
This is where Meta really deserves recognition. COBRA covers 100% of the health insurance dues for 18 months.
The mean I’ve seen across hundreds of severance packages is six months of COBRA coverage. Some companies don’t offer anything. 18 months of meta is really rare, and for a family, math is important.
My family spends about $3,000 per month on health insurance. Eighteen months of Meta-Cover Cobra would cost us $54,000 alone. When you’re evaluating competitive job offers after a layoff, don’t forget to take into account what you’ll lose if this coverage ends.
Overall Package: B+
Solid, above average, and especially generous on health care. But there is scope for growth in the basic salary component and this is where your energies should be focused.
Knowing in advance is a huge advantage – use it
Meta announced the layoff date of May 20 a few weeks ahead of schedule. For most employees, this seems like a month of anxiety. But if you reframe it, it’s actually a month of leverage.
If you want to keep your jobUse this window aggressively. Contact your manager again. Demonstrate your value in a concrete way. Make yourself visible to the people making decisions. This way, you improve your chances of survival.
If you were already thinking about goingThis is one of the best things that could have happened to you. Every year, thousands of workers are deprived of the severance pay to which they were legally and morally entitled, simply because they were too uncomfortable asking for it, or did not know how. By leaving everything is left behind. Negotiating a layoff puts money in your pocket as soon as you leave.
Now is the time for unhappy Meta employees to be voluntarily terminated. You free your manager from a painful decision. You could potentially open the door to a better package. And if you approach it right, you may even be able to make a return at a much higher rate than your hourly rate as a part-time consultant, something I’ve helped dozens of people do, including my own wife.
what to do now
The time between now and May 20 is short. Here’s how to spend it:
FirstMake sure your personal email is updated on weekdays. Meta has clearly stated that layoff notifications will go to both your work and personal accounts.
SecondIf you’re ready to be fired, start having a calm conversation with your manager or head of human resources right now. See it as a desire to help them through a difficult process, not as frustration.
thirdUnderstand that the packages announced by Meta are a starting point, not a limit. Severance is negotiable. Most people don’t know this. People who do this almost always come out ahead.
I have an entire playbook for how to have these conversations – what to say, what not to say, how to time it, and how to get hired back at a higher rate – in my book. How to engineer your layoff. If you’re a meta employee reading this right now, or someone who is looking to leave their job, this is where I’d start. Use code “SAVETEN” here check out To save $10.
If you would like personalized help dealing with your specific situation, Book a consultation here. I will give you the courage to take a leap of faith. I work directly with a limited number of people and given the time slots will fill up quickly.