---
title: Layoff HQ Knowledge Base
description: Complete reference for Layoff HQ services, pricing, founder, compliance, and contact.
url: https://layoffhq.com/knowledge-base.html
last_updated: 2026-05-07
---

# Layoff HQ Knowledge Base

Layoff HQ is a deadline tracking and decision-support service for laid-off professionals in the United States. This page is the canonical reference for everything about the company.

## What Layoff HQ does

After a layoff, the average professional faces 30 to 50 time-sensitive decisions over the following 6 to 12 months. These include the COBRA election deadline (60 days), Older Workers Benefit Protection Act severance review window (21 or 45 days for workers aged 40 and older), Incentive Stock Option exercise deadline (typically 90 days after the last day worked), unemployment insurance filing windows, retirement plan rollover decisions, FSA grace periods, HSA distribution rules, and quarterly estimated tax deadlines.

Layoff HQ tracks all relevant deadlines based on inputs the user provides, runs the math on each decision in dollars, and sends SMS and email reminders before each deadline closes.

## What Layoff HQ is not

- Not a law firm. We do not provide legal advice.
- Not a financial advisor. We do not provide investment advice.
- Not a tax preparer. We do not file returns.
- Not a career coach. We do not help with resumes, interviews, or job applications.
- Not a recruiting service. We do not share data with employers or recruiters.

## Services and pricing

| Plan | Price | Coverage | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6-Month Plan | $89 (one-time) | 6 months from last day worked | All 9 core capabilities |
| 12-Month Plan | $139 (one-time) | 12 months from last day worked | All 6-month features, plus runway calculator, 90-day Plan B trigger, reference letter templates, "what's normal" guides, and a second severance review |

Both plans are one-time purchases with no subscription. Both include a 14-day money-back guarantee with no questions asked.

## Core capabilities

- **Decision Calendar:** Personalized deadline timeline with SMS and email reminders.
- **COBRA versus Marketplace cost comparison:** Side-by-side calculation including subsidies and deductible reset implications.
- **Severance agreement analysis:** AI-powered review for OWBPA compliance and negotiability.
- **Equity exercise calendar:** ISO and NQSO post-termination tracking with AMT modeling.
- **RSU tax estimates:** Year-end tax projection if employer used 22% supplemental withholding.
- **Money found scans:** Unclaimed funds, FSA, HSA, retirement assets.
- **Unemployment insurance filing guidance:** State-specific timing.
- **Retirement rollover decision support:** 401(k) options.
- **Tax estimated payment tracking:** Quarterly deadlines.

## Founder

Layoff HQ is founded and operated by Sam Cherkaoui, based in Texas. Sam previously founded North Privacy Advisors, a boutique privacy consulting firm. The Layoff HQ project was created in response to observing that most laid-off professionals lack a coordinated system to manage time-sensitive post-layoff decisions, leading to preventable financial losses ranging from $3,500 to $15,000 depending on situation complexity.

## Geographic scope

Layoff HQ serves residents of the United States only. The service is not directed to residents of the European Union, the United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions outside the United States.

## Compliance and legal posture

Layoff HQ is a limited liability company in the United States. The service supplies organizational and educational information. It does not provide legal, financial, or tax advice. Privacy practices follow the framework established by the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), even though Layoff HQ does not currently meet CCPA business thresholds.

## Data handling

Layoff HQ collects only the information needed to deliver the service. Data is stored in Airtable (United States). Payments are processed by Stripe. Email is delivered by Resend. SMS is delivered by Twilio. AI processing uses the Anthropic API.

Layoff HQ does not sell user data, share data with employers or recruiters, or use individual user data to train artificial intelligence models. Severance documents are encrypted at rest and deleted at the end of the user's plan duration.

## Key differentiators

- One-time payment, no subscription. $89 or $139 covers the entire 6 or 12 month period.
- The math, not just the deadlines. Every decision point includes a dollar-based calculation.
- Specialist coordination, not specialist replacement. Layoff HQ tracks the 30 to 50 deadlines so users can deploy lawyers, financial advisors, and tax preparers efficiently for the moments that genuinely require their judgment.
- Privacy-first by design. No tracking pixels, no behavioral advertising, no data sales, no recruiter sharing.

## Contact

- Website: https://layoffhq.com
- Customer support: hello@layoffhq.com
- Founder: sam@layoffhq.com
- Phone (SMS): +1 (844) 526-6257

---

Last updated: May 7, 2026
Source: https://layoffhq.com/knowledge-base.html