
Ask HN: I'm a WeWork employee about to be laid off - throwaway3131
I&#x27;ve been at WeWork for about 2 years as a data scientist<p>Can I negotiate severance?
What leverage do I have?
What is a reasonable ask?
Does anyone have examples of doing this successfully?
Should I retain a lawyer?<p>Very lost right now, thanks in advance!
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ilamont
I am very sorry to hear about the layoffs that you and thousands of your
colleagues now face, especially considering the outrageous bonuses extended to
the former CEO who is responsible for the dire situation WeWork finds itself
in now.

This Vox article ([https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/11/7/20953930/wework-adam-
ne...](https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/11/7/20953930/wework-adam-neumann-
severance-laid-off-employees-layoffs-buyout-unicorn-ipo)) from two weeks ago
included the following:

 _The severance offer Recode reviewed (which may not apply to all terminated
employees) provides three months of “garden leave” — in which an employee
remains on the payroll with benefits but stops working — as well as one month
of severance pay._

This is not confirmed. Further, amounts may change depending on a number of
factors, including the funds WeWork has available as well as the state you
reside in.

Nondisclosure agreements are standard conditions of receiving benefits.

Good luck on the next stage of your career. I really do believe in the maxim,
"As one door closes, another opens."

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ThrowawayR2
In a mass layoff, you have zero leverage therefore there's nothing to
negotiate. You only have leverage if there's a a reason to keep you on the
payroll or there's something you have that they want and, in a mass layoff,
neither of those are probably true. If you have special extenuating
circumstances (e.g. being on disability), you might try pleading for
additional severance but it seems like a long shot.

Regarding hiring a lawyer, read the documents you receive and then decide
whether you need to hire a lawyer. Assuming their HR and lawyers were
competent and no special circumstances apply to you (e.g. you're an executive
or you have iron-clad proof of being discriminated against when being selected
for the layoff), most likely all hiring a lawyer will get you is an
explanation of what the documents mean and a large bill.

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justuseapen
What leverage DO you have? When I was a member at WeWork, their security
practices were atrocious.

Knowledge like that == leverage.

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meiraleal
The leverage you have is to expose some of their bad practices if they have.

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mytailorisrich
I'm sorry about your situation, but I have to ask: why does an office rental
company have data scientists on the payroll?

In general severance is governed by your contract and local labour laws. In
this situation employees have no leverage to negotiate if the company has
already decided to pay the minimum they have to, especially when your service
is quite short.

You're probably best served by putting your energy into finding a new employer
rather than fighting your soon-to-be former employer.

