Being honest to my boss as I walk out the door. Financial ramifications?

[RioIndy]

TL-DR below

My department that used to be great has gone down the drain in dramatic fashion since Megacorp swooped in.

The company culture, and this boss, is now focused on creating this elaborate veil they are trying to pull over everyone's eyes where they want to brainwash all the front line employees into doing more work for less money and being happy about it so management can get bigger bonuses. Modern corporate slavery.

My boss has since been readily stepping on everyone else and bullying and abusing the rest of the team, cutting our bonuses and threatening to fire anyone who doesn't smile and nod at every nonsense demand she has. She is clearly only concerned about securing her own position and bonus any way she can and she knows that most of her team is more talented and skilled than she is.

Naturally the team is disintegrating rapidly as the most talented employees are leaving to somewhere that deserves their services. This is going to include me as well very soon.

I have a substantial "F*** Y** fund" stashed away. This was supposed to be my One More Year gig. The financial numbers are always going to be better if I let her walk all over me and stick it out, but every day I hate going in more and more and at some point my day-to-day happiness and self respect are worth more than OMY.

I can sense that I'm getting quite close to having had enough and pulling the plug. And like many people I have a burning desire to be brutally honest with her and I want to rip this ridiculous corporate veil down. Though I would do it without yelling or swearing.

Will this burn bridges? Absolutely, and in my position I am totally ok with that.

Will it make a difference to the company? Probably not much as the problems are systemic now and those seats will eventually be filled by desperate but low performing new employees.

I am fully prepared to end this career entirely and never come back. If I need to work in something else I have references. No matter how I slice it as pragmatic or useful or not, I will regret for a long time not being honest for my own self respect, and that does have a usefulness to my happiness.

So the question is: Other than burning bridges, are there any other ramifications I should be concerned about? Can her or the company somehow charge me or sue me for being honest? (because I am getting the way of their bonuses). I have about 10K in a company matched retirement fund, which is a drop in the bucket, but not nothing, can they somehow take that away?

TL-DR:
-I want to be brutally honest with my terrible, shameless boss as I walk out the door, for my own self respect.
-I have the funds and I am fully prepared to leave this entire industry.
-What could be the consequences other than burning bridges?

 

[jebmke]

What could be the consequences other than burning bridges?

some day you could be lying in a hospital bed with an IV in your arm and she (as a volunteer) will appear at your bedside .....

 

[Danmar]

Why bother helping them with honest feedback? If it us just a chance for you to feel better, don't bother.

 

[samclem]

You didn't ask, but: I wouldn't do it. Do you think your boss is interested in your opinion? Get over yourself--you'll have zero impact on the situation, being seen as a disgruntled employee. If she and the new owners are that bad, then they deserve what is coming next (more losses of good employees).

Do you intend to give a couple of weeks notice, or just "up and quit?"

But what you did ask: You never know what the future might bring. Could there be any instance when someone might need to verify your employment or learn more about your performance at work? If so, then your "venting" could have repercussions. Is your boss a stable person, or likely to seek out a means to "get you?" If you need any admin help getting a 401K transferred, etc, just might be mysteriously harder than it should be. You truly never know.

 

[REWahoo]

I had a similar situation when I retired and choose to say nothing. While it might have made me feel great at the time, I don't think it would have made one bit of difference in the management philosophy of the company or the well-being of my co-workers.

Instead, I chose not to waste one more iota of my energy towards the past and focus only on the future. No regrets whatsoever.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Your words will most likely be forgotten before you get out of the parking lot. As soon as the critique starts, she will start ignoring you.

 

[socca]

A classy exit would be to provide a few constructive criticisms on your way out the door only if asked. If no one bothers to ask - their loss.

 

[Midpack]

I wouldn't (and didn't) voice my concerns when I left. I wasn't leaving to spite Megacorp, I left for my own reasons. It's highly unlikely what you say will change anything, and they'll all still be there to spin your leaving any way they like - sounds likely from what you describe. So unless you want to sink to their level, I'd stay on the high road, and just look forward to a brighter future. You will forget the frustrations of the work world soon enough, even sooner if you don't make a scene on the way out...best of luck.

 

[pb4uski]

I can't think of any implications other than perhaps stall, hinder and delay in any further dealings that you have with your former employer (like rolling over your 401k)... but as others have indicated, other than making you feel good it will make little difference in your boss' behavior or the corporate culture. I wouldn't bother.

 

[golfnut]

Send a letter to her boss outlining the facts. Might (probably) make no difference but you never know. At least you can say you tried to make the work environment better for the poor souls stuck there.

 

[EastWest Gal]

If it makes you feel better, write a letter. Then shred it. Do not send it. We all want to make a difference, but most of us rarely do. You're leaving. No one will listen to you anyway. Move on and enjoy your life. Break the emotional attachment to the workplace.




Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Sojourner]

Your words will most likely be forgotten before you get out of the parking lot. As soon as the critique starts, she will start ignoring you.

+1

 

[Choices]

In my resignation letter I just wrote that it wasn't fun anymore. Rumor had it I was just planning to be a stay-at-home mom to my elderly cats.�� I ended up happily volunteering at a soup kitchen/food pantry for a few months before hitching up my big girl panties and getting another job.
It is called FU money for a reason��

 

[FANOFJESUS]

In my company I knew a bunch of people that spoke their mind when leaving. Biggest waste of time ever nothing ever changed back at the company.

 

[braumeister]

Aside from the five minutes of satisfaction from speaking your mind, what would be the benefit?
Nothing will change with either the organization or the boss, and you could potentially be seen as petty by your cow-orkers.

Just walk away with an enigmatic smile on your face. That would be a moment you can remember with pleasure for years.

 

[alaska55]

I can't believe the lack backbones in the responses here. I worked for a megacorp in a small service center(yes blue collar) but highly skill on new digital control systems. When i walked out due to the same kind of treatment I let the new manager know how I felt and sent a email to upper management. The other 2 senior tech left within 60 days. The shop ended falling on its face the next outage season. Lucky for the 3 of us there is a strong contracting job market for the job we perform. In the slack time between Thanksgiving and Christmas the regional manager(also new) had a meeting with us. To make this short, They transfer the new manager to a much larger shop where they keep a eye on him and give him some oversight. They offer one of senior tech the shop manager job and hired the other 2 back. The shop had never had a non tech as a manger. There really wasn't enough work for stand alone manager. Someone listened to us, of course it help prior to the new manager our shop had always been in the top 2% in revenue per employee and OP.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I can't believe the lack backbones in the responses here. I worked for a megacorp in a small service center(yes blue collar) but highly skill on new digital control systems. When i walked out due to the same kind of treatment I let the new manager know how I felt and sent a email to upper management. The other 2 senior tech left within 60 days. The shop ended falling on its face the next outage season. Lucky for the 3 of us there is a strong contracting job market for the job we perform. In the slack time between Thanksgiving and Christmas the regional manager(also new) had a meeting with us. To make this short, They transfer the new manager to a much larger shop where they keep a eye on him and give him some oversight. They offer one of senior tech the shop manager job and hired the other 2 back. The shop had never had a non tech as a manger. There really wasn't enough work for stand alone manager. Someone listened to us, of course it help prior to the new manager our shop had always been in the top 2% in revenue per employee and OP.

Way to generalize...good job.

Perhaps you did indeed 'change things' but the reality is that's not the norm. I could have bitched and complained and written letters...you name it...but nothing would change, nothing. And in the world of mega corporations, one person is rarely going to say something (especially walking out the door) to bring about change.

 

[HadEnuff]

ask yourself one more question:

What is the upside, to you, of being brutally honest?

I don't see one.

 

[harley]

I can't believe the lack backbones in the responses here. I worked for a megacorp in a small service center(yes blue collar) but highly skill on new digital control systems. When i walked out due to the same kind of treatment I let the new manager know how I felt and sent a email to upper management. The other 2 senior tech left within 60 days. The shop ended falling on its face the next outage season. Lucky for the 3 of us there is a strong contracting job market for the job we perform. In the slack time between Thanksgiving and Christmas the regional manager(also new) had a meeting with us. To make this short, They transfer the new manager to a much larger shop where they keep a eye on him and give him some oversight. They offer one of senior tech the shop manager job and hired the other 2 back. The shop had never had a non tech as a manger. There really wasn't enough work for stand alone manager. Someone listened to us, of course it help prior to the new manager our shop had always been in the top 2% in revenue per employee and OP.

The advice here isn't a lack of backbone, it's both common sense and experience. You're talking about venting to the bad manager, not reporting them to a superior. That MIGHT get a response, but unlikely. All you are talking about is being an asshat on your way out the door. Backbone would have been standing up to the manager on an ongoing basis. Whining and then taking your ball and going home is not a classy way to do anything.

 

[samclem]

I can't believe the lack backbones in the responses here.

It takes no "backbone" on the part of the folks here to tell the OP to "let the boss have it." The OP is just getting some feedback from folks who have seen and lived a lot of things, based on what he/she has told us.

 

[MBAustin]

I was not totally honest but I did express some concerns in my exit interview with HR (mostly about how my staff were being treated by bullies in senior management with big egos and bigger expectations, and somewhat about how it was just not a fun place to work any more). My reason for retiring was officially that I wanted to spend more time with my husband who had retired on disability 4 years earlier and travel while he was still able.

 

[FIREmenow]

Lucky for the 3 of us there is a strong contracting job market for the job we perform.

[snip]

.......of course it help prior to the new manager our shop had always been in the top 2% in revenue per employee and OP.

Quite a bit of "lucky" and "it helped that" that may not be the case for the OP when challenging backbone.

 

[Bamaman]

And as Johnny Paycheck said:

Take this job and shove it
I ain't working here no more
My woman done left and took all the reasons
I was working for
You better not try to stand in my way
'Cause I'm walkin' out the door
Take this job and shove it

I ain't working here no more
I been workin' in this factory
For nigh on fifteen years
All this time I watched my woman
Drownin' in a pool of tears
And I've seen a lot of good folks die
That had a lot of bills to pay
I'd give the shirt right offa' my back
If I had the guts to say
Take this job and shove it
I ain't working here no more

My woman done left and took all the reasons
I was workin' for
You better not try to stand in my way
'Cause I'm walkin' out the door
Take this job and shove it
I ain't workin' here no more

Read more: Johnny Paycheck - Take This Job And Shove It Lyrics | MetroLyrics
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[MichaelB]

I've been on both sides of this type of situation - the employee leaving, but also the executive receiving "brutally honest feedback" from departing employees. Nothing good comes from this.

Management typically writes off this feedback as "just another one who couldn't make the transition into the new way of doing things". In a perverse sort of way, it may even reassure them into thinking they are accomplishing something positive.

There is one possible downside not to be ignored. If some on the executive team are punitive, or on the prowl for people to push out, they might look toward co-workers, work friends or team members and ask "who else shares these views".

 

[Car-Guy]

Do you work for Wells Fargo?

Seriously, I'm not sure I'd drag myself down to her level (but I might) however I'd probably make sure her "superiors" know why I'm leaving. I think that's appropriate in an exit interview. Telling her might make you feel better but that's not likely to do anything to change her or help others.