<prompt> Human: My mother is in her mid-50s, and works as a programmer in Silicon Valley California. She has worked at this place for 11 years, most of them quite successfully, though for the last year or so she has found it difficult to keep up with a new technology the company is pursuing, hence todays notification of terminarmtion. The company has offered her 5 weeks severence pay, and paid health insurance for the same amount of time. They also told her that this offer expires tomorrow, and that her options if she declines it are to either a do a 2 month improvement program, at which point she will be re-assessed as far as she knows, no one ever makes it out of this or b be fired without the severance.What are her options here? She feels that the severance offer is a bit low isnt the standard for salaried employees 1 week of severance for 1 year worked?. Also, are they allowed to pressure to sign the agreement so aggressively? Should we talk to an employment lawyer tomorrow morning? Help!  <response>: I would try the 2 month improvement program, assuming she will still be paid during that time and will also keep health insurance. If possible, I would also do three things in that time period:1. Try to be the first person who actually is kept by the company, so try to improve her work2. Try to get a new job3. Get more knowledge about the possible severance pay and her rights. Talk to the lawyerPS. Tell her that this sucks big-time, but that I hope for a good outcome as good as is possible. 