From how much notice workers are given before being laid off to severance pay to the ability to tap unused paid leave prior to dismissal, Lensa, a job insights platform, ranked countries on how well they fared.
Puerto Rico and the U.S. ranked number one and two respectively for the worst locations to be laid off, with neither having guaranteed severance pay even for employees who worked at their companies for more than 10 years. Employers in Puerto Rico and the U.S. also don’t have to give notice of upcoming layoffs.
Sierra Leone and Egypt ranked one and two respectively as the best places for layoffs, with the former guaranteeing employees at least a 13-week notice period before they are let go. Employees who have worked for a decade for their employer in Sierra Leone can also get up to 132-weeks of severance pay. In Egypt, workers can get 4.3 weeks of guaranteed severance after working only one year and up to 54.2 weeks for those who have clocked in 10 or more years.