Reorganization Severance Package HELP!!

[tdwiek]

What is the name of your state? Illinois

I am working for a Fortune 500 company. District Managers and Account Managers are just now gpoing through a reorganization. They told us that as District Managers we were "impacted" and we would find out how many positions will remain open at a later date after they determined how many Account Managers they would need.
There were many meetings were it was informed to us that "impacted" personnel would have a severance package. I was offered a position and was given 48 hrs to decide if I wanted to take it or leave the company.
I spoke with the HR manager and the HR Director and explained I was offered a position but I wanted to take the severance package and they both told me that I could find out my severance package if I called a "fullfillment number"
The fullfillment team called me and gave the the total amount of my severance package.
I called my boss and told him I was leaving the company but I would stay until the transition goes through.
The very next day, The HR Director called me and explained that he made a mistake and since I was offered a position, that I was not eligible for my severance package since I was not "impacted".
All the communication with this proesse s been iahave anything in writing but my boss and colleagues would confirm that all of us were in the same understanding that all "impacted" personnel had a choice between the severance package or taking the position.
HELP!!!! Can I fight this? VP of HR has already said no to me.

 

[frani810]

If it's anything like my place, decisions are made and changed every 10 minutes, then they are called business decisions, and they are non-negotiable.

 

[eerelations]

As I began reading through your post I thought "Huh? The OP was offered the choice of a job OR a severance package? Wow, that's real generous!" Then I discovered that your HR department made the same mistake I did, and realized that in fact, you were offered a severance package IF you weren't offered another job...which is 'way more reasonable and normal.

Your company is not legally obliged to offer you another job, nor is it legally obliged to offer you a severance package. The fact that it's offering you a job (or a severance package if it wasn't able to find a job to offer to you) means that it's going above and beyond what the law expects it to do.

And just because your company made a mistake in originally telling you that you'd get a severance package even if you were offered a new job doesn't mean that it has to stand by this mistake - especially since this mistake isn't in writing.

 

[frani810]

e -

for some reason your reply got sent to me. i think it's for td.

 

[eerelations]

Fran, I wasn't replying to your post, I was replying to the OP's post - and that should be fairly obvious to anyone who reads my reply. I don't understand how my reply could've "got sent" to you.

 

[Beth3]

What is the name of your state? Illinois

I am working for a Fortune 500 company. District Managers and Account Managers are just now gpoing through a reorganization. They told us that as District Managers we were "impacted" and we would find out how many positions will remain open at a later date after they determined how many Account Managers they would need.
There were many meetings were it was informed to us that "impacted" personnel would have a severance package. I was offered a position and was given 48 hrs to decide if I wanted to take it or leave the company.
I spoke with the HR manager and the HR Director and explained I was offered a position but I wanted to take the severance package and they both told me that I could find out my severance package if I called a "fullfillment number"
The fullfillment team called me and gave the the total amount of my severance package.
I called my boss and told him I was leaving the company but I would stay until the transition goes through.
The very next day, The HR Director called me and explained that he made a mistake and since I was offered a position, that I was not eligible for my severance package since I was not "impacted".
All the communication with this proesse s been iahave anything in writing but my boss and colleagues would confirm that all of us were in the same understanding that all "impacted" personnel had a choice between the severance package or taking the position.
HELP!!!! Can I fight this? VP of HR has already said no to me.

It's pretty uncommon to offer an employee the choice of another job or severance. Typically, severance is only provided to those who aren't offered a job. Your employer is guilty of poor communications and lousy employee relations but that's all they're guilty of.

Unless the new job would require you to relocate and you don't want to/can't do that, then my advice would be to take the job offered. Then you can take your time about looking for a new position with another company that's more to your liking.

 

[frani810]

I don't know what's going on, but Beth's reply came to me to!

 

[Beth3]

frani, check your profile. You may have selected an option where the site automatically emails you posts for any thread you've posted on.

 

[tdwiek]

Thank you all very much for your responses. I have finally understood my legal choices and although I was hoping I could actually get the money, I understand there is no reason to continue to be upset about this. You all have really helped me in a stressful situation.
Thanks!