If you're one of the 8,000 Meta employees getting laid off in May, the difference between a good and great outcome could be worth $50,000 or more. The main reason for the layoffs is to offset their massive AI CAPEX. I've spent 14 years helping people negotiate severance packages , including engineering my own layoff and my wife's , and Meta's offer is one of the more interesting case studies I've seen in a while. Let me break it down component by component. Here's the key excerpt from Meta's internal memo that made its way out: “We will support those who are laid off with a generous severance package which, in the US, will include 16 weeks base pay plus two weeks for every year of employment. We will also cover the cost of COBRA health care coverage for US employees and their families for 18 months.” On the surface, 16 weeks of base pay plus two weeks per year of service sounds impressive. If you've been at Meta for 10 years, that's 16 + 20 = 36 weeks of salary.…