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severance or retirement?

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orlet2

Guest
I live in Florida. I work for a company in the ailing telecom industry. I am fully eligible for retirement (to draw immediate pension), though I don't want to yet. I am currently at risk of being laid off. If they let me go: (1) Do I have the right to request retirement at that time? (2)If I instead take the severance package, can I still request retirement at any later date?
 


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buddy2bear

Guest
If I were you, I would sit down with a piece of paper with a line drawn down the middle. On one side write "severance" and on the other "retirement." What does severance offer you? What does retirement offer you? Normally, a severance, unless negotiated, will not offer the payment of health benefits, whereas a retirement might carry some health benefits forward. A retirement doesn't mean you have to stop working, just are eligible to collect your benefits.

Personally, the way things are going, I'd start collecting my retirement as soon as possible. There will always be part-time jobs available to supplement. The only real concern is health insurance.

You might, however, be able to take advantage of both the retirement and severance. This is something you will have to check into with your human resources department. On the other hand, depending on your age, you could go to social security or your State's department of aging and ask them what their opinion would be.

Check out everything and don't get too greedy because as the saying goes, "Pigs get slaughtered."
 
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orlet2

Guest
reply to buddy2bear

Thanks buddy2bear. I will ask HR if I can take both severance and retirement. In the event they say no, I would like to know what the law says - it seems to me that, as they are offering severance to everyone, I am eligible too. And, as I've now earned immediate retirement, this cannot be denied to me as well.
 
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buddy2bear

Guest
Your going on the premise that it is only "fair" to offer equal severance. Where severance is concerned, there usually is no "fair" about it, and since severance is offered "out of the goodness of the heart" of the employer, there are no laws stating that it is something that "must" be offered and "must" be equal to all. The only time "discrimination" comes into play vis-a-vis how much you are offered compared to others, is if you can prove that "because of" your age, you were offered less than your co-workers.
 

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