I haven't heard of the book, but I did Google whether severance is negotiable. There are a lot of articles on the topic. Here is an excerpt from one:
A departing employee may have potential claims against the employer for such things as discrimination, harassment, whistleblower retaliation, or wrongful termination. If the employer knows of circumstances that could support such a claim or has reason to fear that the employee has the ability, intent, and justification to take legal action, the employer may want to insulate the organization from such risk in a severance agreement.
So I would say it depends on the nature of the lay off. One question that I have been pondering is the average age of the remote worker. It would not surprise me if most of the remaining remote workforce is 40+ and/or working remotely with a medical accommodation. I'm not sure how likely it would be for people to file a lawsuit against Wells alleging discrimination, and actually win it, but it's something to think about.
I also wonder how many EEOC complaints have been filed, and found to be justified. They engage in practices that violate Title VII. Just my own two cents.