Severance Pay

[avsgal19]

What is the name of your state? Colorado

I have been employed for 9 years for a large company that has 75 offices in the US and Canada. My boss is based out of a different office than I am. About 6 weeks ago I learned that I was slated for lay-off, along with a few others in the same position that I am in. The reason for lay-off was that they decided my position needed to be in my boss' home base (Seattle). They decided to keep me on in the "interim" to fill in while others were laid off and to train the new person in Seattle. In speaking with one of the others that were laid off, I learned that she received severance pay (2 weeks plus 1 week for every year employed) so I have been expecting the same. They have not yet given me a date of separation - only a date that the transition to the new employee will be complete, as my boss was assured that they would find a new position for me in the office that I work.

They have posted a position that I could apply for, but it would be a 25% cut in pay at the high end of the range. I do not want to apply for it. My question is, if I do apply for it, and they offer me this position at $6/hr less than I'm making now and I turn it down, will that then affect the severance pay that I am supposed to get? My other question is, if I don't apply for it all, will that affect me in any way?

 

[cbg]

To begin with, severance pay is not required by law. So the employer can pretty much decide for himself when to offer severance and when not to. That being the case, I can't offer you any kind of guarantee, only give you the most likely scenarios.

The very large majority of employers will not offer severance to any employee who has turned down work. So the strong likelihood is that if they offer the position to you off their own bat OR if you apply for the position and are offered it, and you turn it down in either scenario,you will lose any severance they might have been going to grant you. The point of severance is to help out employees who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, not employees who have turned down work.

It is PROBABLE that if you do not apply for it at all, you will not lose the severance UNLESS they ask you to apply for it and you refuse.