Laid off from Reality Labs? Three things to avoid and what to do next
Meta’s Reality Labs layoffs are a reminder to protect your rights. Keep calm, don’t sign on the spot, and get legal help before negotiating severance.
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By Torontoer Staff
Meta is restructuring Reality Labs and cutting hundreds of roles as it shifts priorities toward AI-enabled wearables and phone features. If you are among the employees affected, your immediate choices can materially affect what you receive in severance and other post-employment entitlements.
Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru of Samfiru Tumarkin LLP says there are three common mistakes non-unionized workers in Canada often make after a termination. Avoid these missteps and take clear, practical steps to protect your financial and legal position.
1. Keep your composure
Getting angry during a termination meeting or responding in kind afterwards can be costly. Employers may view hostile behaviour as misconduct, and that can complicate claims for severance or employment insurance. Stay professional, decline to argue, and focus on obtaining clear information about the reason for your dismissal and any written offers being provided.
Practical steps: take notes during the meeting, request the termination details in writing, return company property as required, and avoid posting angry messages about the employer on social media. Preserve copies of performance reviews, your employment contract, emails related to your role and any communications about the layoff.
Keeping your cool and collecting the facts in writing gives you leverage later. Emotional reactions can complicate what should be a legal and financial conversation.
Lior Samfiru, employment lawyer
2. Do not sign a severance agreement immediately
An employer may press for an immediate signature on a release in exchange for a severance payment. Signing a release usually waives your right to pursue additional compensation later. You do not have to decide on the spot, and you should not sign without time to review.
In Canada you generally have up to two years from the date of dismissal to start a legal claim for unpaid severance, but statutes and case law vary by province and by circumstance. Treat any offer as a draft until a lawyer has reviewed it.
Ask for the proposed agreement in writing, request reasonable time to consider it, and get clarity on the date employment and benefits end, whether pay in lieu of notice is provided, and any continuing health or pension arrangements. If the employer insists on speed, note that in writing and consult counsel.
3. Avoid negotiating a severance package on your own
Employers may test a quick concession to see if you accept less than you are entitled to. A seemingly generous immediate offer can be a tactic, and negotiating alone invites mistakes that are difficult to undo once a release is signed.
A lawyer experienced in employment law can evaluate your written contract, performance record, length of service, and company policies to estimate reasonable entitlements under common law or legislation. They can also spot problematic language in releases and negotiate for continued benefits, references and outplacement support.
Collect and organise the documents your lawyer will need: your employment agreement, offer letter, pay stubs, performance reviews, emails about your termination or any warnings, the employer’s policies on termination, and any group benefits or pension plan documents.
- Ask for termination details and any severance offer in writing.
- Request time to review and consult a lawyer before signing.
- Preserve personal copies of emails and documents before returning devices.
- Apply for Employment Insurance as soon as you stop working, and confirm eligibility.
- Keep records of earnings, hours and communications related to your role and termination.
When to seek legal advice
If the severance offer seems low, if you were terminated without a written reason, or if you face pressure to sign quickly, consult an employment lawyer. Legal advice helps you understand statutory entitlements, common-law notice, and options short of court if litigation becomes necessary.
Lior Samfiru, co-founding partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, provided the guidance summarised here. He recommends contacting counsel early so you can respond from an informed position rather than reacting to a single meeting or an emailed offer.
Remaining calm, documenting everything and getting legal advice are the three practical ways to protect your interests after a layoff. Taking those steps does not prevent you from accepting a fair quick settlement, but it does ensure you know your options first.
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