retirement packages

zoosermom
Tue, 29 Oct 2013 15:03:02 +0000

I would love to hear thoughts/opinions on this topic. When a firm offers buyout packages to older employees, what does that really mean in the big picture of the company?

This isn’t about me – I’m only in my 40s, but it happened at my former firm and I had lunch with a group of friends from there today. They seem to have lined up on two schools of thought, one that the firm wants to ultimately have no permanent staff and is starting the process of shedding permanent employees in favor of all temps, the other is that the firm has a bottom line it wants to get to and will then be happy with the staffing it has at that level. Some of the friends are digging in to fight, but others are of the view that the first offer is the best offer and if you don’t take it, it’s inevitable that you will be let go. I’ve never worked at a company that did this and since it is becoming very common in my field, I thought I would see if anyone has any insight or personal experience so I can be prepared if it does come my way.