A layoff letter is written by an employer to a specific employee with the intent of informing him that he is being laid off, at a date and time to be determined by the former. The layoff letter must include the company name, address, and phone number, the length of the layoff (temporary or permanent), the effective date of the layoff, the job titles being laid off, specific information about severance packages, and reasons for the layoff. In the last category, the employer must be able to document why the person is being laid off, especially if the latter was a disruptive employee who might sue. In this case, the layoff letter should document specific infractions on the part of the employee, and include past job performance evaluations as needed.