Layoffs have become a fact of life. Doing so now can give you more control to leave a company on your schedule and terms and maybe even make you a happier, more productive worker.
Employers are just too mercurial to make long-term assumptions on.
Too often, though, employees say they're stunned and unprepared when they're laid off. The result is, they're not ready to weigh vital financial decisions about taxes, pensions, insurance and cash flow. One of the biggest headaches of sudden severance is it often provides you too much of a good thing - money. Chances are, your company owes you a hefty check for severance, unused vacation and sick pay. It's not uncommon, for instance, to receive one week's pay for every year of service.