The Game Industry Coffee Chat’s

The Game Industry Coffee Chat’s 
Layoff Survival Guide

gameindustry.cc

This is a general list of information compiled from the experiences of others who have been laid off in the past. Not all items will be relevant to your specific situation or location. Companies will often provide some or most of this information proactively. This list is not meant to provide legal or employment law advice.  Come join us on Discord!

This document is organized in chronological order of priority. That means the items listed earlier may be more urgent if you've recently experienced a layoff, as some are time-sensitive. Ultimately, this is a resource you can return to at any time, and you'll find information that can continue to be helpful even after you've found work again.

Table of Contents

Things to Do While Employed to Prepare in Case of Layoff

• Portfolio files
• Achievement numbers/data
• Collect contact information from coworkers, HR, Legal, etc
• Dust off your LinkedIn account
• Logins and Passwords and bookmarks (oh my!)

Layoff Day Advice

• What to focus on
• Dealing with emotions

What to ask during the layoff conversation

• The basics
• Pay, severance, and equity
• Health, insurance, and other benefits
• References, rehiring, and narrative
• Outplacement and support
• Legal, contracts, and constraints
• Unemployment and government programs
• Logistics, data, and equipment
• Documentation you should request

Benefits (particularly in US)

• When do benefits run out?
• Scheduling doctor appointments
• FSA spending: where and how

Visa Information

• How to find legal support
• Identify your timeline

Unemployment and Related Support (US Version)

• State websites
• How to appeal
• Medicaid and subsidized benefits (if available in your state)

Unemployment and Related Support (UK Version)

• Government sites for the laws and rights during a redundancy
• Services available for support

Telling Your Network

• LinkedIn and social media posts
• Reaching out to friends and colleagues
• Personal projects to keep you visible

Surviving and Thriving

• Understand your situation

• Verify or update your budget
• List your assets
• What companies and services can you cut, downgrade, or get a discount from
• Map out which levers you can pull and decide when to pull them

• Additional Support Resources

• Food Stamps and Food Banks
• Discounts

• Maintaining emotional and social health

• Making art
• Free and low-cost fun

• Learning to get by on less

• Cooking on the cheap
• Eating cheap(er) when you can’t cook
• Old-timey skills that still matter

Other Communities and Resources

• ASGC
• Emily Worden
• Jay “The Profiler” Jones
• TheXPlace
• Safe in Our World
• Women in Games

  ---

Credits

• Kenn White - Overall guide authorship and general scope
• John Ingalls - Visual direction, Editing
• Daniel Beahn - Editing, Contributor (Visa/Immigration, Layoff Vibes, Layoff Day, Unemployment, etc)
• Andrew Alcott - Contributor (HR/Recruiting assistance)
• Evan Berman, Editing
• Nooka Dascalu - Contributor (general, cooking resources)
• Milena Romaniuk - Contributor (general)
• Gemma Bowen - Contributor (general)
• David Read - Contributor (Libraries, Volunteering, Subreddits, Plan a Path Forward)

Getting that “Layoffs Are Coming” Vibe

That “Layoffs Coming” Vibe?

Here are some tips for making sure you have what you need when you suspect a layoff is coming. It is a good practice to do these on an annual or quarterly basis whether you believe a layoff is on the horizon or not.

Things to gather and/or document to prepare in case you’re laid off

• Portfolio files
• Achievement numbers and/or data

• Clean up/update your resume annually at a minimum as well as when you suspect a layoff is coming

• Collect contact information from coworkers, HR, Legal, etc

• Even if you’re not laid off, your coworkers might be. Exchange LinkedIns/phone numbers/personal emails before you need to

• Dust off your LinkedIn account

• Update your profile
• Accept any outstanding connection requests
• Send requests to as many coworkers as you can
• Logins and Passwords for HR sites (401K, FSA, Payroll) - write them down; you won’t have autocomplete in your browser from your work machine
• Similarly, any bookmarks that are essential to your flow - just export them

Layoff Day Advice

“You got a minute?”

That moment you get called into an unscheduled meeting.

What to focus on in the moment

Stay calm so you don’t burn any bridges.

The people having this discussion with you almost certainly were not part of the decision-making process for this layoff.

Box breathing is a good exercise you can do in the moment to help you focus.

Make sure you ask all questions you have - this is your first and best chance to gather the information that will be helpful later.

What information should you be seeking?

The next section will help with that: What to Ask During the Layoff Conversation

In The Room/Call

What to Ask During the Layoff Conversation

Available as a stand-alone document for easy printing here:

What To Ask When Being Laid Off 

How to use this in the room (or video conference)

• Bring a written checklist: It’s normal to be emotional; having questions in front of you keeps you on track.
• Make a copy of this document: Delete any questions that don’t apply, add any additional questions, and print it out (you may not have access to it otherwise).
• Don’t feel pressured to sign immediately: It’s standard to say, “I’ll review the paperwork and get back to you before the deadline.”

The Basics

• What is my official last day of employment, and will I be paid through that date?
• How will my termination be categorized in your system and to others (layoff, position eliminated, performance, restructuring, etc.)?
• How will this be communicated internally to the team and externally if someone calls to verify my employment? What is the public contact point for verification requests?
• Is there any option other than layoff (redeployment, different role, reduced hours, contract, extended transition)?

Pay, Severance, and Equity

• When will I receive my final paycheck and how will I receive it (direct deposit, check, timing)?
• Will I be paid for unused vacation/PTO and any other accrued time or bonuses?
• Am I getting severance? If so, how much, how is it calculated, and over what time period is it paid?
• Are there any conditions tied to severance (non-disparagement, non-compete, signing a release of claims, non-solicit)?
• What happens to any outstanding bonuses, commissions, profit-sharing, or long-term incentives for this year?
• What happens to my equity, stock options, RSUs, or ESPP shares? How long do I have to exercise options after my last day?

Health Insurance and Other Benefits

• When does my health insurance end: on my last day, end of the month, or another date?
• What options do I have to continue coverage (COBRA or equivalent), and what will it cost?
• What happens to dental, vision, life insurance, disability, and other benefits? Can I convert or continue any of them individually?
• How long do employee assistance programs (EAP, counseling, etc.) remain available to me after separation, if at all?
• For a family or with ongoing medical needs, nailing down exact dates and costs here is critical. You need to ensure there is no major gap in coverage and how those transitions affect who and where care is received from.
• Retirement accounts and long-term savings:

• What happens to my 401(k) or other retirement accounts—do they stay with the company plan, or do I need to roll them over?
• Am I fully vested in employer contributions, and if not, what happens to the non-vested portion? Is there any provision for accelerated vesting?
• Are there any pensions, stock purchase plans, or other long-term benefits affected by this layoff, and what choices do I need to make?

References, Rehiring, and Narrative

• Will your manager provide a positive reference or recommendation for me, and what will be said about the reason for my departure? If this request is handled by HR and not a manager, still ask what will be communicated.
• Can I get a written confirmation that this was a layoff/position elimination and not performance-related?
• Will the company provide any formal recommendation letter or LinkedIn recommendation?
• Am I eligible for rehire here in the future and how would that process work?

Outplacement and Support

• Are you providing any outplacement services (career coaching, resume review, job search support), and for how long?
• Will there be internal introductions, referrals, or networking help from leadership (e.g., studio head, execs)?
• Are there internal job postings I can still apply to, and does taking an internal role change my severance eligibility?

Legal, Contracts, and Constraints

• Do I have any non-compete, non-solicit, or IP assignment obligations that continue after I leave, and are any of them waived or modified with this layoff? How will this affect your personal ability to share any work publicly, and is there a way to ensure permission can be granted in writing and honored?
• Am I giving up any rights (like the ability to sue, participate in class actions, or discuss pay/conditions) if I sign this separation agreement?
• Can I have a copy of all agreements I’ve signed with the company (employment contract, stock agreements, non-competes, etc.)?
• Can I take this agreement home and have an attorney review it before signing? Is there a deadline to decide?

Unemployment and Government Programs

• Am I eligible for unemployment benefits based on how this separation is being coded?
• What is the contact information I will need to give the state to reach out to confirm these details?
• Will you contest my application for unemployment in any way?
• Can I receive unemployment at the same time as severance or will severance delay or reduce it in our state?

Logistics, Data, and Equipment

• What is the process and deadline for returning company equipment (laptop, phone, badge, dev kits, prototypes, etc.)?
• Can IT help me remove or retrieve personal data from company devices and accounts before I return them?
• How long will I retain access to my email, calendar, and collaboration tools, and can I set up forwarding or an out-of-office message?
• How do I retrieve personal files from cloud systems like OneDrive, Google Drive, or Confluence that are clearly personal and not company IP?

Documentation You Should Request

• Can I get copies of my performance reviews and any formal recognition or awards?
• Can you provide a letter or email that confirms my employment dates, job titles, and that the separation was due to layoff/restructuring?
• Will I receive a written summary of my benefits, severance, and key dates (health coverage end, COBRA instructions, etc.)?

Benefits

Benefits

Health Benefits (US Focused)

• What are your existing benefits and when do you lose access to them?
• What is the last day of your health insurance? Schedule appointments now and inform your doctor - you can often expedite appointments if you explain you’ll be losing coverage soon.
• Medication: Request a 3-month supply of medication from your providers.
• Records requests: If you need to change medical providers, find out how to retain access to them and how to provide access to a new provider. Also, find out the length of medical history that is shared (sometimes it is not everything).
• Use up your FSA or Limited FSA funds. Most companies won’t tell you but you gain access to 100% of the funds that you signed up for. While you “pay back” the funds every paycheck, if your work is cut short you still have access to those funds. For example, if you sign up for $5000 in FSA and you are let go in February and only paid ~$850 through paychecks, you still could use the full $5000. Find out if there is a specific date the funds must be used by.
• FSAs are USE IT OR LOSE IT and you’ve already paid for at least some of it, so use it!

• NOTE:  Even if you don’t want to use Amazon for shopping, it’s useful to use the FSA option when shopping as a filter for seeing what you can typically buy with FSA funds.

EAP (Employee Assistance Programs)

• Many EAP programs include benefits that might be helpful during a layoff and you will often have access to it at least until the end of the month.
• A few possible benefits you can check to see if you have:

• Mental Health and Stress Management
• Legal and Financial guidance
• Medical Advocacy

Legal Benefits

• While most legal benefit programs cannot directly assist with issues pertaining to the employer you received them through, they can be helpful for other situations that may be tangential to your situation and therefore still useful. Check what sorts of consultations or services are offered in the plan terms.

Stocks

• Different companies have different policies and rules, do not forget to check what your alternatives are for various kinds of stocks and any applicable schedules you must abide by:

• Stock Options
• Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
• Employee Stock Purchase plans

Visa information

Visa Information

Core Rights: The 60-Day Grace Period

Workers on E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B, H-1B1, L-1, O-1, and TN visas are generally entitled to a 60-day grace period after losing their job during which they can seek new sponsorship, file a change of status, or prepare to depart. This window begins the day after employment ends and is based on calendar days, not business days.

Links

• USCIS Policy Manual: The authoritative source for current federal immigration rules, replacing archived guidance pages.
• USCIS Archived Guidance (still accessible for reference): The formerly active page on options after termination is archived but still useful for understanding the framework.
• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): Publishes free worker's rights guides (also in Spanish), including an FAQ on losing work authorization, co-created with the National Employment Law Project.
• Immigration Advocates Network: Legal Services Directory, a searchable database of 900+ nonprofit organizations offering free or low-cost immigration legal help across all 50 states. Search by zip code or state.
• ReadyToStay.org: An immigrant resource directory with up-to-date information on changing policies and connections to local legal aid.
• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA): Allows you to search for qualified immigration attorneys by location.

Unemployment and Related Support

Unemployment and Related Government Support Programs

While this differs state to state within the United States, in general you should sign up for unemployment benefits as soon as possible the moment you find out you’re being laid off.  Most states have a waiting period before you can start collecting benefits and severance may increase that period, but since processing an unemployment benefits application can take weeks in some states, it’s better to start the process early to expedite your access to benefits when you become eligible.

Generally speaking, unemployment benefits ARE taxable income. This matters because depending on your severance, you may wish to delay collecting unemployment benefits.  Check with your financial advisor for details on this.

US States Unemployment Websites

US Unemployment Benefits Links

Healthcare Options

Healthcare Options

Programs vary country to country and even by state or province within countries. This list is meant to provide you with a list of things to check in your local region.

• Medicaid or subsidized benefits (United States)

• Medicaid (varies by state)

• Requirements vary by state but in most states if you qualify for unemployment you are eligible. Check with your unemployment office.
• Note: You can either have Medicaid or a discounted marketplace plan, but not both. Don’t pay for a discounted plan until you are sure Medicaid isn’t available or a fit for you!

• Discounted paid plans through the health insurance marketplace, also known as Obamacare (United States)

• Your coverage ending, whether when you’re laid off, or after a severance period, will count as a major life change so you can enroll. The health insurance marketplace has customer service reps who can help you make sure you get the right coverage at the best price, so do not hesitate to call them!

• Dental and vision supplemental coverage

• Dental coverage is often available through Medicaid as an add-on.

UK Unemployment Websites and Resourses

Unemployment Benefits and Related Government Support Programs (UK)

• Rules and laws that employers have to follow when making redundancies.
• ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration service) outlines your rights during redundancy. They also provide support and advice during this process.
• Redundancy: your rights from the government site.
• Checklist from Citizen’s Advice to ensure your employer is following the process.
• IWGB Game Workers Union have a slideshow with information on redundancy from the employee point of view.

Telling Your Network

Telling Your Network!

Post on LinkedIn

• Emily Worden has a great tutorial on how to make this post! A few things you may also want to keep in mind:

• Determine tone and format
• Aim for objective, not subjective
• Evaluate posts from affected peers

Surviving & Thriving

Surviving and Thriving

The elephant in the room is that this is not going to be a sprint for the majority of people, it’s going to be a marathon (or an ultra-marathon). This section covers common things you can do to extend your runway.

• Take stock of your situation

• List all of your bills and debts

• Utilities
• Services

• Streaming subscriptions
• Other monthly subscriptions (example: Jam of the Month Club)

• Rent or Mortgage
• Car Loan and Insurance
• Food

• Guesstimate a budget based on past spending.
• Look at your past spending - it’s more than you think!

• Internet

• List all of your assets

• Savings
• Stock or Bonds

• How long between selling and the money being in your account?

• 401k

• How long between requesting a withdrawal and the money being available?
• What penalties are there to consider?

• Home Equity
• Car Equity

• What you owe minus trade-in value
• Plan for the minimum you might get

• Figure out where you can reduce costs

• Which services can you do without?
• Which services can you downgrade for savings?
• Call all of the companies on your list and ask if they offer low income or hardship discounts or programs.

• Build your plan NOW and then stick to it

• Deciding when to pull certain levers ahead of time will help you make good decisions.
• For example, if selling your car is not an option for you, when is that on the table?
• Same for selling stocks, tapping your 401k, etc.

Additional Support Resources

Additional Support Resources

These may or may not be available in your area and this is not intended to be a comprehensive list. These programs are generally available in most US states and in many countries in some form.

It is highly recommended that when you connect with any of these resources in your area that you ask if they have information about other support programs in your area. The folks who work at these agencies will often have good information about your area, and in most cases are doing the work they do because they want to help!

• Food stamps and food banks

• United States: Food stamps (SNAP) will be handled through your State government in the US, though the implementation may be delegated to a local authority, like your county. It may additionally be referred to by a “friendly” regional program name.
• Outside the United States: Check your country’s government website for information.
• Both in and out of the United States, you can often find food programs associated with religious and charitable organizations .

• Utility discount programs (if available)

• Water
• Electric
• Natural Gas (or Heating Oil)
• Trash and Recycling

• Discount programs from retailers or other companies

• Amazon offers a reduced monthly price for Amazon Prime with proof of income validated through a third-party company.

Get by on Less

Get by on Less

There are lots of ways to conserve your resources.

Cooking on the Cheap

With a little bit of planning, cooking can be much cheaper than eating out. You don’t even need to commit to a meal prepping plan - just buy what you can eat within its expiration date.

Cooking for Beginners

Getting started with cooking is hard (especially if you don’t have someone willing to help you learn in person). All the resources assume that you have some base level of knowledge and it can be intimidating to risk wasting food and money when you’re just starting out. The most important thing to remember, though, is that cooking is basically just chopping or mixing ingredients, and then heating them up! Start with medium heat until you’re comfortable, and in the meantime, here are some beginner-friendly resources:

• Cook Well

• This is a very clear, easy-to-navigate resource that teaches you the basic jargon of cooking, and provides a variety of recipes you can try each technique with.
• Their recipe archive also has a variety of useful tags, like how complicated the recipe is or what mood you’re in.
• It also conveniently comes with an app, and all the videos have recipes showing you how to cook the foods.

• Parsnip

• Marketed as “Duolingo for cooking”, Parsnip is an app that teaches you different cooking techniques, how to shop for groceries, and how to make use of your ingredients.

• Chef Jacob’s free cooking courses

• These are a little more intense for beginners, but if nothing else, I recommend the knife skills course so you can confidently chop any ingredient.
• These videos (and the accompanying podcasts) do a great job of explaining the why behind different techniques so you can develop your intuition.

• Subreddits

• https://www.reddit.com/r/EatCheapAndHealthy/
• https://www.reddit.com/r/povertykitchen/

How to Plan a Meal

While everyone has different dietary needs, here are some general guidelines that might provide a starting point if you’re not too picky:

• Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.

• Try to eat as many different colors as possible.

• A little over a quarter should be some kind of carbohydrate.
• A little less than a quarter should be protein.

Of course, you don’t have to be too strict with it - follow your gut and eat whatever leaves you feeling satiated.

Good Recipes to Start with as a First-Time Cook

• Upgraded instant ramen

• Basically, an instant ramen pack with some extra veggies and protein thrown in.

• Dense bean salads

• There’s a variety of different recipes, and they’re easy to customize as well.

• Tuna pasta salad

• Just mix canned tuna, cooked pasta, and your dressing of choice together.

• Slow cooker meals
• Burritos

Tips for More Experienced Cooks

• Choose ingredients that can be used across a variety of recipes

• Book recommendations

• Freezing food; stocking your freezer for lazy nights
• Shop your pantry
• Tips to stretch food

Eating cheap(er) when you can’t cook

Old-timey skills that still matter

• What products that you purchase for convenience can you make at home?

• I make my own “Dawn Powerwash” for 10% of the cost I used to pay for it (and that was with the 15% subscribe and save discount!)

• Other items you can make at home for less include:

• Laundry detergent
• “Instant” Oatmeal
• The possibilities are nearly endless!

Extra Revenue

Potential Sources of Extra Cash

Everyone will have different boundaries. This list is meant as a source of ideas, not all of which will work for everyone and that’s okay!

• Temporary or Part-Time Work
• Contracting/Freelance

• Know how to price your work accordingly as a freelancer or contractor and factor in that you may take on extra tax burden and financial tracking that the employer won’t handle if you are not a regular employee.

• Convert a hobby into a side hustle

• Open an Etsy store or other online store
• Sell on Craigslist or Marketplace
• Ebay some of that sweet swag you’ve got stored in a box in the attic
• Thrift shop, upcycle, resell (Ebay, etc.)
• Offer commissions

• Teach a class on Outschool (or similar platform)

• How to DM a campaign
• How to design a board game
• How to play chess
• The possibilities are endless

• Learn a new hobby to monetize

• There are a number of hobbies that are inexpensive to start and easy to learn the basics that monetize fairly well

• Candlemaking
• Soapmaking

Maintaining Health

Maintaining Emotional and Social Health

Spend time each week on a creative hobby

• Research shows that time spent in a creative endeavor has a positive impact on mental, physical, and emotional health in addition to lowering cortisol (stress) levels.
• Art, writing, woodworking, sewing, writing, music, etc - there are lots of options!

• You can find tutorials for pretty much anything on YouTube

Free and low-cost fun

• Libraries

• Almost everywhere has a free public library system - you can also ask your local library if there are other libraries in the area that are public access.
• In addition to books, modern libraries often loan music, movies, games, and other items.
• In addition to loaning materials, libraries often offer events, programs, and social events like game nights or crafting classes.
• Finally, many libraries also offer community spaces, meeting rooms, computer training, and assistance programs (legal guidance, wellness checks, access to social workers, etc.), so be sure to ask your librarian for the full list of things available.

• City and County Parks and Recreation departments also often have a selection of programs
• Get involved and volunteer!  Offer to DM a game night, or help with board game night for teens or teach a crafting class.
• Join Discord servers - many host virtual game/movie nights or happy hours
• Join a game jam. Itch.io has hundreds and the hosts usually have a Discord you could join to meet new people to team up with.

Other Communities and Resources

Other Communities & Resources

These are links to other communities and resources that folks in GICC have found useful.

• ASGC - Always Supporting (the) Games Community

• ASGC has a wealth of job seeking resources; some highlights:

• The Job Seeker’s Workbook provides visibility for folks looking for their next role to recruiters and hiring managers
• Career Guidance - mentoring, resume reviews, etc.
• Resource Library - big ole list of resources

• Emily Worden

• Emily has a lot of free resources as well as providing career coaching

• Jay “The Profiler” Jones

• Jay is an expert on LinkedIn scams of all types, check out his profile for the latest scams, and how to spot them

• TheXPlace

• TheXPlace is what happens when you start a recruiting company, add a job board, then build a community around it and offer networking events and educational webinars.

• Safe In Our World

• Mental health support and advice
• Offers training and other resources

• Women in Games 

• Community for industry professionals that offers free monthly social network gatherings and opportunities to network, share projects, job openings  and support.
• Discord 

• Subreddits

• https://www.reddit.com/r/Frugal/

The Long Haul

Preparing for the Long Haul

The reality is that for most of us, finding our next role will be a marathon, not a sprint. This section will cover strategies and resources that folks who have been looking for a new role for nine, twelve, eighteen months or longer have found helpful.

This section is still under construction!  We’ll be adding more information in the coming days/weeks.

Plan for a Path Forward

Plan for a Path Forward

Give yourself a path forward by planning now for future expenses and contingencies, like annual bills (property taxes, insurances, emergencies, etc.

Planning for the Very Short Term

• Actions that need to be taken within 1 month.

Planning for the Short Term

• Actions that need to be taken within 1 to 3 months.

Planning for the Medium Term

• Actions that need to be taken within 3 to 6 months.

Planning for the Long Term

• Actions that need to be taken within 6 to 12 months.

Planning for the Very Long Term

• Actions that need to be taken within 2 or 3 years.

Volunteering

Volunteering

Why Volunteer

• Staying active and keeping your skills sharp
• Networking opportunities with those you meet

Where to Volunteer

• Local community (school, library, food bank, nonprofits, etc.)
• Online community (Discord communities, specific organizations or nonprofits, etc.)

Living Large on a Budget

Living Large on a Budget

Frugality doesn’t have to mean utilitarian and minimalist unless you want it to.

• Buying in Bulk

• Costco
• Sams
• BJs
• Amazon

• Budgeting

• How to make better decisions
• Resisting impulse buys

• DIY

• Fixing Things
• Upgrading things
• Making your own things

• Green Living

• Gardening
• Upcycling

• Home