The State Trooper In The Lobby
A uniformed state trooper stood in our lobby on layoff mornings. He wasn’t there because anyone was dangerous. He was there because the company had already done the math, and budgeted for it.
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Document Everything: The Paper Trail That Protects You
Keep a dated, factual record of significant work events, off company systems. Here’s how to document workplace issues the right way, and the lines that get you in trouble.
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HR Is Not Your Friend (What HR Is Actually For)
Is HR on your side? Sometimes. HR’s real job is protecting the company from risk. Here’s what to use HR for, where your interests diverge, and how to cover yourself.
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Hiring Freezes, Budget ‘Resets,’ and Other Corporate Euphemisms Decoded
A hiring freeze rarely means “we’re pausing.” It’s the cheapest cost-cutting lever, and where it sits on the escalation ladder tells you how far the decision has already gone.
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WARN Notices: The Public Layoff Warning Nobody Checks
The WARN Act makes many big employers file public notice before mass layoffs, and most states post it online. Here’s how to check for your own company in five minutes.
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Severance Agreements: The Clauses That Can Burn You
The dollar figure in a severance agreement is the easy part. It’s the quiet clauses, non-disparagement, non-compete, release, clawbacks, that can quietly cost you.
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How Companies Decide Who Gets Cut (From Someone Who Watched 23 Rounds)
Layoffs aren’t decided on performance reviews. They’re decided on spreadsheets, weeks before your manager knows. From 23 rounds inside, here’s the real order the list gets built in, and how to read your own exposure.
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Why Do Companies Escort You Out When You’re Laid Off?
Being escorted out feels like being marched out for a crime you didn’t commit. It isn’t. Companies walk you out for liability and control, not punishment. Here’s what the escort really is, and how to keep your dignity through it.
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Put on a PIP? Do These 5 Things Tonight
Put on a PIP today? Here are the five things to do tonight, from someone who watched PIPs get used across 23 rounds of layoffs, plus how to tell a real plan from a Paper PIP.
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Dan Gave Them 50 Years. They Gave Him Five Minutes.
Dan gave one company nearly fifty years. They gave him five minutes and a box. Here’s what his story taught me about company loyalty, and the audit that turns loyalty from a trap into a choice.
