Laid off at 40, 50 or older: what to do next

Know the protections that apply at 40 and older

The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act protects workers 40 and older from age-based discrimination in layoffs and hiring. When an employer asks a worker 40 or older to sign a release in exchange for severance, the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act generally requires at least 21 days to consider it (45 in a group layoff) and 7 days to revoke after signing, and the agreement must be written in plain language.

Run the search through people, not only applications

• Tell former colleagues, bosses and clients exactly what role you want, and ask who they would introduce you to.
• Reach executive recruiters and search firms in your function with a short note and your resume.
• Use your depth: pitch the problems you have solved, with numbers.

Show that your skills are current

Put current tools, methods and recent results near the top of your resume, trim roles older than 15 years to a line, and name the AI and software tools you work with. A recent course or project is a concrete signal.

Frequently asked questions