Should I have been paid any severance?

It is up to the company to offer a severance package when they close or your are laid off. They aren't obligated to give you one unless it was in your contract, but it would be the proper thing to do after 12 years of service to them

You can claim unemployment, however. Hopefully you will find another job that will treat you properly/better next time. Good luck.

Legally or morally. Morally, yes. Legally, only if you had a contract or company rules that said you would be paid so much severance pay is you position was no longer needed. So see what you can find out about that. You definitely are entitled to unemployment compensation. Make sure you get any vacation time that you earned as well. Personally, I'd asked your immediate supervisor if you were going to be getting severance pay.

Assuming you're an at will employee, they are not required to pay you any kind of severance. Some companies will because they are less likely to be sued if they already gave everyone they let go something. If you have a contract that says you were entitled to some sort of severance, then you have a valid complaint.

You're owed whatever the laws in your state requires.

For example in CA: 2 weeks pay + pay due + vacations

But as far as a severance package, that's up to the discretion of the company, although if they gave it to a bunch of people that were laid-off at about the same time as you and you didn't receive one, then you may have something to sue about.

If the company closed and it had 100 or more employees, they should have given 60 days notice under the WARN Act. If they violated this, you could file a complaint and may be entitled to some back pay and benefits.

Severance is usually given to people in your position in exchange for something, like training the Guatamalan who will do your job when they move the plant, or staying to pack up equipment to send to Guatemala. Things like that. Otherwise, yes, you SHOULD have been given something, but they are obligated to.

unfortunatly..no, severences are only if you get fired. not let go due to operational downsizing, or closing the plant. Severences are also usually reserved for exective mgmt and above (CEO,CIO,VP). and they are usually written into a contract upon negiotations. .. long story short unless you signed a piece of paper that said you were going to be getting one, your up the creek with a paddle.

Was there any money in the bank to pay severance??

Possibly, the company was so in the red that they could not pay anything.

It sure sounds like it.

(((Sounds veryfamiliar.))

No, but that sucks....