ORLANDO, Fla. – In the era of massive layoffs from the nation’s top tech, real estate, and financial companies, you may be wondering if this will be a trend to hit other industries as well.
Whether you’ve been laid off or flat out fired, there are many questions you should ask your soon-to-be former employer.
The first question you should ask is, “Why am I being fired?”
Even though employers who hire you at will, can fire you without a reason, if you do get a reason, it can be valuable information for an area to improve on for your next employer.
Another question to ask is, “What about my benefits?”
You should find out whether you will be compensated for unused vacation and sick days and how you can continue with health insurance coverage.
Finally, ask what your soon-to-be former employer will say about you in reference checks from potential future employers.
It can give you the opportunity to clear up any misunderstandings or alert you that they will not be a good reference to add.
Another question to ask is if you can appeal their decision to let you go. If your employer has suggested that your work performance is the reason for the firing, you may be able to appeal to be placed on a probationary period instead.
If granted the probationary period, you can agree to aggressively work on your shortcomings and have your performance re-evaluated after the probationary period is over.