Regretfully, no one can feel secured against the situation when your employer once says to you that the company requires your service no longer. Many reasons might cause this decision. And if it is almost impossible to prevent a situation like this, you’d probably be interested in what the reason was and how to deal with it.

Trying not to show any emotional disturbance, attempt to find out if:

1) your job is eliminated or you personally? Check if alternative job is available within the company;
2) your lay-off is based on your performance or the financial situation in the company.

Do not underestimate the role of negotiation while you are being given a notice of termination. Even if there is no chance for reinstatement*, there are always matters that you need to clarify before you leave:

• How long will you remain entitled to the medical benefits;
• Severance package. If there is any, how it is going to be paid out. If you are fired at the end of the year and your severance is paid out in a lump sum, this amount should be declared in your tax papers for this year. It might be quite a decent earning at the end of the year that will be taxable.
• Other benefits and outstanding salary;
• Vacation accrued;
• Overtime pay, if applicable;
• Date of termination.

Also, if you are entitled to other:

• bonuses
• pension
• stock options
• other perks
• reference
• outplacement counselling

ask how they will be handled.

Not all the benefits that you have been entitled to may stop immediately on the day of your termination.  Ask for details and once again check your employment contract or/and the relevant  company’s policies and procedures.

When you are informed about your dismissal, behave professionally.  With all hardness to do that, try not to show your emotions. No threatening a lawsuit or any other forms of retaliation!

Anyhow, if you suspect that the situation is potentially litigious or your termination was retaliatory, seek legal advice, but make sure to collect all provable evidence. Great idea is to keep all copies of documents, that ever came across your table, showing your good performance: all favourable performance evaluation forms, “thank you” letters from your managers or/and clients – everything that establishes a record of good performance. The more solid your evidence is, the harder for your employer it would be to justify why particularly you have been chosen for termination.

Honestly, there is a very little, if any, chance that by doing so you can prevent your dismissal.  If  the  decision was made by the employer, they most likely have already taken care of preventing possible litigation.   But there is a chance that you might negotiate a better severance package for yourself.

Unpleasant news always comes unexpectedly.  However, there might be red flags that can warn you about upcoming changes. Be aware of them:

• you’re unexpectedly reprimanded for something insufficient and those reprimands have been filed;
• your daily duties suddenly changed;
• your manager has confidential meetings with HR people;
• your manager suddenly asks you to train other employees on what you usually do;
• you are not invited to meetings with clients or any other meetings you normally attended;
• you’re asked to hand over to other employees what you’ve been working on lately;
• you’re not assigned new projects.

But do not be too suspicious.  Positive attitude and open-mindedness will make you a good employee to keep in with.