Exit interviews?

[Yarnstormer]

I have given notice at my job to work part time at home (cad drafting and estimating). This decision is based on the need to homeschool my child who suffers from anxiety. I have been taking Intermittent FMLA to deal with appointments, bad days, etc but I need to be there full time.

My current work (GIS) is on a live sde so it is not something that I can do remotely and remain here - not that they would allow it anyway.

My supervisor mentioned scheduling an exit interview. Is there anything I should be cautious about? Anything I should not sign?
I may wish to reenter the workforce in a few years - depending on how my work at home pans out, the stock market. Etc...so I want to be cooperative and not burn any bridges.

I do have one steady client lined up that is already using a cad service so he will just switch to me. We worked together for 10 years - great guy and I think that part will work out well.

Still struggling with the cobra vs exchange - leaning toward cobra because of course none of our doctors take the aca plan. It will be more than 10% of my income so there will be a deduction at least. Next year if my income is low enough I may be able to get the kid on peachcare (georgia low cost childrens insurance)

 

[MBAustin]

Wonderful that you are able to make this move to support your child through this difficult period. For an exit interview under these circumstances, I don't think you have much to worry about. They'll most likely ask you for more details about why you are leaving, what you liked about the job, and what you didn't like. You can honestly say that what you didn't like was not being able to be there for your child and leave it at that, which is both truthful and safe. Find a few good things to say and you should be out of there in 15 minutes. Good luck with the changes!

 

[CaliforniaMan]

I don't know anything about exit interviews, but I almost never sign anything the day it is presented to me. Always say you need to look it over and think about it. Often find something, sometimes important, that is not in my best interest, and can usually get it fixed. Had my own consulting business for over 30 years and had to sign many contracts. Glad to be retired now!

 

[bingybear]

Is this client you have lined up one that has used you previous employer? Could this be seen as taking one of their clients?

You may need to not only look at what they have you sign at the exit interview, but what have you already signed... like when you got the last job. Quite often they will have some form of non-compete document. They may forbid using their customer lists, engaging with prior clients etc. I had one that required you not compete in any business the company worked in. It was a very diverse company. They also wanted notification of what you were working for the 3 years after terminating employment so they could verify that no branch of the company was doing that. This was required even if you were not the idea person, but just a cog in the works.

So check what you have already committed to.

Since you're leaving on your own you likely won't get severance. These agreements usually have agreements... especially giving up rights to sue the company.

Don't bet that just you well get a deduction just because you're health expenses will exceed 10% of income. Before you can deduct anything, you need to exceed the standard deduction.

 

[Midpack]

Wonderful that you are able to make this move to support your child through this difficult period. For an exit interview under these circumstances, I don't think you have much to worry about. They'll most likely ask you for more details about why you are leaving, what you liked about the job, and what you didn't like. You can honestly say that what you didn't like was not being able to be there for your child and leave it at that, which is both truthful and safe. Find a few good things to say and you should be out of there in 15 minutes. Good luck with the changes!

+1. Should be easy. Just be positive and answer their questions, no need to volunteer much else IMO. However, as you might want to re-enter the workforce one day, I'd volunteer that, though I suspect it will come up.

More often when someone posts about an exit interview, they hate something about their job and want to unload on their boss/company. Nice to see one with someone who wants to leave for good reason, with no hard feelings (much like me).

 

[COcheesehead]

Not sure this applies, but don't forget to ask for prorated bonuses. If you are leaving mid pay period, ask for any bonus earned up to that point.

 

[MRG]

Should be an absolute cake walk. I was sent a questionnaire ahead of time. I could have blasted some people and policies but there was no sense given the current state of change. Have a nice day!

If I understood the client issue correctly, I wouldn't bring it up. If you are pushed I'd say nothing, walk out to see an attorney.

 

[brett]

Keep your thoughts about your employer to yourself. Chances are they do not care, won't listen. So it can only serve to your disadvantage to speak you mind.

I worked for one of the largest IT companies in the world. For the last 15 years employee surveys were a meaningless joke, a poor attempt to persuade employees that senior management cared about them. And when the results become absymal presentation was delayed and the subsequent questions changed so that results could be 'managed'. Sad really, it was an opportunity missed. It mirrored the ongoing demise of the company.

Exit interviews were the same. To the point where they stopped the pretense of conducting them. It is what happens when a HR group becomes a Personnel group.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I've changed jobs 9 times, and I've learned to pretty much blow off the exit interview. I've successfully politely declined with no issue at all, but if they insist I just tell them how wonderful the job was and how great the boss is, ad naseum, saying I'm leaving to "pursue another opportunity" or something just as noncommittal. They might want you to sign a non-compete, but if you refuse about all they could do is withhold severance pay or not pay for unused PTO/Vacation. Threatening to fire you wouldn't make much sense.

 

[Yarnstormer]

Employer I am leaving is a local govt. There will be no severence and I'm a tiny minion so there has never been a need to sign any sort of non compete document not that my work would be a conflict.
My IRAs can be rolled over or I think they may remain with the same company. I will explore a roth conversion later in the year.

I'm surprised there is an exit interview honestly. It's probably a paper signing thing and a quick "were you harassed" check.

My client has been using a drafting service but they were not always readily available so much so that he is working weekends so he is happy to have someone that will be more available. I am happy to have someone that will pay and is not crazy

Client no 2 is a little iffy and infrequent but they will not be my bread and butter account.

Very true about the deductibility of health care expenses. In fact this year even with me working and having a mortgage I only itemized to lower my georgia taxes, not federal. I suspect the standard deduction will prevail for 2017 or it will be close. At least it will give me a shot at peachcare as I will be able to show that current insurance is unaffordable which can be a qualifying event.

My ex passed away two years ago (thus the anxiety) so there is a social security benefit for a few more years as well. I think we will be fine.
I wish I could have done it when he passed then we might not be in this situation.

 

[big-papa]

I've worked for and left a number of companies. When you leave voluntarily, an exit interview is often requested. Quite often, it's somebody from HR who is trying to dig for any info within the organization that might be the cause of your leaving. Even if there is something internally causing you to leave, I have yet to see any benefit to me (and a large possibility of downside) for giving out that kind of information. So we leave it on good terms: "it's me, not you", "looking for a change", "the other company came to me", etc. If it is some individual that's the problem, then hopefully you can at least have some sway in your next company to prevent the same individual from being hired there.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Maybe they just want you to turn in your keys and ID and credit card if you have them.

 

[MRG]

Maybe they just want you to turn in your keys and ID and credit card if you have them.

+1

That was part of mine. They also went over COBRA, 401k withdrawals. Who to contact if you needed further assistance once you were out the door.

 

[Just_Steve]

Employer I am leaving is a local govt.

My exit interview from state govt consisted of turning in all company issued items. Cell phone, keys, P-card and fuel card then they went over what benefits I was and was not entitled to. They treated retirements and voluntary separations the same.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Not sure this applies, but don't forget to ask for prorated bonuses. If you are leaving mid pay period, ask for any bonus earned up to that point.

ummm yeah, good luck with that

that's for the next employer to pay as a signing bonus

 

[Big_Hitter]

I've worked for and left a number of companies. When you leave voluntarily, an exit interview is often requested. Quite often, it's somebody from HR who is trying to dig for any info within the organization that might be the cause of your leaving. Even if there is something internally causing you to leave, I have yet to see any benefit to me (and a large possibility of downside) for giving out that kind of information. So we leave it on good terms: "it's me, not you", "looking for a change", "the other company came to me", etc. If it is some individual that's the problem, then hopefully you can at least have some sway in your next company to prevent the same individual from being hired there.

+1

 

[Dash man]

I wouldn't sign anything like a noncompete agreement unless you've negotiated severance.

 

[Yarnstormer]

My exit interview from state govt consisted of turning in all company issued items. Cell phone, keys, P-card and fuel card then they went over what benefits I was and was not entitled to. They treated retirements and voluntary separations the same.

Good point. Forgot about the fuel card. I also need to turn in some clothing and educational materials.

 

[Yarnstormer]

I wouldn't sign anything like a noncompete agreement unless you've negotiated severance.

Severence lol. This was a job people...not a career.

 

[Marketwatcher]

I was emailed a questionnaire to fill out before the exit interview. I didn't bother and no one ever asked me for it. If they weren't interested in my feedback while I was working there, why would I bother giving it to them when I left? They know all the issues and refuse to resolve them, so why bother?

 

[GalaxyBoy]

More than once I told them, "I'm going to work for a competitor. Why the heck should I tell you what's causing people here to leave? I might want to hire one or two of them!"

Well, maybe not quite that bluntly. Doesn't apply here in any case.

 

[Starsky]

I worked for UPS for many years and it was standard practice to do an exit interview. It's not the same as the turning in your keys meeting, although they could occur close together. As a manager, I learned [and validated] a lot from those interviews and thought it was a very positive experience, especially when it was time for me to go...it's nothing to be afraid of.

If you are leaving on good terms, they will want to know how you enjoyed your job and why you left and you should tell them for the benefit of those left behind. If you answer honestly and tactfully, it won't hurt you if you decide to return. Employee retention is important and it costs companies a lot of money to turnover good people.

If it helps, where I worked I never heard of an exit interview affecting anyone's chances to be re-hired. Those perceptions were typically established long before leaving.

 

[scrabbler1]

When I left my old company, I had to request an exit interview. The HR flunkie set aside 30 minutes but I asked him to set aside an hour. He became concerned at that but I told him not to worry.


We used the full hour but I wasn't there to trash the company or my coworkers or superiors. I did tell the HR flunkie how I objected to the company's criteria for remaining in the group health program and how they ended all open-ended telecommuting, an arrangement I had worked out with my bosses a few years earlier and was making it work very well.


On my final day, nobody walked me out of the building. I turned in my ID card to the building's security station and began the long, sad commute home for the very last time!

 

[OverThinkMuch]

They might want you to sign a non-compete, but if you refuse about all they could do is withhold severance pay or not pay for unused PTO/Vacation.

Just so you know, that would violate labor law. If they don't provide your final paycheck, I think the penalty is that you keep earning salary as a penalty for their delay.

At an exit interview, they often want to 'refresh' the documents you signed when you joined. Maybe an agreement to keep confidential stuff to yourself. But they have no leverage - there's nothing they can withhold from you (legally) for not signing.

I recall an exit interview where I wouldn't sign anything, and the guy had to contact someone to figure out what to do. It wasn't his fault - he's just following company policies. But it was a little amusing. If they refuse to give you the final paycheck, after enough delay you can actually be owed penalty money for doing that. So don't worry about the final paycheck - it's yours even when you sign nothing.

 

[Totoro]

My supervisor mentioned scheduling an exit interview. Is there anything I should be cautious about? Anything I should not sign?

My view: don't sign anything in the meeting.

They may want you to sign a form stating you returned or destroyed all confidential information and company owned equipment. That's in my view a fair request and would warrant a signature.

No non-compete or anything related to trade secrets, client poaching etc ..

If they want to understand and learn from your departure: anything you choose to share is a gift. So only give it to them if they deserve it. I've been pretty liberal and constructive in the past.

So as with anything in worklife: approach constructively, make sure your own interests are preserved.