#severance

Will we be distributed the stock grants awarded over the past three years if let go?

I reached out to friends and am hopeful to have a job lined up within next 2 weeks. If that's the case, would a RIF work out in my favor? Take the severance and push out my start date until I'm off VZ payroll?

If it is beneficial to me... Could I still volunteer between now and 11/20?

Standard severance would have been: $92K. But, I took VSP last year and I got $170K instead. VSP was the better choice me thinks.

I know many of you are kicking yourselves for not taking the VSP package but I want to share some positives of not taking it and getting RIF’d (assuming you get the max 35 weeks)

• had you taken it last year and had a last day of September, your insurance would now be running out at the end of this month. Instead, you have it through the end of this year and for another 7 months
• your severance pay will likely hit in 2026 making the tax impact much much smaller
• you don’t have a non compete and are can be rehired at Verizon. VSPers can never be employed by VZ or a subsidiary again
• instead of 60 weeks of pay, you essentially got 100 (granite you had to work for 65 of them. But that’s still more money in your packet than if you took the VSP)

Just wanted to provide a more positive outlook on this crummy situation. Best of luck to everyone.

I know this varies based on your severance amount, if you are the only earner in the family, etc.

But for you personally, how long will you wait to start the job search? Do you plan to take any time off for yourself before starting a search?

As of November 18, 2025, Verizon is undergoing its largest-ever round of layoffs, affecting approximately 15,000 employees (about 15% of its roughly 100,000-person workforce). These cuts, driven by subscriber losses, rising competition from rivals like T-Mobile and AT&T, and a push for cost restructuring under new CEO Dan Schulman, are primarily targeting non-union management roles and could impact over 20% of those positions.

Additionally, around 180-200 corporate-owned retail stores are being converted to franchises, shifting those employees off Verizon’s payroll. Announcements and notifications are expected as early as this week, with some reports pointing to November 20 as a key date for broader rollout.

There is no publicly accessible “layoff list” for Verizon (or most companies), as these processes are handled internally and confidentially to comply with privacy laws and avoid leaks. The layoff list is not something employees can independently check online or through external databases. Instead, determination relies on official company communication. Below, I’ll outline the most reliable ways to find out if you’re affected, based on employee reports, past Verizon practices, and current news.

Steps to Determine If You’re on the Layoff List

1. Monitor for Direct Notification from HR or Your Manager
. The primary and official way is through a personal phone call or email from HR, your direct manager, or an Assistant Director (AD) level executive. Based on employee discussions from previous Verizon reductions (e.g., the 2023 and 2024 rounds), affected employees are typically notified first thing in the morning—often between 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM local time. This call will include details on severance, benefits continuation (like COBRA), and next steps. If you don’t receive this by midday, it’s a strong indicator you’re not affected in this wave.


Tip: Keep your phone on and check voicemail/email frequently, especially on weekdays starting November 18-20. If you’re remote or in a different time zone, confirm your contact info in Verizon’s HR portal (e.g., via MyHR or Workday) is up to date.

1. Attend Company-Wide or Team Meetings
“Survivors” (those not laid off) often receive a follow-up group meeting or “business update” around 11:00 AM on notification day, lasting 15-45 minutes. This is where leadership (HR, ADs, or VPs) announces the changes broadly, confirms headcount reductions, and outlines impacts on remaining teams. These are usually held via Microsoft Teams or in-person for retail/corporate roles. Watch your Outlook calendar for invites labeled something like “Organizational Update” or “Q4 Restructuring Briefing.”
Why this matters: Skipping or missing this could signal you’re affected, but more likely, it’s a sign to follow up with your manager.

2. Check Internal Resources and Portals
   • Log into Verizon’s employee self-service portal (e.g., My Verizon for HR matters or the internal intranet) daily for any updates on “reduction in force” (RIF) or voluntary separation programs (VSP). In past rounds, VSP offers (e.g., enhanced severance for voluntary exits) were posted here first, allowing some employees to opt in before involuntary cuts.

   • Review your paystub or benefits summary for any flags, like frozen PTO accrual or changes to performance reviews—these can precede layoffs.
 Note: As of now, no mass WARN Act notices have been filed publicly for this 2025 round, which suggests notifications are being staggered to avoid triggering 60-day advance requirements (under federal law for mass layoffs of 50+ in certain states).

3. Network Internally and Listen for Rumors
. Discreetly talk to trusted colleagues, especially in HR or your chain of command, without spreading panic. Employee forums like TheLayoff.com and Reddit (e.g., r/verizon) report that some senior directors (Sr. Directors/ADs) receive the affected names 24-48 hours in advance, leading to subtle leaks.

Common signs from insiders include:
• Sudden “obs” (observation/performance reviews) being paused or rushed.
• Managers acting distant or scheduling vague 1:1s.
• Team-wide emails about “upskilling” or AI integration, which often precede cuts in legacy roles.
 However, avoid relying solely on rumors—Verizon has denied some exaggerated claims (e.g., mass store closures as “false”).

1. Consult External Resources for Confirmation
   • WARN Tracker or State Labor Departments: Search sites like warntracker.com or your state’s Department of Labor site (e.g., California’s EDD or New York’s DOL) for Verizon filings. These are public but lag by weeks and only cover mass events (50+ jobs at one site). No federal WARN has been filed yet for November 2025.
   • Union Support (If Applicable): If you’re in a unionized role (e.g., CWA for wireline or installers), contact your rep immediately—they negotiate protections and may have early intel. Non-union management is hit hardest here.
   • Legal/Financial Advisors: If notified, don’t sign anything without review. Verizon’s typical severance is 1-3 weeks of base pay per year of service (e.g., 10 weeks for 5 years), plus health benefits for 3-6 months, but it varies.

If You Are Affected: Immediate Next Steps
• Negotiate Severance: Past packages included $1.7-1.9 billion funds for 4,800 roles in 2024—push for extensions if needed.
• Update Your Resume/LinkedIn: Highlight transferable skills (e.g., 5G, customer ops) and network in telecom (jobs at AT&T or T-Mobile are surging).
• File for Unemployment: Eligible immediately in most states; use tools like FlexJobs for remote gigs.
• Mental Health Support: Verizon’s EAP (Employee Assistance Program) offers free counseling—access it even post-layoff.

Layoffs su-k, but they’re not always personal—Verizon’s churn (e.g., losing 7,000 postpaid subs last quarter) is the driver. If you’re not hearing anything by end of week, focus on building resilience (e.g., upskill in AI via internal training). Stay proactive, and reach out to HR for clarity if anxiety spikes. For personalized advice, consult a career coach or employment lawyer.

After all this i kind of want to get severance. It would be a nice chunk of money. Plus I can get a job pretty quick and get used to it while getting paid from verizon. I think I want to get severance now. I don't know if I want to stay with verizon long term like I thought I wanted after this. I think the culture is about to be toxic and I mean toxic as in nothing is ever going to be good enough.

Is it all online? Or do they mail you forms and you have to have it notarized and mail it back?

Does it hit with the next pay period or does it usually come later?

Anyone know if personal hours are also paid out in addition to unused pto? In CA we get an annual payout in the spring so I am wondering if that would also be included in addition to our pto payout and severance (yes I know severance and pto are paid out separately)

E-mail came today to I assume everyone on the old pension. It seems like they are trying to get longtime employees (who would have large severance packages) to quit. It might work.

Are laid off employees entitled to a prorated VCIP paid out in Feb or as part of their severance payment?

Does anyone know the off the books date?

For staff 60 and older, will Vz give the option to be laid off or take early (forced) retirement? I keep hearing about retirement program where if you are at least 60 and haven’t least 15 yrs service you might be eligible for retirement benefits…in addition to RIF package?

Any one from Germany, how much need to negotiate for 6.5 years experience in synopsys. please help me to understand some thumb rule to negotiate with HR.

In German labor law, if you want to challenge a termination (Kündigungsschutzklage) in court, you must file the lawsuit within 3 weeks of receiving the termination letter.

Skyworks has created a new severance plan for top executives.
It was approved on November 11, 2025 and filed on November 14, 2025.

This plan only covers Vice Presidents and Senior Vice Presidents who report directly to the CEO.
Directors, managers, engineers, and all non-executive employees are not included.

If a VP or SVP is laid off in normal times, they receive:
• One year of base salary
• One year of company-paid medical insurance
• A partial bonus they have already earned
• Some RSUs that would have vested within the next 12 months

If a VP or SVP is laid off after a merger or company sale, they receive:
• One and a half times their base salary
• One and a half times their target bonus
• Eighteen months of company-paid medical insurance
• Full vesting of all RSUs
• Extra time to exercise stock options

To receive these benefits, they must sign a legal release and follow non-compete rules.

This plan gives very strong protection to VP and SVP executives.
Regular employees do not receive these benefits.

Many Sr. Directors were axed today in retail and across other orgs. Everyone else impacted will be notified on Thursday. For Band 6 (Directors & ADs) employees that are impacted, I'd encourage you to take the package they're offering because there will be more cuts and the severance might be worse.

Wfh in claims with no office to go back into. When will we get the exit offer.

Curious what (if any) severance they’ve been giving people during these re-orgs. Is it paid as a lump sum or every 2 weeks like a usual paycheck? Do they give a few weeks/month of benefits so these folks aren’t scrambling for immediate coverage?

If we get a RIF notice, how long before we can file for unemployment?

Does anyone know if you can collect unemployment if you have been given severance?

When/If Rif’d, does your severance include at risk commission? Or just standard two week check per year you’ve been with the company?

I am an asm currently, and I would like to get severance. Is there someone I can talk to, to get this rolling?

Hello. Has anyone been successful at negotiating severance package?

Severance.verizon.com

Anyone else here feeling like this ? Just tell me already if I’m jobless. I got so much debt that the severance wouldn’t be enough. I’m SCARED. If I make it this round , once frontier deal is complete that just means more layoffs. A lot of Frontier and Verizon engineers would just overlap jobs so that means MORE CUTS

Survivors will keep working for a company that’s struggling, probably having to do extra work, and facing a future where severance is no longer a guarantee. I honestly think that getting severance now might be the better option between the two.

Workload is insane and it feels like we’re barely keeping our heads above water. Everyone’s walking on eggshells, worried about getting cut. People talk about leaving, but years in and severance keeps them trapped. Morale is rock bottom and it’s exhausting. It’s hard watching a place that used to feel meaningful turn so cold and ruthless.

Please share your last day worked and when your severance payment was received.

Unfortunately, a lot of people who will end up impacted by Verizon layoffs and start their job search in earnest are in for a terribly unpleasant surprise, even shock!

1. Working at Verizon doesn't automatically qualify you for a great new gig. It's corporate work that relies on a system within which many people are involved to generate the final output.

2. Verizon's reputation in the external world is not as great as you might think.

3. Verizon resume accomplishments don't mean much to people outside Telecom.

4. Telecom Industry hiring is slowing.

5. The New Jersey employment market will be flooded with people with similar skill sets making it hard to differentiate yourself from ~15,000+ other people out on the streets looking for work at the same time.

6. Verizon pays well and there's a good chance that wherever your next job is your compensation including benefits will be significantly less.

7. Corporate management and occupational jobs like what you had at Verizon will be harder to come by as time goes on due to companies automating via AI functions (e.g., Finance, Accounting, Legal, Marketing, Operations, etc) that previously needed to be performed by human resources.

8. Your next position after Verizon is likely to be in a different industry and possibly in a totally new job function. Prepare yourself mentally as you'll need to be flexible if you want to continue to work.

9. Your Verizon personal network will be vitually meaningless in your emploment search as people you thought were your friends and allies will forget you quickly. Too many others will be worried about their own job situations and those who remain at Verizon will be too busy trying to pick up the pieces of the cutback aftermath.

10. Verizon is firing you and you will never be welcomed back. Forget about returning to Verizon at a later time as it's over no matter how personally invested you've been to VZ over the years. Put VZ in the rearview mirror and move on to your next position.

11. Verizon will not be providing you with personal recommendations. You'll be directed to an automated employment verification system using VZ's company code which anyone looking to hire you will need to access.

12. Verizon severance will go quickly. Immediately review and cutback on your discretionary spending. Avoid the temptation to draw on your 401k as you'll need to pay taxes and anything you draw out at a time you can least afford to and it will take you years to recover against retirement savings.

13. Leaving Verizon employment you're going to be very self confident, however you'll soon experience periods of self doubt and discouragement as you go thru the job search process. Hang in there as this is a normal part of looking for a job.

14. The Job Search procees has drastically changed since you went to work for Verizon. Take the time to learn how to effectively search for a job using the latest techniques and approaches.

15. Verizon job skills are not necessarily transferable to other lines of work. You're going to need to invest time and effort into developing new skills to make yourself marketable.

16. Your post-Verizon job search will likely take time. The average search has been ~five months so yours could longer or shorter depending on many factors including how diligently you pursue your search.

17. If you choose to continue to work in Corporate America post-Verizon you will go thru layoffs again.

18. You no longer work for Verizon. Your job is to find a job.

19. Verizon's DEI policies are not practiced by many external employers (& rightfully so as everyone should be treated equally) and as such you're going to need to secure a new job based on your personal merits and abilities. If you're older don't worry as there are companies that will hire later career workers. If you're younger make sure you shed any thoughts of job entitlement and have a willingness to work hard to please your employer.

20. After leaving Verizon you will no longer have a structured routine. Do your best to maintain a daily routine and continue doing the other aspects of your life (i.e., attending church, volunteering, socializing, etc.). Above all do not allow yourself to withdraw and become isolated.

21. Being a Verizon Employee is no longer a part of your identity. Recognize that there are other more important aspects that make you who you are (i.e., relationship with God & family, values and beliefs, personality, interests, etc.).

22. You will eventually get thru this period of your life and forget about Verizon. Yes, this will be a time of personal challenge, but you will emerge stronger having personally grown thru the experience.

23. Leaving Verizon is an excellent time to reevaluate what you want out of the remainder of your life. For some it may be the opportune time to retire, while for others they may choose to reposition themselves with a new career (e.g., entrepreneurship, taking up a trade, Non-profits, ministry, other?). If you still need to work don't allow yourself to quit the workforce prematurely.

24. Verizon is just a company. Many people mistakenly worship at the throne of the company when in reality as a human organization it will eventually fail everyone that is part of working there. Remember, the Lord has a plan for your life and he will guide and direct your steps when you trust Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).

In my head, it’s going to be like a big worksheet.

PART 1 - WHO?

Ratings are a part of it. A 3 of 5 might keep you employed, so long as there aren’t any layoffs, but if there are no 1’s or 2’s then that means the 3’s are first. Quota attainment will bear direct weight for incentive-based roles.

Job code. Individual RIF or entire team RIF.

TOTAL cost to sever. Current salary, banked PTO and current-year PTO on the books, RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY, your particular state’s WARN notice period (standard 60 day federal guideline, or enhanced state overlay like NJ’s 90 days).

Tally up numbers to count Over 40’s, ethnicity breakdown, etc. for cross-section.

PART 2 - PETITIONING

Who has signed severance, who has declined. You have a period in which you can revoke your signature, after which, it becomes irrevocable. Those who have not signed their rights away - will they be offered a better deal?

I’m not a coder, but can someone confirm if there was what appeared to be the possibility to override each reference value. If so, why and when would this be used?

I was dead set on staying here a few months ago, but I've changed my mind. Enough is enough. I want out, and I hope I can get out with severance as a nice safety net. What are the odds we'll be given a chance to volunteer before they start cutting folks left and right?

Since I haven't been here long enough to qualify for anything close to a decent severance, I'm wondering if I'd still be able to file for unemployment if I end up getting hit by the cuts. I just want to know what kind of safety net I’d actually have if everything goes sideways.

I’m in customer care and eligible for retirement with tenure and age. I’m wondering if HR would allow me to retire with severance instead of going through the layoff?

Can anyone provide some guidance on when and how to apply for unemployment benefits in New Jersey? Do you wait until you’re off payroll? Or when your severance runs out?

Does age and tenure have anything to do with who gets picked for lay off. Wouldn't company have to pay more in severance if they let go someone with 25 years with the company as oppose to 6 years? So last in first out would save them more money?

If someone is on WARN period notice and accepts a new job within a week, do we have to say we accepted a new job to the current employer? Will the new job affect getting both or only one (the notice period payout or severance)?

Also, let’s say I don’t say anything and take both the payout and the severance while working the new job, how would I explain the job timing overlap of two months to my future employers?

A company is not always required to provide notice if it offers severance benefits, but it must comply with the WARN Act or state laws for mass layoffs and plant closings. If an employer fails to give the required 60 days' notice under the federal WARN Act, it can provide a severance package instead of notice. The severance package can serve as payment in lieu of notice and may be used to offset any damages the company owes. However, the severance package must be "voluntary," meaning it isn't already required by another law, contract, or company policy.

Key points about WARN Act and severance

WARN Act notice: For qualifying employers, the federal WARN Act requires 60 days' advance written notice for mass layoffs or plant closings.

Severance as pay in lieu of notice: An employer can offer a severance package as an alternative to the 60-day notice period. This package can include pay and benefits for the 60 days.

Offsetting damages: If an employer provides a voluntary severance package, it can be used to offset the back pay and benefits the company would otherwise owe for violating the WARN Act.

Voluntary payments: The severance package must be "voluntary," meaning it's not something the company is already legally required to pay under a separate law, contract, or established company policy. If it is a mandatory payment, it cannot be offset against WARN damages.

State-level laws: Some states have their own "WARN" acts that may require longer notice periods or have different requirements than the federal law.