what happens to my 401 k after a layoff 
depending on the size of your 401 k you may be able to leave it with your former employer it may be better to transfer the balance either to a new employer or into an individual retirement account ira it is essential to transfer the balance through a direct transfer between financial institutions rather than allowing the administrator of your former employer s 401 k plan to cut you a check otherwise you could owe income taxes on the entire balance 1112who gets laid off during a merger following a merger or acquisition many companies eliminate redundancies in their combined workforce this will typically affect the c suite as well as any area where the new company has two departments performing similar functions human resource and payroll departments are a frequent target since it s hard to predict which workers will be laid off mergers are inevitably a source of anxiety for all employees the bottom linelayoffs are a painful fact of life in a market economy exposed to intense competition and a constant search for higher profits layoffs can be damaging psychologically as well as financially to the affected workers and those who are left behind as well as their families communities colleagues and other businesses any employee who is vulnerable to a layoff should be aware that there are government programs that can fill the gap between jobs and supply some income and uninterrupted health coverage 