Severance Isn’t a Gift: Negotiate the Layoff, Not Your Worth with Tara Bodine

This season, we’re rewriting the rules.

And today’s rule is simple: don’t confuse a corporate decision with your worth and don’t sign away your power because you’re in shock.

In this episode of Corporate F*ckery, Lauren sits down with Tara Bodine, global HR and talent leader and CEO of True North People Consulting.

After seeing the writing on the wall at her company, Tara was laid off and offered a two-week severance package. So we talk about what most people don’t realize in that moment: You have leverage. Even if they act like you don’t.

Together, Lauren and Tara unpack:

1. Why layoffs hit your nervous system like a threat
2. What HR is actually optimizing for and how to navigate it
3. Why severance is an exchange, not a favor
4. What can be negotiable (and how to advocate for more runway)
5. Why you shouldn’t do this alone: resources, counsel, and community

This conversation isn’t about “being difficult.”

It’s about being self-led, when the system shifts and your body, ego, and identity take the hit.

Connect with Tara Bodine

🌿 Website: https://www.truenorthpeople.com/

💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarabodine/