Legal guide
What Should You Do After Receiving a Termination Letter?
Leave the meeting with the documents. You do not need to decide whether the package is acceptable before you have read it and compared it with the employment record.
Last reviewed: August 13, 2026
Preserve the complete employment file
Gather the signed agreement, later amendments, compensation statements, benefits, bonus or commission terms, policies and relevant performance correspondence. Save the termination letter and proposed release exactly as received.
Write a private note of who attended the meeting and what was said. Keep it factual. Do not take employer confidential records merely because access may end.
Identify dates and immediate practical issues
Mark the proposed signing deadline, final-pay date, benefit end date and any return-of-property requirement. Ask how records of employment, accrued vacation and expenses will be handled.
A deadline in an offer deserves attention, but it does not itself establish that the legal analysis must be completed without reasonable review. Obtain advice promptly.
Understand what the release exchanges
A release usually asks the employee to give up claims in return for offered terms. Those terms should be reviewed against the contract, statutory obligations and other applicable rights.
Keep a record of job-search activity where relevant. Avoid public accusations or signing a new restriction without understanding its reach.
Questions people often ask
Is this guide legal advice?
No. It provides general information. A complete answer requires the facts, documents, applicable law and current procedure for the individual matter.