'I haven't been late in 15 years': Company tries to fire software engineer just before he gets his pension, employee finds "very interesting" reason for them to let him stay

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 29, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Having loyalty to one company might seem like a good idea, but there are plenty of reasons why an employee should always keep their resume fresh. It's because companies aren't exactly loyal to their workers these days, and many people can be let go at any moment, for any reason. You could spend decades working somewhere, giving your best effort every day, bringing in thousands of dollars throughout your tenure. But the moment management changes, or someone decides that employee is costing the company too much, that worker can kiss their job goodbye. 

Just ask this dude, who was nearly ousted from his job before receiving a pension. This is unfortunately common, too. When the employee is nearing retirement age, the workplace might conveniently discover a reason to fire them. Wow, what a coincidence! It's a scummy thing for a workplace to do, but if there's no legal reason why they can't get away with it, that company can fire the worker and get away with it. 

Next, this single mom got into a dispute with her sister after her daughter babysat and ate a piece of expensive cake: "[I] made it clear I'm not giving her any money." 

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    Cheezburger Image 10487407616
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 02

    "HR tried to get rid of my Dad right before he was able to get his pension"

    My Father worked for a Forbes 500 company since the 70s. Moved up the ranks as a software engineer and management, has patents for the company that saved it millions of dollars. He's almost to pension age and suddenly HR starts making his life miserable. He noticed this trend was happening to some of his coworkers when they were getting close to age 60 as well.
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 03
    HR Lady calls him into the office and says that he was not punching in and out at the correct time. My Father, an engineer, is very very detail oriented. He knew that these were false accusations and asked HR to prove it. They came back a week later and couldn't prove it. And he said, "Of course you can't. I have been driving the corporate carpool bus from [A major city 40 miles away from the company] for the last 15 years. I
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 04
    always have 16 witnesses on my clock in time and I haven't been late in 15 years." HR Lady came back a week later and they said that they were going to fire him for letting people into the building without badging. He asked to see when and where he was letting someone into the building without badging. They showed that he held the door for his best friend who had also been working
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 05
    there since the 70s who had his foot cut off after having type 2 diabetes. He was in a wheelchair. Prior to this my dad took the chief of security out for lunch and told him about how this company wanted him to leave before he got his pension so he got some footage of his own. My dad said, "That is very interesting. You are going to fire me for holding the door for my best friend of 35 years after his foot was amputated and he was in a
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 06
    wheelchair? Fine then I hope you fire the CEO and yourself as well!!!" He then proceeded to show footage of the HR lady holding the door for his friend and the CEO holding the door for his friend. My Father ended up staying there until he got his pension.
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 07
    Edit: I don't know his finances and he probably wouldn't have lost the whole pension but there was a definite financial difference from being fired prior to reaching age 60 and making it to age 60.
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 08
    Edit 2: So this blew up so much that my brother who didn't know I was on Reddit texted me and said "You are reddit famous. That's a story about Dad! I knew this was you." Also some of you are wondering why a Software Engineer would have to clock in and out, well he didn't. I meant to use the word badge in and out of the building, they went that far to talk with security to see his badge timestamps. There are more things that led to this
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 09
    Cheezburger Image 10487412480
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • 10
    getting bad and I didn't want to write pages and pages but it definitely escalated to this point. Lastly for those of you that have been saying that my dad must have worked there as a child, this whole thing happened roughly 9 years ago. My father is 68 right now. If you want to know what company it was: this sentence is the most general hint I can give you but it may drive people from that company to be mad at me.
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 11
    Final Update: Dad quit that job a while ago and made his own company in his retirement. He has used his own money to patent a new invention that desalinates seawater and provides clean solar energy. He has patents for this in America, India, and China and is looking for some capital to provide clean water and power to 3rd world countries. If interested in helping him build his first power plant please send me a message.
    via u/Sorkoth1
  • 12

    As this person noted, that move could send other older employees running the other direction

    latents I hope hordes of future employees learned of this, made sure their contracts had incredible immediate returns and then abandoned the company and explained exactly why. Those who reward loyalty with treachery deserve what they get in return.
    via u/latents
  • 13
    KTB1962 Not a surprise. My company had done similar things for years. They finally got caught and someone ended up suing for ageism. My company ended up settling, but part of the settlement was the entirety of the upper management of HR all had to be fired because they were the one who instituted that "policy". 6 people let
    via u/KTB1962
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    go, 1 of which was less than a year from their retirement and full benefits... The past 15+ years have been a bit better.
    via u/KTB1962
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    FrenchiestFry234 It's starting to be a common tactic. I had an opportunity to work for a fortune 500 company. They offered lower pay but they claimed you could get a pension, except they have a reputation for letting people go before they are fully vested. Noped right out of that offer.
    via u/FrenchiestFry234
  • 16
    Current-Ticket4214 This is why I'll never turn down more money from another company based on loyalty to my current. You are your own pension. Save your money on your own. LL F these corporations.
    via u/Current-Ticket4214
  • 17
    AceBlazewing What senseless corruption. Just how greedy was this company if HR was bu ying and falsely accusing employees approaching eligibility for pension? I applaud your father for not letting them get to him and even calling their bluff.
    via u/AceBlazewing

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