Employee forced to retire without warning, sends final message to former coworkers who are furious on her behalf: 'I don't want to, but I have to'

Author image for Isabella Penn
Isabella Penn
Oct 12, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

After decades of dedication, this employee was blindsided by an unexpected meeting with her boss. Without any prior warning, she was given an ultimatum: retire or take severance. Either way, she was to be out of the office by next Monday. Shocked and hurt, she left the meeting feeling like she had no choice. Her coworkers, who had no idea what was happening, were confused when she suddenly left, so she decided to send them a heartfelt message explaining the situation. She told them, "I don't want to, but I have to retire." 

Her coworkers were outraged on her behalf, furious that someone so dedicated could be pushed out so suddenly. In support, they rallied around her, sharing messages of solidarity. Meanwhile, people in the comments chimed in with advice, offering everything from legal guidance to words of encouragement. Sometimes, it takes a community to remind you of your worth, and this employee definitely had her former coworkers on her side.

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  • 01
    r/mildlyinfuriating • 13 hr. ago Justheretoseelol My coworker was forced to retire. She sent an email to the team saying "I don't want to but I have to retire" and left. She texted me and another colleague after.
    via u/Justheretoseelol
  • 02
    Hi and ✓ I didn't say all I wanted to say to you this am and by the look on your faces it was a little confusing. I had no idea this was coming..absolutely none. Last week had 1-1 with and it turned into an HR mtg about me staying with
    via u/Justheretoseelol
  • 03
    was put into a situation where I either go on a pip or take a severance package and leave on Mon. never mentioned anything that she was displeased about and never ever told that I needed to work on some items. NEVER so it came as quite a
    via u/Justheretoseelol
  • 04
    shock to me as well. So knowing how she felt about me, the pip would last 60 days work no guarantees that I would still have a job. So I took the other option. I just wanted to say that I have absolutely loved working with you
    via u/Justheretoseelol
  • 05
    T both. You are the greatest guys and I really wish the absolute best for you both. i will miss our waves in the morning and I'll miss you saying Happy Monday. I'll miss you both!
    via u/Justheretoseelol
  • 06
    legalgus45 • 23h ago PIP-a target on your back and you're going down.
    via u/legalgus45
  • 07
    _TiberiusPrime_ • 1d ago They tried this with someone once where I work. Long story short, they filed a lawsuit claiming age discrimination and eventually settled out of court, but they got a huge payout.
    via u/_TiberiusPrime_
  • 08
    Agitated_Bother4475 • 23h ago • your text back should be for her to seek legal advice. Law is heavily on the site of individuals give the clear financial power imbalance so its not as hard a battle as one might think. The mere threat of it to these bosses is likely enough to get a decent payout.
    via u/Agitated_Bother4475
  • 09
    You can't just turn around and say you at everythign with no prior warnings and then offer someone to leave like that. It smells like a fish and they should pay for that. Sending someone close to retirement packing.... and they wonder why young people have no job loyalty anymore? Look what they have to look forward to!
    via u/Agitated_Bother4475
  • 10
    Packing_Wood • 23h ago • No one should ever be surprised by a performance review. If an employee is surprised, then that shows bad management.
    via u/Packing_Wood
  • 11
    Trev0r269 • 23h ago . I've seen this happen before: pip vs a severance package. Your friend was fired in the nicest way possible.
    via u/Trev0r269
  • 12
    Now the reasoning behind it isn't clear. The people I've known in this situation weren't doing well at jobs and had poor metrics. Person being fired should definitely ask for comparative metrics against peers.
    via u/Trev0r269
  • 13
    Golden_standard • 22h ago • Lawyer time. Federal law REQUIRES a waiting period for severance when the employee is over 40. They must give you time to consider if not you can back out and it's illegal and puts you in a much better bargaining position to get even more.
    via u/Golden_standard
  • 14
    Admarie25 • 21h ago • This happened to my mom 7 years ago. They offered her a buy out and she just couldn't afford to do it. She explained that she needed the job and couldn't afford to live without it. A month later, she was let go. Called into HR and escorted out of the building, despite her 25 years of service.
    via u/Admarie25
  • 15
    My mom ended up getting cancer that same year so it was good she was fired. I took care of her all those years until she passed last year. But I still hate that company with a passion.
    via u/Admarie25
  • 16
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    via Unsplash (Getty Images)

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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