"US employees will receive a minimum of 16 weeks base pay (plus 2 weeks per year worked), their next equity vest, and 6 months of COBRA."

4 months basic severance pay + 1 month for 2 years emploument is nice? so total 5 months severance after 2 years of working for them or only 6 months after 4 years

let me guess you are from US if you think this is nice, as European I would say this is fairly standard, nothing to brag about, 3 months should be bare minimum by law

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infecto 13 hours ago | parent | next [-]

As an American, I’d point out that there are structural reasons the U.S. often outpaces Europe in certain areas of innovation and business, tech and otherwise. Labor regulations in many European countries make it harder to reallocate talent quickly, which can slow down company formation and scaling.

That doesn’t make one model universally better. There are clear tradeoffs on both sides. But it is part of the equation worth considering in response to your point.

	▲	Markoff 9 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Sure, I agree, not sure why you are downvoted for stating the facts, both have benefits, Europe in general is less flexible but employees are more protected with more benefits. All I wanted to say was I don't find 4 months something particularly "nice" as European, though I am sure there are even some Europeans who would find it nice since they work for crappy companies in countries with less protection, so they are in lose lose situation, no US benefits (salary/taxes), no Europe benefits (severance pay/notice period).

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goodmythical 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

"If you've worked for us for 24 months and we fire you, we'll pay you for 29 months and give you your next equity and pay for your insurance for 6 months" and "if we fire you we'll pay you an extra ~21% (plus your next equity and another month of insurance too) of whatever you earned" does indeed sound quite nice considering that a vast majority people who are terminated get nothing or next to nothing.

It'd be looking a gift horse in the mouth to whine about "well they get 22+% at XYZ"

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mhitza 11 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I'm not from the US, but from eastern europe. I have not been in collectives where what you're saying was true. At most I've seen 2-3 months of pay for someone to sign their own resignation.

	▲	Markoff 8 hours ago \| parent [-]
		you should always add salary during notice period if you are not expected to work anymore, it's essentially severance pay as well, though technically it's salary for no work

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philipallstar 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

As a European you're on a third as much though in the first place.

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broof 13 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

When I got laid off I got 0. The company I currently work for generally gives 0 severance as well. 5 months is extremely generous

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wiseowise 13 hours ago | parent [-]

But hey! Guns and bigger salary, or something. And less socialism.

	▲	SoftTalker 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Yes? If you're making 2x or more what a European developer makes, you're responsible for your own emergency fund. You ignore that at your own risk. I'll take that trade.

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baal80spam 12 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

> as European I would say this is fairly standard

I must live in a different Europe then. I'd say this would be EXTREMELY generous for Europe.

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baobabKoodaa 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

When I was laid off, I got only 2 weeks of pay (notice period).

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Markoff 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

well, everyone has different experiences, but just to make it clear, I was calculating ordinary salary during notice period into severance pay since in many companies it's essentially severance pay:

1. you get fired with 2 months notice period and they will tell you, you don't need to bother to come anymore = 2 months of severance, you can sit at home, look for job for 2 months with full salary

2. on top of this you will get also extra 2 months severance pay

so in total de facto 4 months of severance pay , but I understand shitty companies will expect you to work even during notice period (especially if they are firing you) and somehow expect you will be delivering same results, smarter companies know the reality when they are firing someone and just tell him not bother coming anymore, this was my case in last 1-2 jobs I've had more than 10 years ago when I was still employee (plus they wanted to give me 1 month severance pay, but I argued about years I worked there and certain operation practices which could be published, so got 2 months, unlike my less assertive colleagues), I'm nowadays contractor/freelance for companies outside Europe so no law protection for me

my wife is always employed as employee and got fired this winter under conditions I mentioned in point 1&2 and got 2+2 months after 1 year of work, two jobs ago she was fired without severance but didnt need to work during notice period

plus I've found funny mention of the 6 months COBRA as some benefit, you are covered by insurance in Europe regardless of your job status whether employed or unemployed you are always covered by universal healthcare

	▲	gordian-mind an hour ago \| parent [-]
		The European model will never be better than the U.S. one for productive workers like in tech. Tech workers in the U.S. have the same benefits as EU ones for three times the salary.