Rolling the dice on career with re-org layoffs

[SecretlyFI]

So here’s my latest update on this whole thing, thanks everyone for humoring me by reading my posts.

I decided to interview for that other role. I’m glad I did because some things came up during the panel interview that are non starters for me. Not just travel but some of the work itself, it would be a massive step backwards to what I’ve been doing. I don’t know if it will be offered or not but I decided during the interview I’d decline if it were.

Besides not being a good fit, I’d never get away with my lax attitude and easy approach to stuff that I currently enjoy.

The re-org itself is mostly done and I will be sitting exactly where I have been. That said, if workload dries up I think I’ll be the first one tapped given the prior conversation I had with a very senior colleague.

Yeah, I could have taken the package but that could still be a reality in 2026. If nothing else, it won’t happen before end of this year and I won’t get hammered on taxes this year with a near double salary in 2025.

All things considered I think this plays out well. I should be ok in my cushy job for at least some of 2026, but if things dry up I’m still eligible for 10 months of severance. Or, they let me stick on until end of 2027 as originally planned.

I’m feeling pretty stress free right now, all good.

This all sounds quite good. It’s really good that you interviewed for the other role. First, it’s better to gather as many facts as possible to make the right decision. I often say that “a decision will become clear” if you pursue it in the right way. This way, you’ve left no stone unturned.

Second, I recall your work situation involved reporting to a less experienced person, who I think you had hired, and the circumstances & interactions in the environment were very frustrating day to day. I would imagine now, having survived a layoff so far and steering clear of the other less desirable role, makes the current one more manageable for now. It’s good to hear your situation described as cushy and stress free. Win-win. Sounds like your perspective has shifted and you can end up saying “it could be so much worse”. Well done.

 

[FlyingCircus]

Having just gone through a surprise personal position-elimination, and now having to deal with our outrageously expensive health insurance - if your joint goal is to retire at 54, start saving/budgeting now for at least $2000/month+ "bronze" insurance between then and Medicare. Unless you or your wife is eligible for "retiree medical insurance" at some partial percentage increase over your corporate plans. My insurance cost alone has just added 75% of my mortgage payment.

 

[chemEguy]

This all sounds quite good. It’s really good that you interviewed for the other role. First, it’s better to gather as many facts as possible to make the right decision. I often say that “a decision will become clear” if you pursue it in the right way. This way, you’ve left no stone unturned.

Second, I recall your work situation involved reporting to a less experienced person, who I think you had hired, and the circumstances & interactions in the environment were very frustrating day to day. I would imagine now, having survived a layoff so far and steering clear of the other less desirable role, makes the current one more manageable for now. It’s good to hear your situation described as cushy and stress free. Win-win. Sounds like your perspective has shifted and you can end up saying “it could be so much worse”. Well done.

Yep, you recollect correctly.

While I do not love the management situation I’ve made my peace with it. With that bit of acceptance the role once again becomes a mostly stress free one where I get paid well to rely on my experience. It’s a bit boring during low workload periods but that’s fine, too.

I was riding the elevator down to the coffee bar this past week when it dawned on me that there’s no longer a downside in any of this. I’ve actually been smiling at work as I walk around.

I’ll politely decline the new role if offered on the basis that, after much thought, I don’t think it’s the right fit.

Maybe I’ll be let go in 2026, but every week I’m there is a win because it just pushes the 40 week severance that much closer to EOY 2027. Or maybe I’ll putter around for the next 24 months and coast to the finish.

 

[chemEguy]

Well, here I am in the office to finally start 2026! I have very little work to do right now though I did sit in on a meeting from home last Friday. From that I need to update a few slides and numbers to mgmt based on new info…should easily take 10 minutes.

Still don’t know status of the role I interviewed for but I can’t imagine it will be offered. I hope not as it will save me the hassle of turning it down. Glad I interviewed because I now know I don’t want it and don’t have to wonder if not interviewing was a mistake. I’m not sure if interviewing actually gave me a temporary stay in my current role or not.

I ran more FIREcalc sims this morning now that we paid spring semester bills for both kids…halfway through it at this point. Things look solid with a 2026 end date.

My goal for the day is to get a coffee and chat with the very pleasant older lady slinging espresso, print out a few personal docs, rerun FIREcalc a few more times….and do that 10 minute update I mentioned.

Best wishes for 2026!

 

[COcheesehead]

You sound like me my last few months before being done with my buyout. I sold my company and committed to the new owner too much time, now looking back. In retrospect I wish I could have used that time better.

 

[chemEguy]

Another quick update for those that have been following along.

Up to this point, I had not formally withdrawn from the interview process. I had been hoping I would not be asked to do a second interview saving me from having to do so. Well, that didn’t happen.

I was notified by HR that a second and final interview was being scheduled. Honestly, I was caught off guard. I went into the interview already very much on the fence. As such, I didn’t ask questions, I was pretty nonchalant, and I highlighted some things that I did not find appealing based on past work experience here. And on that last point? Not an exaggeration. During the panel interview some of the day to day stuff was discussed that I didn’t know about. It was exactly the type of small beans work that had pushed me to change roles over a decade ago. Not a chance in hell I’d go back to that.

I was professional during the discussion but about halfway through I knew this wasn’t what I wanted to do. And I cannot believe that attitude didn’t seep into my answers or posture.

Why on earth they’d want me to do the final round with the director is beyond me. Is semi disinterested and aloof how people advance themselves during interviews?

In any case, I sent a short and polite email to the hiring manager that I was withdrawing from consideration as I did not think the role would be a good fit for me and I thanked him for his consideration. I still have to work with them sometimes so hopefully it’s not awkward.

 

[Koolau]

Another quick update for those that have been following along.

Up to this point, I had not formally withdrawn from the interview process. I had been hoping I would not be asked to do a second interview saving me from having to do so. Well, that didn’t happen.

I was notified by HR that a second and final interview was being scheduled. Honestly, I was caught off guard. I went into the interview already very much on the fence. As such, I didn’t ask questions, I was pretty nonchalant, and I highlighted some things that I did not find appealing based on past work experience here. And on that last point? Not an exaggeration. During the panel interview some of the day to day stuff was discussed that I didn’t know about. It was exactly the type of small beans work that had pushed me to change roles over a decade ago. Not a chance in hell I’d go back to that.

I was professional during the discussion but about halfway through I knew this wasn’t what I wanted to do. And I cannot believe that attitude didn’t seep into my answers or posture.

Why on earth they’d want me to do the final round with the director is beyond me. Is semi disinterested and aloof how people advance themselves during interviews?

In any case, I sent a short and polite email to the hiring manager that I was withdrawing from consideration as I did not think the role would be a good fit for me and I thanked him for his consideration. I still have to work with them sometimes so hopefully it’s not awkward.

Good for you!

Here's hoping for a good 2026 and a happy Early Retirement whenever you decide to pull the plug. Please keep us posted.

 

[latexman]

@chemEguy Ride that wild, broncing buck to the ground, and, then, walk away, into the sunset! Yee-haa!

 

[chemEguy]

@chemEguy Ride that wild, broncing buck to the ground, and, then, walk away! Yee-haa!

Thanks for the chuckle, great analogy.

I’m taking an extended break today over lunch for a long workout here at home, think pickleball. But, amazingly, I have some work this morning and late this afternoon that is actually interesting along with some teleconferences. Both have me thinking strategically about some stuff and it’s refreshing.

Doesn’t change anything, but it’s a nice change of pace.

 

[Ivo Archer]

To work or not to work is a personal choice. That said, I left my MegaCorp job at 40 ran a small business until 50 and then retired. Many 50 year olds i know, who have 'left there job' willingly or not, and then decide they want to work a few more years soon realize they would rather have their freedom and time than some extra money that's not necessary.
In my case, I use the time to take care of family, optimize my family financial plans, cook better food, improve my health, read, get involved in the community. There is so much more to life than getting paid to make money for other people, (though one of those other people is me...).

However, another suggestion might be to optimize your exit. My last year at Megacorp, I negotiated a year ahead for a generous exit package by taking on an international, travel heavy role , that had a high chance of leaving me no seat during the next round of tightening. Also the high travel during my last two years built up a ton of travel points I used during the next two years of lower income. You might also use the last year or two to build some relationships outside of work to smooth out the social/mental transition to retired life.

 

[chemEguy]

Final update on this story…

I ran into the Exec with whom I was to have my second interview before I withdrew. He mentioned that they really wanted to bring me into the group but understood if I didn’t think it was a good fit and that no further explanation was needed.

I inquired if they had a hire and was told they did. Reading his body language and response suggested it was a good fit but he’d have to work to prove himself.

Soooo….was on a call today and sure enough, it included the guy that took the role. Naturally he doesn’t know me or that I interviewed and withdrew.

Glad I bowed out. It did not take long to figure out what he’s got on his plate and that I’d want no part of it. It appears the dice have landed and have come up a winner. Getting laid off now gives me severance through all of 2026 and the latest I plan to work is end of 2027.

With the finish line set I’m feeling good about all this. Even the manager situation is no longer a problem…I’m mostly left alone these days.

 

[Lewis Clark]

Final update on this story …...
With the finish line set I’m feeling good about all this. Even the manager situation is no longer a problem…I’m mostly left alone these days.

Well played, Sir!

 

[Koolau]

What a great end to the story. Thanks for keeping us posted.

Just let us know when you pull the plug (or the plug gets pulled) so we can celebrate your ER. All the best.

 

[chemEguy]

Haha. Joke was on me because as it turned out, the final chapter has NOT been written on this saga.

My manager decided that I’m really bad at my job and put me on an improvement plan. I got to listen to him tick off the reasons why I suck with an HR dude sitting there taking notes. Talk about insulting.

After the initial shock wore off I got some professional guidance on how to handle my 4 week evaluation period. I spent a few days writing a direct response to the plan’s listing of my shortcomings. I won’t go into detail but it was pretty brilliant. I figured I was hosed anyway so no reason not to go scorched earth. That’s what I did and copied my response to the HR guy as well.

And then? I reviewed the objectives he gave me as the evaluation criteria. The thing is, they were all measurable. So I just did the same job I’ve been doing and what happened? The group I was supporting during my 4 week evaluation was pleased with how it all went, naturally they have no idea that I’m on a plan.

I had a follow up meeting on Friday now that the four weeks are up and he told me all objectives were met and the plan is complete and closed out but that I was expected to maintain the level of performance going forward or risk termination.

Huh? What a bizarre meeting that was.

So what’s really going on? I think it was a pretext to fire for cause the oldest and highest paid engineer in the group. That way I’d get zero severance. Based on HR policy of layoffs, I’d be due a sizable amount that they probably don’t want to pay.

Why did I fight for a job I’ve lost interest in? Because I’ve modeled things based on getting salary until end of the year. If they just offered a layoff and severance there’d be no issue. And because the reasons he cited were BS.

As one can imagine, the office working relationship is extremely uncomfortable. I don’t mind at all.

I’m sure I’m on thin ice. Meh. All the models say I’m good.

 

[RetiredHappy]

Haha. Joke was on me because as it turned out, the final chapter has NOT been written on this saga.

My manager decided that I’m really bad at my job and put me on an improvement plan. I got to listen to him tick off the reasons why I suck with an HR dude sitting there taking notes. Talk about insulting.

After the initial shock wore off I got some professional guidance on how to handle my 4 week evaluation period. I spent a few days writing a direct response to the plan’s listing of my shortcomings. I won’t go into detail but it was pretty brilliant. I figured I was hosed anyway so no reason not to go scorched earth. That’s what I did and copied my response to the HR guy as well.

And then? I reviewed the objectives he gave me as the evaluation criteria. The thing is, they were all measurable. So I just did the same job I’ve been doing and what happened? The group I was supporting during my 4 week evaluation was pleased with how it all went, naturally they have no idea that I’m on a plan.

I had a follow up meeting on Friday now that the four weeks are up and he told me all objectives were met and the plan is complete and closed out but that I was expected to maintain the level of performance going forward or risk termination.

Huh? What a bizarre meeting that was.

So what’s really going on? I think it was a pretext to fire for cause the oldest and highest paid engineer in the group. That way I’d get zero severance. Based on HR policy of layoffs, I’d be due a sizable amount that they probably don’t want to pay.

Why did I fight for a job I’ve lost interest in? Because I’ve modeled things based on getting salary until end of the year. If they just offered a layoff and severance there’d be no issue. And because the reasons he cited were BS.

As one can imagine, the office working relationship is extremely uncomfortable. I don’t mind at all.

I’m sure I’m on thin ice. Meh. All the models say I’m good.

I know how those improvement required plans work because I had to do that with several of my staff, which was part of the focal process where 15% had to be at the bottom (get no stock grants), with the goal to work that the bottom 5% out of the company. On the other hand, if it were to be done to me, I would have quit on the spot and that would have gotten the company's 5%. I have too much pride and impatience to deal with it.

You know you can afford to retire. But heck, as long as you are willing to be careful not to get into the "process" again, then you can coast and wait for your time.

 

[FlyingCircus]

Haha. Joke was on me because as it turned out, the final chapter has NOT been written on this saga.

My manager decided that I’m really bad at my job and put me on an improvement plan. I got to listen to him tick off the reasons why I suck with an HR dude sitting there taking notes. Talk about insulting......

I had a follow up meeting on Friday now that the four weeks are up and he told me all objectives were met and the plan is complete and closed out but that I was expected to maintain the level of performance going forward or risk termination.

That ^ was what my viciously transactional petulant "big boss" did to me surprisingly last year, except they pulled the trigger on the termination after 2 months anyway. I completed all the objectives she put in the Plan, documented and communicated all the results and status weekly along the way, including getting the bigger financial system project work done. I didn't copy HR or force a meeting with them; in retrospect I probably should have, although I doubt it would have made a difference. Good on you! Extract every last dime from them for as long as you want to. Good luck.

 

[marko]

Companies never want a termination to be a surprise. Sounds like a slow let-down to me.

Plus now, they can tell those remaining that "we tried to help him but...." with the added bonus of helping to mitigate an age lawsuit.

Best of luck to you!

 

[Montecfo]

Retiring on your own terms is the best reward.

 

[chemEguy]

As always, I’ll add updates to this as it goes. I thought I was done after 4 weeks so I’m kind of surprised to still be here.

Goal is to get to Dec 31st or receive severance, no longer banking on the latter. Not getting the next seven months of salary would be inconvenient.

I admit, being here after what went down via my response to my manager and HR is giving me a perverse sense of satisfaction. Could change on a dime.

Stay tuned! There is no substitute for building a strong portfolio during peak career years.

 

[Al18]

I got a bad yearly review near the end of a career, from a top level manager that I spoke with about 4 times the previous year. I improved my performance, but I think it was their way of giving me advance warning they were going to eventually let me go. From what you recently described, it sounds very similar to your situation. It's your career, but my advice is to let your manager know of your intent to retire 1-3 months before you leave. How much advance notice to give can vary, depending on your relationship with your manager. For the last 3 months, I decided to switch to 20 hours per week to ease into retirement.

 

[socca]

... Why did I fight for a job I’ve lost interest in? Because I’ve modeled things based on getting salary until end of the year. If they just offered a layoff and severance there’d be no issue. And because the reasons he cited were BS. ...

Congrats on handling this matter in a rational manner. I would have been tempted to hand this over to my emotional sub-brain resulting in a sub-optimal outcome.

P.S. Mega-corp used to complain that I didn't do anything while not giving me anything to do. The 'privilege' of being a SME.

 

[CO-guy]

As one can imagine, the office working relationship is extremely uncomfortable. I don’t mind at all.

I’m sure I’m on thin ice. Meh. All the models say I’m good.

Well played! I agree with other folks that the PIP was intended to avoid the potential for an age discrimination lawsuit and that their intention is to terminate your employment. Your manager may not even agree with the plan, but it's likely not up to them, which can make people act even more weird/mean.

If it's any consolation, I checked out of my career after I didn't receive a promised promotion. It took more than 5 years of me submitting annual performance evaluations that literally said, "I've met the minimum requirements of my position. I plan to do the same next year," before I ultimately resigned.

In my opinion, if your goal is to hang on for a few more months, and you don't care about burning bridges, then I'd look for any reason to start filing complaints against management. Doing that could delay things for a few months while they investigate. Especially if the complaint comes from a lawyer.

 

[chemEguy]

P.S. Mega-corp used to complain that I didn't do anything while not giving me anything to do. The 'privilege' of being a SME.

Yeah, that came up as well. Like, exactly that.

I’m treating every day as bonus bucks at this point, who knows when the hammer drops. It’s one of the three:

- severance (give that a 5% chance)
- I voluntary retire as planned on Dec 31 (give that a 20% chance)
- I’m ambushed a second time with HR and told, despite being warned, I’ve gone back to being a crap engineer and they escort me out (gotta go 75% on that one)

For the last scenario, I’ve already prepared. Silently removed most of my personal affects already, drafted a thoughtful goodbye email to my colleagues, sent myself email addresses of work colleagues, cleansed my laptop, and made sure my work email is no longer the default for travel websites.

No walk of shame with a box of personal stuff going down here my friends.

 

[chemEguy]

Well played! I agree with other folks that the PIP was intended to avoid the potential for an age discrimination lawsuit and that their intention is to terminate your employment. Your manager may not even agree with the plan, but it's likely not up to them, which can make people act even more weird/mean.

Believe me, I’d love to share the details of my formal response because I think it was pretty darn good. I harvested a LOT of my manager’s prior words and feedback to use against him while I built out a timeline and narrative. Can’t say more. Eventually I’ll share. As I said, I figured I was toast anyway so I played all the cards.

 

[Koolau]

Yeah, it sounds like they are "trimming" at your w*rk site. Hope you can just finish out your plan and then shake the dust off your feet as you leave. Too bad it has to end this way, but as long as you can keep it "on your terms" that's the most you can expect and hope for.

All the best and keep us posted.