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By Kevin Press
Special to the Financial Independence Hub
Since being restructured out of my 14-plus-year, rather comfortable position with a global insurance company, I’ve been asked one question more than any other.
Did you see it coming? The answer in my case is yes. I suspect that’s true for most 50- or 60-somethings who’ve found themselves accepting an invitation to “the touchpoint” from their boss, only to find that it’s been moved from their office to HR at the last moment.
Of course, if you’re anything like me (which is to say that you go to work every day like a Jimmy Stewart character in a Hitchcock movie) then nothing comes as a surprise.
I had two thoughts in quick succession when I received my summons. First, what day is it? Tuesday. Dreaded dead-man-walking Tuesday.
Second, how many documents can I email home between now and zero hour? (Nothing sensitive of course, for the record.)
It’s at this point that things began to turn a bit darkly comic. On my walk to HR, I’m stopped to commiserate with a colleague about the dumb email she just got from her boss. Smile and nod.
Young HR person hands me “The Package”
Turn the corner and my fears are realized. The boss is sitting with a too-young member of the HR team, both sporting the kind of sympathetic look that makes you wish you’d forgotten your glasses. I’m told I’ve “had a good run,” which makes me feel a good deal older than my 52 years.
In an apparent attempt to emphasize that practiced line, my boss then sprinted out of the room. And so I am left with H.R. Pufnstuf to discuss The Package. (More on that later.)
He then passes the baton to outplacement-agency-guy, who appears to be well into his second unretirement.
So began my career transition/sabbatical/more time with my family. It’s a journey I expect to learn a lot from, and so I’m going to write a couple of articles for Jon on the experience. (They will appear here on the Hub in the coming weeks and months).
Hopefully they’ll help you prepare for the dreaded touchpoint, should that invitation ever appear in your inbox. If we’re lucky, maybe they’ll give you a laugh or two along the way.
Kevin Press is an award-winning marketer and journalist. He has written extensively on economics, finance, health care, employer-sponsored benefits and retirement plans, investments and insurance. He has led a number of research studies including the Unretirement Index, Retirement Now Report and Canadian Health Index. He also specializes in plain language and brand tone of voice. He blogs at https://todayseconomy.home.
Love the humour!!!!!!
Having been on both the delivering and receiving side of that type of meeting, I can say that in many cases it ends up being the best thing that happened to the employee. The important thing for people who have been “packaged out” is to make use of all the resources you are provided for the transition and try to move on as quickly as possible from any anger about the event.
You think at this point, management would come up with a better way to send off a loyal employee. Just think about how loyal that young person in HR is going to be to the company and anywhere else they work.
I have been successfully packaged out 4 times and enjoyed each experience. The last time I immediately launched legal action in order to build out the leaving package. Even after the lawyer took his share, I was thrilled with the 25% increase in the package size.
Lastly, who says 50-something year olds can’t get work. My most rewarding positions occurred
in my 50’s.