The GP was not talking about a layoff but a termination "at the whim of a boss." I've also worked at a number of big companies in the US, in "at-will" states, a

The GP was not talking about a layoff but a termination "at the whim of a boss." I've also worked at a number of big companies in the US, in "at-will" states, and the process is much like the GP describes.