Job fires beloved 70-year-old boss who has been at the company for 50 years without giving any severance: 'They gave people who worked here for 2 years severance in December, but not him.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Writer and Editor
Feb 25, 2026 8:00 AM EST

He could probably sue the company for age discrimination if he really wanted to.

There's a time in every person's career when they decide they're ready to retire. That could be at age 70, 60, 50, or even 35, depending on how much money you have in the bank. Just because you're mentally ready for retirement doesn't mean you can afford its financial burden just yet. The retirement age is rising because boomers are staying in the workforce as long as possible. Sometimes, it's because boomers are unwilling to let go of the power they've acquired in the workplace and hand off responsibility to the next generation. Other times, it's because they haven't saved enough for retirement.

It's not uncommon for older employees to be forced into early retirement. We all know an older relative or former coworker who was unceremoniously laid off a year or two before they planned to retire, when it's borderline impossible to get a new job because nobody will hire someone they think is close to retirement age. Of course, it's technically illegal to fire or refuse to hire someone solely because of their age, but it happens all the time. Companies can lie about why they fired or failed to hire someone, and if the older person doesn't have any proof that they were fired for being old, they are out of luck. If someone is about to retire anyway, you might as well keep them on for an extra year and allow them to leave with dignity. 

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  • 01
    Senior businessman using smartphone in formal clothes with grey hair and beard
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • The older employee in this story is a gift to his company and everyone he has worked with over the past 50 years. He was thanked for his hard work and loyalty by getting fired without any severance! If I were his former direct reports, I'd start looking for a new job.

  • 02

    My boss was unjustly terminated and I WANT TO SCREAM

    Just venting to the ether, my boss who has been at our company for over 50 years was just terminated without a separation package.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 03
    This is a man who everyone loved and he treated everyone fair. He was the person who also found me and offered me my job which has changed mine and my families. lives for the better.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 04
    He also supported sending me to get certifications that he made the company paid for so I owe everything I have to him.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 05
    Ill make a long story short... My original company got bought out by a massive international company last year and they decided to do mass layoffs which was announced in October and executed the terminations the 1st week of December (of course before x-mas)...but gave everyone a separation package.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 06
    Fortunately no one in my department got fired during that wave. Fast forward to early February the corpo ah les puts my boss on a Performance Improvement Plan due to circumstances not even related to what he does day to day.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 07
    There was issues with quality in the field which is out of his hands but because the costs are charged to our facility on paper he was the fall guy.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 08
    Well today they decided to fire him active immediately because he didn't live up to the PIP expectations but gave him the "decency" to not walk him to the gate.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 09
    Young guy walking on the stairs with senior man in elegant clothes leaving office building
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 10
    Yes he was older and I do agree that people in their early 70s need to pass torch to the younger generation.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 11
    Part of our sh job market is because boomers refuse to leave their jobs but there was a right way to do this termination.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 12
    We all think they just wanted to save money by not giving him separation pay because of the "paper trail PIP" and I feel disgusted at my company.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 13
    They gave people who worked here for 2 years a package in December but not him today.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 14
    A woman holding a box with a plant in it, leaving the office after she got fired.
    via Karolina Grabowska (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 15
    They knew they wanted him gone and could have done this during the layoff wave but wanted to save money by doing it later.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 16
    Now there is no replacement to be cross training for his position so they shot themselves in the foot.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 17
    We work in quality so I'm worried theyll bring in a Yes Man to rubber stamp everything...
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 18
    I cannot stress how much KNOWLEDGE this guy had that instantly vanished and with the company not truly knowing how much he actually did itll make our lives miserable.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 19
    He has forgotten more information than most people know at this company. People have known him for 30+ years and then he just vanished.
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 20
    If they do this to such a beloved and knowledgeable guy what would they do to me?
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 21
    50 years gone in 1 day, I want to scream right now!
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 22
    maydayvoter 11 I am so sorry to hear this. Hopefully, when Big Corpo starts asking "why isn't this getting done" or "how do we do XYZ," you and your co-workers can simply respond "I don't know. The guy you fired did all that. Ask him. Oh, that's right, you can't, he doesn't work here anymore."
    via u/maydayvoter11
  • 23
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply He is literally the only person who knew certain things. I brought something up to the shop. operations supervisor, asked how are we going to do this certain thing and his response was "... oh II
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 24
    RobotFloyd Don't be an active participant in pointing out their fuckups. Corpo's don't like it, and it's much better to watch them realize it as they go. On a related note: Not every company uses PIP's as a way to fire you, but at your company they do. You should start looking for another job, your life is unlikely to get better there.
    via u/RobotFloyd
  • 25
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply I feel sorry for who replaces him because not only are we going to automatically dislike them, they will have no proper training. And ive already started looking around because itll get worse before it gets better
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 26
    zephyrseija2 Absolutely hit them with the weaponized incompetence.
    via u/zephyrseija2
  • 27
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply He might want to hit em with something else..
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 28
    Independent-Yam3118 Agreed. A company I worked for had a habit of "retiring" older workers and would often have to bring them back as consultants and have to pay them more than if they had just kept them in the first place.
    via u/Independent-Yam3118
  • 29
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply They started those layoffs with everyone who had been here 30+ years and forced them out right before retirement. They dont give a f_...
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 30
    punksmurph Due to his age there is a good chance the corporation settles a lawsuit with him. Similar thing happened to my Step-Dad and it ended in a settlement. Your old boss needs a good employment attorney
    via u/punksmurph
  • 31
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply He has plenty of ammo to go that route, I hope he does
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 32
    Sezyluv85 You make sure everyone left makes sure not to help on anything that man is expert in. Refer the company back to your old boss at all times
    via u/Sezyluv85
  • 33
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply And he was the one employees went to when I failed something for quality issues. Now they have no one to help
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 34
    ApprehensiveKey1469 Speak to your former boss. Tell him to charge the company for any help they ask for. 1000x his last rate of pay payable upfront. No Severance package.
    via u/ApprehensiveKey1469
  • 35
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply I think someone will reach out eventually. Because it was the corpos who fired him... everyone at our location is local and has known him for decades so I wouldn't be surprised. But he better say no or charge them like 5k per day. He did say he's starting an LLC so I hope it works out
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 36
    Swiggy1957 Just remember: work your wage. If it's not in your job description, it's not your responsibility. Now would be a good time to start the unionization process. Otherwise, you'll find the company changing your job description.
    via u/Swiggy1957
  • 37
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply Yea they're most definitely going to ask us to do more and i won't... Also one of those certifications | got is very sought after and they just gave me a 2% raise which is straight up disrespect so I have decisions to make
    via u/VSauce3000
  • 38
    zephyrseija2 "Oh my god! It's OP over the top rope with a folding chair! Oh the humanity!"
    via u/zephyrseija2
  • 39
    Sezyluv85 Tell him to! Have his back if he does
    via u/Sezyluv85
  • 40
    VSauce3000 Original Poster's Reply The certs he allowed me to get can land a job fairly easy so I won't be scared
    via u/VSauce3000

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boss severance fired job job market old people baby boomers beloved company pip
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