Skip to content
CareerCanopy
Menu

The company was bought. Then you were laid off. Here is what to do next.

Post-acquisition layoffs are some of the most predictable layoffs in business — and that does not make them easier when they happen to you. The deal closed, the integration team published an org chart, and a few months later there were two of someone in every role and one of someone in others. Yours was on the wrong side of that math. This is also one of the few layoffs where you may have more leverage than you realise. M&A redundancy is usually carefully papered. Severance is often more generous than a normal layoff. Equity that was supposed to vest may still be on the table. The next two weeks are about reading every document carefully before signing anything.

What to do right now

In the next hours.

  1. 01

    Do not sign the separation agreement on the day it arrives

    Federal law gives you twenty-one days to consider a separation agreement (forty-five if it is part of a group layoff) and seven days to revoke it after signing. Use them. If the document is more than five pages, an employment lawyer for one hour is worth it — many will review for $300-500 and frequently find more money.

  2. 02

    Map out exactly what happens to your equity

    Pre-acquisition stock options, RSUs that converted, signing bonuses paid in stock — each has different rules in a layoff context. Read your equity grant documents and the merger agreement summary if it is public. The most common surprises are unvested RSUs that should have accelerated under double-trigger clauses and pre-IPO options that have a short exercise window after separation.

  3. 03

    Check whether you qualify for retention-bonus carve-outs

    Many acquisitions pay retention bonuses to key employees, structured to vest six to twenty-four months after the deal. If you were promised one and then laid off, the contract often pays out pro-rata. If you were not on the list but were doing equivalent work, ask. The acquirer's HR may say no. They may also say yes.

  4. 04

    File for unemployment immediately, even with severance

    Severance does not always block unemployment, and in many states, the unemployment claim's clock starts when you file — not when the severance runs out. The amount may be reduced or delayed by severance, but the claim should still be open. Filing early protects your full benefit period.

  5. 05

    Use your acquirer's network

    Most people leave post-acquisition layoffs angry at the acquirer and never speak to them again. That is usually a mistake. Acquirers are large companies with portfolio companies and contacts. The HR partner who handled your separation often knows who is hiring at the other portfolio companies. Ask them once, politely, before you cut off contact.

A note before the search begins

Before any of that.

Post-acquisition layoffs are often felt as a double betrayal — by the company you joined, which sold itself, and by the company that bought it, which then let you go. Both feelings are real and neither one resolves quickly. It is also normal to feel angry at the people who stayed, especially if their work and yours were not very different. What will help most is treating the next month as separate from the acquisition story. You are not a casualty of the deal. You are a person with skills, a real track record, and a market that will hire you. The acquisition is a fact about what happened. It is not a fact about what you can do next.

How CareerCanopy helps

What the companion does today.

A plan that uses severance as runway, not as a deadline
Severance is a gift you should treat as time, not pressure. The companion builds your sixty-day plan around the runway your severance buys you — and tells you when, specifically, you need to recalibrate if the search has not landed offers by a particular week.
Skill translation for a story that does not require explaining the acquisition
Most acquired-company employees can describe their work without mentioning the acquisition at all. The companion helps you rebuild your résumé and interview story around what you actually did — your work, your outcomes, your team — without making the acquisition a centerpiece. Hiring managers do not need the long version of the M&A story.

Scripts for this moment

The exact words, if you want them.

  1. 01
    What to say when negotiating severance

    A short counter-offer email and a phone script for negotiating severance after a layoff. Specific asks, calm tone, no apology.

  2. 02
    How to explain a layoff on LinkedIn

    The open-to-work post, the headline, and the about-section line for explaining a layoff on LinkedIn — without the performance and without the cringe.

All scripts →

Questions

Common questions

Should I sign the separation agreement right away?

No. Federal law gives you twenty-one days (forty-five if part of a group layoff) to consider it. Use the time. If the agreement is more than a few pages or you are over forty, one hour with an employment lawyer is almost always worth the $300-500. They frequently find more money or remove problematic clauses.

Will my equity vest if I am laid off after an acquisition?

It depends on the merger documents and your grant terms. Many acquisitions include double-trigger acceleration — if you are laid off within twelve months of the close, unvested RSUs vest. Pre-IPO options usually have a short exercise window after separation, sometimes ninety days. Read the documents before signing anything.

Can I work for a competitor of the acquirer after this layoff?

Usually yes, but check your separation agreement and original employment contract for non-compete language. Federal law and recent FTC rulings have weakened most non-competes, but state law varies. California voids them; Texas and Florida often enforce them. If a non-compete is in the agreement and matters to your next move, get it reviewed before signing.

Read next

$79 · One time

Your plan is built around what you tell us — not a template.

Start with a few questions. The rest follows.

Start your plan

Less than one session with a career coach.