[HN Gopher] Layoff Runbook
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       Layoff Runbook
        
       Author : rcy
       Score  : 55 points
       Date   : 2023-04-24 21:23 UTC (1 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (github.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (github.com)
        
       | scarface74 wrote:
       | > Document your accomplishments
       | 
       | I've had a quarterly updated resume and longer form career
       | document for over a decade. I don't think I've ever had to update
       | my resume specifically for a job opportunity. It's constantly
       | updated.
       | 
       | > While you still have access to Slack, ask your manager,
       | previous managers, and/or colleagues you worked closely with if
       | they would be willing to give a reference check for you for your
       | next role.
       | 
       | You should already have them as contacts on LinkedIn
       | 
       | > Potentially also ask for endorsements on LinkedIn
       | 
       | On the other hand LinkedIn is merely a place to keep my contacts.
       | I find it to be more of a self aggrandizing cesspool than
       | Facebook.
        
       | 0xbadcafebee wrote:
       | Some thoughts:
       | 
       | Put your money into an HSA rather than an FSA. It's a free extra
       | retirement account.
       | 
       | You don't need to worry about being locked out of your 401K after
       | being sacked. It's still your money and they have to give you
       | access to it, even after you're sacked. Transfer the money out to
       | a separate 401K account that only you control after you've left
       | the company. (Or don't, because I'm pretty sure they have to keep
       | your account open indefinitely, but IANAL so ask a professional)
       | 
       | You should practice interviewing well before your last day.
       | Interview somewhere you'd like to work at least every 6 months.
       | Tell them you're not looking to move right away but you're
       | curious about their company and team an open to hearing about new
       | opportunities. Keep in contact afterward.
       | 
       | Not mentioned there, but commuter benefits cards have an
       | expiration after which you can't spend the money, so make sure if
       | you have a balance that you spend it before it expires. I once
       | built up $250 on a card and forgot about it.
        
         | curiousllama wrote:
         | > Or don't, because I'm pretty sure they have to keep your
         | account open indefinitely, but IANAL so ask a professional
         | 
         | Definitely a life best practice to periodically consolidate
         | these kinds of accounts. Imagine trying to track down your 401k
         | from your time at GE 20 years ago. It definitely exists
         | somewhere, but it would not be fun finding it.
        
           | sfshaw wrote:
           | After 20 years that account might have escheated.
        
         | candiddevmike wrote:
         | HSAs and FSAs are not entirely swappable. HSAs require a
         | qualifying health plan, and are a pain in the ass to move
         | around in my experience. FSAs are actually better for those
         | that are laid off--you can use the full balance of the FSA
         | before you pay it. Say you commit 3k to a FSA, you can use 3k
         | of it on day one (or the day you are laid off...). Your company
         | is on the hook for the remainder of the balance if you aren't
         | there to pay it back.
         | 
         | I would be annoyed as hell if someone kept asking to be
         | interviewed but never accepted the position. Interviews aren't
         | free, don't waste peoples time doing them if you aren't
         | serious/need to practice. Pay for an interview coach on
         | LinkedIn.
        
           | throwaway280382 wrote:
           | HSA is deferred for future. I (in 30% tax bracket and pretty
           | healthy) can defer that to future as I only average about two
           | doctor visits per year last 2 years. So, if I put it in FSA,
           | I loose the money since my number of visits to doctor are few
           | and far between. HSA, I can use after I retire also or when I
           | grow older. So for my situation, it is better.
        
             | candiddevmike wrote:
             | Lately, I haven't been seeing the HSA math make sense, at
             | least for a family. The monthly difference between a high
             | deductible plan with a HSA is not cheap enough to cover the
             | deductible gap, and care has gotten a lot more expensive.
             | 
             | Either choice will most likely result in medical bankruptcy
             | without some sort of independent wealth. Best to have
             | socialized healthcare and not have to worry about any of
             | this.
        
         | throwaway280382 wrote:
         | >You don't need to worry about being locked out of your 401K
         | after being sacked. It's still your money and they have to give
         | you access to it, even after you're sacked. Transfer the money
         | out to a separate 401K account that only you control after
         | you've left the company. (Or don't, because I'm pretty sure
         | they have to keep your account open indefinitely, but IANAL so
         | ask a professional)
         | 
         | You will not be locked out of 401k when you quit but they will
         | charge about $25 per quarter ($100 per year) to maintain your
         | account. I feel it is still a good deal and I left my 401k with
         | my previous employers. so far I have $300k in 401k, so
         | $300/year to maintain the portfolio (across three previous
         | employers) and not messing it up by moving it around seems like
         | a safe deal to me.
        
           | thunky wrote:
           | Converting a 401k to an IRA can mess up future backdoor Roth
           | conversions as well.
        
           | vikingerik wrote:
           | Moving it around wouldn't mess it up. You can move a 401k
           | from a previous employer to a Rollover IRA at any major
           | custodian. This is not a taxable event (you just move pre-tax
           | money to pre-tax money), so it doesn't matter if you sell
           | whatever it's holding and buy the equivalent at a new
           | custodian. The only reason to need to keep a 401k where it is
           | is if that custodian has some unique investment option that
           | you want there that you can't get elsewhere, but that's
           | pretty rare.
        
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       (page generated 2023-04-24 23:00 UTC)