The free tool

The severance deadline checker

Four facts in, your real dates out: the day your thinking-it-over time runs out (the law calls it the consideration period), whether a change to the terms restarted your clock, and — if you already signed — the last day of your change-your-mind window (revocation). Nothing is uploaded; the math runs in your browser.

The severance deadline checker

Four facts. No upload, nothing leaves your browser — we never ask for the agreement itself.

The federal deadline rules protect workers 40 and up. Under-40 rules depend on your state — the checker handles both.
If two or more people were let go under the same program, pick group — the clock and the paperwork both change.
Every clock counts from this day. If you are not sure, use the date on the letter or the email that carried it.

How the count works

Federal law (29 U.S.C. § 626(f)) gives a worker 40 or older at least 21 days to consider an individual severance agreement, and 45 days when the agreement is offered as part of a group termination program. The count starts the day the final terms are handed over. If the company materially changes the terms, the count restarts from the change. After signing, you get 7 days to revoke, and the agreement is not effective until that window closes. The company may not shorten these periods, and signing early is allowed only if it is truly your choice — not because you were pressured.

Some states add their own clocks on top: California gives 5 business days for agreements related to your separation, New York gives 21 days (plus 7 days to change your mind) for agreements with confidentiality terms covering discrimination claims, Illinois gives 21 days plus 7 to revoke for covered confidentiality terms, and Minnesota gives 15 days to take back a release under its human-rights law. The checker applies your state's clock when it has one and shows both dates.

Deadlines are computed from the dates you enter. If your last day to act is close, confirm the date with HR in writing — and treat that confirmation as part of your file.

First, the money question: is the amount itself fair?

This site reads the paper — your real deadline, every clause in plain words, the group layoff list. It does not score the amount against what people in your role usually get. Our sister site, SeveranceVerdict, does exactly that: a free checker that compares your offer to the going benchmarks for your role and years of service, and gives you a straight verdict — below market, at market, or strong.

Run the free fairness checker at SeveranceVerdict · Visit SeveranceVerdict

Your dates are step one. The paper is the rest.

Included in the $49 SeveranceDecoded Kit

  • The clause-by-clause decoder — every clause in plain words: what it means, what to look for, the exact questions to raise
  • The paperwork audit (the legal checklist) — every item the law names for workers 40+, checked against your documents
  • The group layoff list audit (Exhibit A) — titles and ages of who was picked and who was not, checked line by line. No other tool does this
  • The negotiation playbook — what companies actually move on (money, dates, stock deadlines, the non-compete, your reference) and the words that move them
  • Ready-to-send scripts: asking for more time, asking for changes, and the change-your-mind letter (revocation)
  • The red-flag page — the short list of facts that mean a lawyer's paid hour is worth it, and how to find one who does this daily
Get the SeveranceDecoded Kit — $49

One payment. Yours to keep. Works for any severance agreement, any state.