#severance

VSPP is rare. They want to control who leaves and walk you to the door.

They would have too many volunteers for VSPP offers in mass. They will just hand pick and walk people out with regular severance over the next year....

Summit Beverage will purchase Hayden Beverage's business in Montana. This transaction is expected to cause job reductions for Hayden staff. Hayden Beverage employs 120 people across its Montana locations. Affected workers will receive severance and extra pay based on their tenure.

https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/summit-to-acquire-haydens-montana-assets-as-layoffs-loom

Anheuser-Busch will close its Merrimack, New Hampshire manufacturing plant early next year. This facility has operated for over 50 years. Approximately 125 full-time employees in New Hampshire are affected. The company offers jobs at other facilities and severance packages. Two other plants in California and New Jersey are also closing, impacting 475 total employees nationwide.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/12/12/anheuser-busch-merrimack-new-hampshire-closure-layoffs

Anyone know what the layoff package looked like for the unfortunate folks let go last week?

As a former CDW engineer my observation was that the number of engineers far exceeded the amount of available projects. While I worked with some smart engineers, a majority did not have skills comparable to their pay grade. Too many "that's not my niche" excuses for 6 figure salaries IMO.

The layoffs that are happening now is a forced "personnel correction" due to leadership not understanding the needs of the business.

Any experienced ?
Given notice period of 2 months , Can you retain your grants if layoff happens 2 months ahead of your vesting date ?
or you get forfeited ?

Retirement's nowhere in sight, I just don't want to stick around hoping for better days that aren't coming. The job market's rough, but I can swing a couple months unemployed. I need a change badly enough that I'm willing to take the risk.

Hello - When does the company payout the separation payment as per the agreement signed on last day . its been 4 weeks and i have got nothing. I raised a ticket to inquire about timeline and nobody response. I send an email to AskHR and nobody responds

• Severance packages out by mid-April
• July must accept severance or not

• September 1st is the start date for Phase II people in the office

• Certain special people will be given the opportunity to stay where they are

• Certain people will be given generous packages to relocate

This is was way more merciful than Phase I...

Sabre has turned into a horrible workplace I'd love to leave with a nice safety net. If layoffs are coming, I volunteer.

Does your prior service still count towards any new severance you may be eligible for later down the road? I got nine months severance pay for a layoff last year but I’m considering a new position back at the company. Just curious if I was rehired and laid off again in a couple of years I’d end up with 10 months of severance the next time.

I don't do that anymore. For the last year I've been doing the minimum and nothing more. Took two certifications on their dime. Spend my days learning things for my next role. Resume is out there. If they want to cut me, fine. The severance will just be extra. I'm ready.

This is a serious question. I would like to leave but with severance. Is there any way to get myself on the next list?

Can people share what severance package they got and timelines or any other info. Thanks

Bruyère Health plans to eliminate approximately 55 front-line positions. These roles include nurses and personal support workers. The Ottawa-based organization calls this a "redeployment process." This process may include potential layoffs for affected staff. Non-unionized employees are often owed significant severance pay.

Ottawa, Ontario

https://stlawyers.ca/blog-news/bruyere-health-layoffs-severance-pay/

Are VSPP offers enhanced any or are they just regular layoff/severance package rates?

Have there been any offers to anyone other than Techs?

Is this nonsense?

My role was eliminated in the last RIF wave with a term date of 2/6. I was told it was due to cost pressures and not performance as I have always had high performance ratings but did unfortunately need a couple medical leaves last year. However, LESS than 20 calendar days later, my exact role was posted internally at one grade level lower. I still had my work laptop in my possession and hadn't received my severance check. The role is now posted externally. Is this even legal? I'm wondering if I have a case to call employee relations due to retaliation.

Please be kind in your responses, this is traumatic enough.

How many months paid cobra/ medical benefits is included as part of the severance? Also when does it kick in (i.e. the following month after termination)?

Got let go in October and my severance will run out in a few months - when should I apply for unemployment insurance?

will they take away our severance if we work for encore?

Will those who were laid off receive any bonus?

I left Dell at the beginning of Jan and lost my W-2. How do I get another copy?

I'm so tired of this. People who want to leave, who'd love a severance package, are stuck here waiting for the axe to fall. The company drags it out like we don't have lives to plan. This was a good place once. Really was. Now it's just gray and empty and I don't care anymore. I hope everyone here lands somewhere better whether they stay or go.

Does IBM severance agreement have a revocation period after signing if you are over 40 years old

for example if you are given 2 months, would the current month be normal payroll and then the next 2 months would be the payment?

I've figured out the game here. Most managers won't fire you for saying no because that requires confrontation and documentation. They're cowards who depend on you doing the work they can't do. So they just let it slide. Meanwhile they're building a list of people to sacrifice in the next layoff. You want on that list? Say no more often. Protect your energy and watch yourself move up the rankings. When the cuts come, you'll have a lighter workload and a severance package. It's a win.

Have any non-executives and non-management who have been RIFed successfully negotiated their severance?
I also read comments here stating RIFed employees must sign an NDA. Is it worth having an attorney read prior to signing?

Anyone who hasn't stayed on high alert and lined up a backup plan hasn't done themselves any favors. I'm not surprised by the announcement, and honestly, I don't really care anymore. I've saved enough to get through the worst, and I hope they don't mess with severance. I've got two opportunities lined up, one actually looks promising. Yeah, the job market's awful, and people are scared. But channel that energy into your exit strategy. It helps.

Heard it’s calculated on years of service.

I'm not seeing this in a post. If you already have the $2000.00 in stock and are laid off will you still have it or do you need to bank actively employed for tge 2 year waiting period. I'm on medical leave and don't have access to Worday. They cut my access as usual. I feel once I'm actively employed I'm going to be laid off. TIA

Hello IBMers - For folks here who received received their employment verification letter for themselves or third party after RA action. What does the employment verification letter date state in terms of last day . For current employees it shows service reference date as start date (same date of hire). When you are separated what does IBM show ..Does the service reference date indicate last date of employment or last day worked or last day before you went on leave (if you were on LOA) ?

I suspect it's just notice with no severance payout, but does anyone have experience of this?

Has anyone from the mid January layoff communication received either Severance payment or Special Payment?

Guessing all of this, as well as PTO payout will all come after term date, but just checking because of the language in the agreement:

" ....will be made as soon as administratively practical following the
execution of this agreement by you, but not later than March 15 of the calendar year
following the execution of this Agreement"

Has anyone calculated all the layoff payments? Have they been correct?
Not sure how much fees are being taken other than taxes...

Will future severance payouts be impacted? Will it be less?

Does anyone think that severance amounts will be impacted for future layoffs?

I haven't been here long. Was that always a thing, or is it new?

# Morgan Stanley Layoff Report — March 4, 2026
Source: TheLayoff.com | Thread: Morgan Stanley WM/Tech RIF
Thread ID: @OP+1kjtkpz73
Views: 8,754 | Replies: 60 | Last Activity: 8 hours ago (as of report generation)

## Executive Summary

On March 4, 2026, Morgan Stanley carried out a significant reduction in force (RIF) affecting its Wealth Management (WM) and Technology divisions globally. The Wall Street Journal pegged the cuts at approximately 2,500 employees, representing roughly 3% of the total workforce (@ez). The layoffs rolled out across time zones throughout the day, beginning in Asia and progressing through EMEA and North America. Affected employees reported being escorted out of offices, receiving garden leave notices, and in some cases discovering their severance was capped below what their tenure would suggest. No WARN Act filings were identified by thread participants ahead of the event.

## Scale & Official Confirmation

The thread was initiated by Anonymous 72 (@OP+1kjtkpz73) on March 4, who confirmed the RIF for WM was set to occur that day. The original post was made approximately one day before widespread reporting emerged.

The scale was subsequently corroborated by a user citing Wall Street Journal coverage (@ez):

"Wall Street Journal just posted a story. Said 2,500 or 3% of the workforce."

This figure places the event among Morgan Stanley's more significant recent headcount reductions. The thread notes no advance WARN Act filings were identified in the US (@eg, @dq), which generated discussion — one user speculated this may be because the majority of cuts were concentrated outside the US (@dr), which would exempt the firm from domestic filing requirements.

## Geographic Scope

Layoffs were confirmed or credibly reported across at least six cities spanning four countries, suggesting a coordinated global action rather than a regionally isolated restructuring.

### Asia (First Wave)
The thread noted that March 4 arrived in Asia first, and that the RIF had "started" there (@b6). Specific details from Asian offices were limited in the thread.

### London & EMEA (Second Wave)

• A London equities employee reported being told their position was at risk (@cw).
• Tech in London was independently confirmed as affected (@d0).
• One user reported that London had "finished" processing before the US wave began (@dn), suggesting a structured, time-zone-sequenced rollout.
• An EMEA-wide mandatory call for tech staff was reportedly called on short notice (@cp).

### Glasgow

• Affected divisions confirmed: finance, legal, and cyber security (@dd).
• Notably, one user suggested the cuts in Glasgow may have begun as early as mid-February, with several VPs disappearing around February 15 on apparent "leave" of 1.5–2 months — interpreted by the poster as quiet separations ahead of the formal RIF date (@dd).
• One IB employee in Glasgow confirmed their role was designated "at risk" and that a 30-day consultation period had commenced (@f8).

### Montreal

• Tech division confirmed affected (@ed).
• One employee reported a colleague was escorted out of the office with all her belongings (@ef).
• An Executive Director in Montreal was confirmed let go (@ey).

### New York

• WM Operations confirmed affected; at least one employee confirmed they were laid off (@dj).
• A 28+ year veteran (VP L4, tech) in NYC confirmed separation (details in Severance section below) (@dv).

### Alpharetta, GA

• Confirmed affected (@dk).

### Arlington, VA

• Multiple people escorted out of the Arlington office (@er).

## Seniority of Those Affected

Reports suggest the RIF was not limited to junior employees. Confirmed or reported senior separations include:

The presence of EDs and senior VPs in the affected pool suggests this was a performance-agnostic cost reduction exercise rather than a targeted performance-based action.

## Severance & Compensation Details

One of the most detailed firsthand accounts came from a 28+ year NYC VP (L4) in technology (@dv):

• Placed on garden leave through June 30, 2026
• Severance was described as capped, despite tenure exceeding the cap threshold
• The poster noted "there were good things there and better things ahead"

A follow-up post from another affected employee (@dx) added:

• Received 3 weeks of severance per year of service, but capped at 15 years despite 20 years of actual tenure

This cap drew scrutiny. Anonymous 72 (@e4) noted the cap represents a specific dollar ceiling tied to officer title, and that it may be legally challengeable since the cap threshold is never disclosed to employees prior to a RIF.

A separate user confirmed there is an internal HR website listing the dollar caps by title (VP/ED/MD) (@e7), though the URL was not publicly shared in the thread.

## Process & Transparency Concerns

Several users raised concerns about how the RIF was handled procedurally:

• No WARN Act notices identified for the US as of the time of posting (@eg, @dq). One user noted this may be because the cuts were primarily non-US in focus (@dr), which would exempt the firm from the 60-day advance notice requirement under the federal WARN Act.
• No advance media coverage — multiple users expressed surprise that a reduction of this scale had not appeared in the press beforehand (@b5, @dq).
• One user speculated the March 4 date may not represent the end of reductions, suggesting a rolling layoff model in which additional divisions (e.g., Banking, non-tech WM) could follow in subsequent weeks (@ds).
• The Glasgow situation (@dd) raises the possibility that some separations were being quietly processed weeks before the official RIF date, which would be consistent with a rolling or pre-staged reduction strategy.

## Division Breakdown

Based on thread reports, the following divisions were mentioned as affected:

## Notable Contested Claims

Two posts (@e9, @ej) made claims alleging that layoffs disproportionately targeted white employees and attributed this to managerial bias. These posts received heavily split reactions (roughly equal upvotes and downvotes) and generated significant sub-thread debate. They are noted here for completeness but:

1. Are not independently verifiable from thread content
2. Represent individual perceptions, not documented patterns
3. Should not be treated as factual reporting absent external corroboration

## Key Open Questions (As of Report Date)

• Will additional RIF waves affect Banking and non-tech WM, as speculated in @ds?
• Are severance caps legally defensible given the non-disclosure issue raised in @e4?
• Did Glasgow separations beginning ~February 15 (@dd) constitute a pre-staged RIF, and does this affect WARN Act or UK employment law compliance?
• What is the total headcount impact in each geographic region?

• Report compiled from user posts on TheLayoff.com thread @OP+1kjtkpz73. All information is sourced from anonymous employee accounts.