The end of an employment relationship is commonly a stressful and uncertain time for any employee, even senior executives. Most commonly, severance packages are offered to employees who have been laid off. Here's how to navigate talking to your employer about a severance package. Which you should be! Angling for More By: R. Mark Fletcher September 2007 . Here's how to navigate talking to your employer about a severance package. It is paid out every two weeks like regular pay. I have worked for about a dozen companies in the consulting space and only one had a severance policy. What is the severance package like for US employees? Can’t say from personal experience, however as with most companies there are a lot of factors that HR and legal take into consideration. In an uncertain economy, almost any employee or executive will at some point face having his or her employment terminated. When negotiated, a typical severance benefit for an hourly (union represented) employee is one week of pay for each year of service to a maximum of 26 weeks. A typical severance pay package offers one or two weeks of salary for every year the employee worked at the company. "When you get the papers, take them home to read and analyze. Your package may contain some or all of the following components. If you are terminated, you want to be able to negotiate a reasonable severance package, especially if you have an existing employment agreement. As a general rule, larger companies tend to offer larger severance packages and employees with higher standing in the company tend to be given more of a sendoff. The fundamental calculation is time at company, level and reason for losing job. In some cases, the package is higher — executives, for instance, may receive up to one month’s salary for each year worked. Typical severance packages often … The number of companies with a process to appeal severance … If your company goes out of business, don't be surprised if there is no severance pay. While your final number will vary from other employees receiving severance, most companies do use a pretty standard formula for calculating the amount each worker will be paid. A severance package is a bundle of pay and benefits offered to an employee upon being laid off from a company. Some senior positions may have an employment contract that dictates the amount of severance pay. The layoff from Sept has the same package as July's severance plan. Total severance amount = $168,269. Total severance package = $90,000. Sometimes, it's possible to get some money when you're let go from your job. In some cases, especially if you’ve reached a senior position at work or work at a company that provides them, you’ll be offered a severance package. Once in a while a failing business closes down with some money left in the bank - but those funds are usually returned to the investors who provided them. * 38 year old employee making $180,000 at a large consumer goods company worked for 15 years and got 6 months.