Frequently asked questions

Safety Network is a membership platform for professionals that combines two things: a private, referral-driven career network and a community-funded severance support system for members who experience an unexpected layoff. You pay a monthly subscription, gain access to the career network, and become part of a community that has your back if the worst happens.

No. Safety Network is not insurance and does not function like insurance. We don't guarantee payouts, we don't underwrite risk, and we're not regulated as an insurance product. What we offer is a community-funded severance support system — members contribute voluntarily each month, and those contributions are used to support members going through qualifying layoffs.

The amount you may receive depends on your tier, your contribution history, and the health of the community pool at the time of your request. If that level of certainty matters to you, we'd rather you know that upfront than find out later.

Unemployment is slow, inconsistently available depending on your state and situation, and rarely covers the actual cost of a professional's life. Safety Network moves faster, is tied directly to your membership tier rather than your prior salary, and pairs financial support with something unemployment doesn't offer at all — a career network actively working to help you land your next role.

There are three tiers — Basic, Standard, and Premium — each with a monthly subscription price and a corresponding support range you can request if you experience a qualifying layoff. Basic is designed for lighter support needs, Standard is built for primary income replacement, and Premium is designed for higher income households. Each tier also offers duration options of 2, 3, or 4 months. You can review the full tier breakdown on our membership page.

Your subscription gives you full access to the career network — including job postings, referral opportunities, and member introductions — as well as your eligibility for community-funded severance support if you experience a qualifying layoff. A portion of every subscription also goes directly into the community support pool.

Members are encouraged to make a voluntary monthly contribution of $40–$75 on top of their subscription. This contribution goes directly towards the severance support of a recently laid off member of the community, or into the reserve pool in the almost-nonexistent case where no member is laid off. It's not required to maintain your membership, but it does influence your status and the strength of the pool that would support you if you ever needed it.

If you experience a qualifying layoff, you submit a support request through the platform. You'll provide documentation of your separation — such as an email or written notice from your employer — along with a point of contact at your former employer. Safety Network independently verifies your separation before your request is processed. Once verified, your request enters the community pool for fulfillment based on your tier, your contribution history, and available funds.

Full-time and part-time employees who experience an involuntary separation are eligible, including certain contractors in ongoing arrangements without a fixed end date. Workers in fixed-term contracts or freelance engagements with defined end dates are not eligible to join Safety Network to begin with.

There is also a 3-month waiting period from your sign-up date before your first support request can be submitted — this exists to protect the integrity of the pool for members who have been contributing consistently.

No, and we want to be straightforward about that. The support ranges listed in each tier represent what you may request — fulfillment depends on community participation and the health of the pool at the time of your request. This is by design. A guaranteed payout model is an insurance model, and that's not what Safety Network is.

What we can tell you is that the pool is actively managed, contribution behavior is tracked and incentivized, and the system is built to deliver on its promise for members who show up consistently.

Yes. Any support payments you receive through Safety Network are considered taxable income and should be reported accordingly on your federal and state tax returns. If you receive support payments during the calendar year, Safety Network will issue a Form 1099 reflecting the total amount you received.

We'll make this process as straightforward as possible — you'll receive your 1099 ahead of the tax filing deadline. We strongly recommend consulting a tax professional if you have questions about how support payments affect your individual tax situation.

We treat everything you submit with care. Layoff documentation — including separation notices, employer correspondence, and the contact information of your former employer — is used solely to verify your support request. It is not shared with other members, not used for any commercial purpose, and not retained longer than necessary.

All data is stored securely and handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. If you have specific questions about how your information is stored or your rights around it, our full Privacy Policy is available anytime.

You still get everything else — access to a career network built specifically for professionals, referral opportunities, job postings, and member introductions. Many members will hopefully never need to submit a support request.

The monthly contribution you make in the meantime is an investment in the community that protects you and your fellow members. Think of it less as a cost and more as the kind of professional relationship that pays off when it matters most.