I knew someone who left Megacorp during a restructuring and he went and asked for the severance. They said but Bill, we're not laying you off. He said you are, right now, and with a sweet severance, or I will work so little that by the time HR finally catches up to me 6 months from now, having covered their asses with improvement plans and coaching meetings, and all those profits and productivity wasted, you'll wish you had, and I'll save the difference doing it.
They gave him the package.