But severance pay is almost always part of consideration in a “you can’t sue us” contract. So the company is not just giving you pay in lieu of notice, they’re buying your rights away.

I’ve also seen plenty of corporations that punish you when you give two weeks notice by immediately barring you from working and you end up losing two weeks pay by planning on being considerate.

It’s as professional as no notice layoffs are. It’s a two way street.

Layoffs for in-demand careers might offer severance pay, but most layoffs offer nothing other than a heart felt “fuck you”.