Really sorry to see this. Really sucks. Never had close to the time you had invested but twice after about 10 years and busting my butt got handed walking papers. Happened two more times after less than 3 years. Companies just keep getting bought and sold.
Good luck with the search or possible early retirement. I do hope you find something you can enjoy for the next year or so.

Well, not to make fun out of your situation, but you are better off than my best friend of 60 years. he was a few months shy of 50 years, and died. Not anybody in management came to his calling hours.

This is the reason for the new employee of today. Show me the money, and as soon as I get a better offer, I am gone.

And employers wonder why there is no loyalty.

Glad I am no longer an employer.

I am sure you will land on your feet

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

I was involved in a corporate merger (worker bee) and around the time of the effective date we had all hands meetings. Someone from the corporate HQ came in and explained how things were gonna be in the "new" corporation. At some point he mentioned that in these days we should all consider ourselves "fungible". Later looked it up and it's supposed to mean interchangeable, but in the context, he meant disposable.

Sometime later-in a shockingly short time for veddy upper management-they realized they'd just destroyed any workforce incentive to do anything (except maybe get out). I can't recall if this was before/after the management folks started getting "management book of the month" assigned reading. But having the opportunity to read a few of them they presented conflicting concepts of management.

The book our department (possibly corporation wide-dunno) finally went -partially-with was something like "Management the Marine Corps Way". My boss at the time was a retired Sergeant Major and we had a good laugh at that. Loyalty was definitely a one way corporate street, but it did improve somewhat and they did adopt different ways to bring new folks in and get them settled. And a few other changes.

Off topic: One major fault in many companies is not maintaining a corporate memory. Part of this is often a lack of formal training for certain tasks, tribal knowledge is the done thing. When older employees leave, they often take quite a bit of knowledge with them. OTOH, this paves the way for former employees to become consultants.

Sorry been there, done that, your life goes on, I was the most productive director and team one company had. They decided to invest in a new line of consulting "of the future" and abandon the old fashioned standby challenging profitable business. My boss his boss, me and all of my people (around a dozen) were let go in one Friday afternoon. Everyone on that decision has since been removed and the new line of business folded within two years, they are trying to rebuild my team, but we all have better jobs and moved on - so will you. Many folks here were in similar boats with Enron (and lost their 401Ks) and all did well in the long run. Laugh, drink a little and find out what is next. I was over 61.

Wishing you Good Luck in your next career move!
I was in construction for forty years and the layoffs never get easier.
When your hair turns a different color those young studs don't want you anymore, got tired of hearing "over qualified".
Again Good Luck!!

In all my working years, I day dreamed of being selected for the Olympic Carpenter's Team. We scaled wooden machines designed for slicing and dicing, swung from 10ga power cords, trod thru booby trap infested piles of 2x4 cut offs (they have nails in them ya know), produced two gallons of processed ice water (sweat), hung out extended multiple floors above rebar and concrete, endured singing saw blades, macho drama freaks, all for the sake of fun and little pay, but to be free of mind, and in the sun like a day at the beach. We were scoffed at by the office and business attired safe space "professionals" but knew we were providing a needed function. In the end now I own free a large patch of dirt with a hole in the ground where I get my water, grow my vegetables, cut my winter firewood, and hear the whispering pines. It would have been nice to have it easier with social benefits, but that is the way it must be for some of us.

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"Don't Give Up the Ship"

My interpretation from the Pa. UC website is SS doesn’t count against UC.

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I told you not to use Lifebuoy

ACORN - What a kick in the you know what....

But - I would think with your experience, the circumstances of your termination, and the fact that retailers in your business are begging for competent store managers, you should have no problem finding another place to hang your hat.

Don't quote me on the details, but I believe PA offers a program that enables you to keep your health insurance for a certain amount of time when you leave against your will. Maybe long enough to settle in at another company, and becoming eligible for their health benefits?

Larry

In the construction business you get use to being fired. The work is hard and demanding but the pay and Christmas bonuses are great but as soon as there is a little "slow down" or some big projects get delayed, people start getting let go. I started my own construction business at 32 and within a few years I made triple the money I previously made.

I hope so.
I’m kind of worried about my age working against me. I know it’s against the law but I figure there are ways of getting around that.
It’s the whole unknown out there.
Had a job. Knew our system. Knew when my pay would be there and how much it would be.
Now I’ll maybe a newbie.
Wish I wouldn’t put that 10mm on layaway last week.

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I told you not to use Lifebuoy

Yeah, it is against the law to discriminate against us due to our age - but "over qualified" is code for TOO OLD.
I mean, realistically, how can you have too many qualifications for a job? Even if you have 10x the experience necessary to do the job, if you're willing to take the job for the wages offered, how or why should that disqualify you? They're getting more than they're paying for, so how is that a reasonable reason to disqualify you.
Like I said, "over qualified" is code for "we aren't hiring you because we want someone younger".

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

As an employer, I only need a handful of highly qualified tenured workers. I employ about 50 technicians and, frankly, I don't need 50 top tier technicians because with all those qualifications usually comes high salary, and 50 top tier technicians would make my labor rates out of balance and uncompetitive in the market.

In my case with 50 technicians, I need about 10 - 12 seasoned and experienced top tier folks that I pay a top dollar wage (and they deserve it) and the rest are young up and comers that don't cost as much but work under the watchful eyes of my top tier techs.

So, yes, if a top tier tech walks in the door wanting to apply for a mid tier technician job, I have told them they're over qualified because I can't afford to pay him what he's worth to be a worker bee that a young guy can fill. That's just how it is.

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Live long and prosper

Yeah, that's a different scenario than what I had in mind.

But if the top tier tech is WILLING to go to work for the wages you pay for a worker bee - if they applied for the job KNOWING that they aren't going to earn "what they're worth" - exactly what do you lose by hiring them?

Maybe they're willing to take lower pay because they want to get a foot in the door, so that when one of your top tier techs moves on they can apply for THAT job. Again, what would you lose by having him waiting in the wings ready to replace one of your top tier people when you lose one?

I understand you turning someone down as over qualified IF they are expecting you to pay them more than the open position would normally pay.

But as I originally stated, if the person is willing to accept the lower pay, "over qualified" is a code word excuse.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

I've tried that. To take on a skilled highly qualified technician to fill a lower tech spot. They have always wound up being resentful troublemakers. Complaing that they know more than their supervisor and they know the best way to do the job, rather than follow our normal protocol. Some have felt they know better than me when confronted with their attitude.
Regards,
Bruce

Sent from my SM-G781U1 using Tapatalk

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Regards,
Bruce

Exactly. Plus, they usually don't stay long as soon as they find something more suitable to them, which means I have to start the hiring process all over again.

The juice just ain't worth the squeeze.

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Live long and prosper

I retired from the Air Force at 38 years old. I looked for work for a while and could not find a job that would pay what I knew I was worth, so I decided to return to collage got a degree became a mental health counselor. Worked for a county agency, got fired because I put a client into the hospital. she really needed to be there. My boss thought he knew better then me. I had been working with her and she was slipping deeper into her depression and was starting to feel suicidal she told me she was not sure she could keep from harming her self. The supervisor had not seen the women or even talked to her yet he knew better. He fired me for not following protocol. I thanked him for his ability to risk my clients life.
In a week I had a job at a substance abuse treatment center. I worked there for about seven years. I was vested in the county retirement program, had a matching retirement from the substance abuse center.

I was not the only person fire for not following the protocol, Every time a client was hospitalized the agency would lose money. It was more about the money then the client needs.

good luck with your Job search.

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Carpriver.

Bekeart

The message you have entered is too short. Please lengthen your message to at least 10 characters.

Age discrimination is a fact. Some people will not hire you because of your age. Others will hire you because of your age (and experience). You only need one job not all of them. Something will come up with effort.

Well, FWIW, when I retired from my first career, I took a job I was definitely overqualified for at about half the pay I had been making before retirement.
There was none of what you guys described, because I have a good work ethic and was enjoying what I was doing. I never once thought or acted like any part of the job was beneath me, because I knew what I was signing up for going in. In fact I voluntarily did tasks that weren't part of my job description and that others at my same level in the company obviously thought were "beneath them" or "wasn't their job".
If it hadn't been for the COVID shutdowns having such a negative impact on our business, I'd probably still be working there, because in 2019 the division that I was managing was the most profitable division in that whole branch office of the company.
So though it sounds like you guys had some bad experiences don't be too quick to paint everyone with the same brush.
I still maintain that the "over-qualified" excuse gets used as a substitute for "too old" far more than for any other reason.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

I interviewed yesterday and got the call today.
Another company is buying my old location and wants to bring me and my crew back too.
I start with the new outfit Monday. Slight increase in pay but less vacation but I can deal with that.
I’m back among the living!
Thank you all for your support.
It meant a lot!!

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I told you not to use Lifebuoy

Hey, hey! That is great! Congrats!

Good luck with the new management. I hope it works out to your satisfaction.

Glad to hear it worked out for you.

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USMC 69-93 Combat Pistol Inst.

Gotta love a happy ending. Congratulations!

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Real men love cats!

Congratulations!!

That solves your immediate problem and takes a huge amount of pressure off you.

ACORN, we all rejoice in this uplifting change of events.

As FDR echoed: "happy days are here again".

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Music/Sports/Beer fan

Told you you would land on your feet.

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Pete
I ain't no fortunate son

Glad it's working out for you and you are happy.

Reduced vacation would not work for me. As I've got older I've realized that no employer can afford my time.

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Release the Kraken

Congrats on your good fortune.

Robert

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Robert
SWCA #2906, SWHF #760

But, when you work for someone you are selling them your time
I lose this year but make it up in a couple years.

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I told you not to use Lifebuoy

GREAT to hear that you landed on your feet. All things work together for the good...!

That is EXACTLY the work ethic my dad taught me! Dad once told me that
"when you agree to go to work for someone, you have agreed to sell them 8 hours of your time every day for $XX amount of money. As long as what they are asking you to do isn't unsafe or unethical, then there is nothing they shouldn't be able to ask you to do. What they choose to do with the time they're paying you for is THEIR business. If they want you to clean toilets, then that's their business - your time is bought and paid for. If you feel like what they want to do with your time is beneath you, then it is time for you to look for a different job. Otherwise, give them what they paid for - however they want to use it."

That is how I've always operated in the workplace. As long as you don't ask me to do something that goes against my ethics, and doesn't put me or anyone into an unsafe situation, I'll do whatever you ask of me. Or I'll go look for employment elsewhere. My sense of loyalty is strong enough that quitting has always been a last-resort option that was rarely even considered, much less pursued.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Wow, glad to hear you and your team got the call back. That's great news.

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- Change it back -

Congrats, glad everything worked out for you and your crew.

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BTDT, Got The T-Shirt

that is awesome news... congratulations

First, a gut punch. Then you came out a winner. I love a story with a happy ending.

Since your company had no retirement plan I hope you were putting a little money aside each month in your own retirement plan.

Never trust any employer TOO much. Almost all of them will cut you loose in a heartbeat in order to survive.

There's my time for work, and there's my time. Their worth is very different to me.

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Release the Kraken

Congratulations on the new old job! I'm glad things are working out for you.

Yessir.
In my experience, for any business, no matter how big or small, it ALWAYS comes down to "the bottom line". It has to - they have to stay in business and they can't pay people more than what the company earns off those people's labor. No profit = no more company.
And despite management's best intentions and desires, it really doesn't matter who they have to step on to get to the desired result, because they ALWAYS have shareholders and stakeholders that they have to answer to.
No matter how you look at it, or what your feelings are about those facts, they are still the facts of life in a Capitalist economy.

Capitalism is the WORST economic system - except for all the rest...

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Congratulations, glad everything is working out.

Happy that you are back among the smiling faces.

Being fired when you are 20, 25, or 30 is not a big deal. Being fired when you are in your 50's or 60's can be devastating! Not only are you much less likely to be hired again, but because you were presumably making more than someone half your age most Companies are reluctant to pay that salary.

I am glad you got rehired - I hope your company does better than before. I'd also start making some contingency plan's if things don't work out.

It just ain't right. Bill tells us all is well and we now have more jobs, but Bill won't mention he just let go of 150,000 jobs in his corporation. Pour out the old and bring in the new cheaper ones. Groceries are twice what they were seems like yesterday.

The one that reams me the most is the insurance. Used to be insurance companies competing for your business.

Transmission has something thrown through it, and the guy offers us $500 for our truck after we pay tow and parts/labor to see if it will work...not.

We go look at new trucks. I've have bought and lived in houses that cost less than that. Had to buy a lesser truck, but thankful we can pay for it.

I'll get deleted for anything else I'd like to say. It's all in the math. If you are going to cut back, why do it with the people who put you there?

With some small corporations, it is not all about the bottom line.

I got lucky. It worked the other way for me. The senior partner at my last job called me up and said he was tired of hiring inexperienced people who didn't know what they were doing and hired me over the phone.

I LOVE IT! You could add, "inexperienced people who didn't know what they were doing and continued to do so." At a recent job fair here in LV, a personnel mgr hired a potential applicant on the spot simply from speaking to them at the table. She said he was so obviously qualified, she couldn't allow him to get away.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

One of my best friends who worked for a major and popular life insurance company about 8 years ago was let go unexpectedly. He had worked for them for 28 years, was well liked and had received many awards for excellence at his job. So why was he fired? The best explanation was he was too old and made too much money in the eyes of the powers that be. Now that was not the "official" reason; the official reason was his job description was no longer in need by the Company. Yea, right!

Long story short, he tried desperately over a 3 year period to get a job. He had excellent recommendations, had longevity at his prior job, had gone on many many interviews, had an incredibly respected resume, BUT the fact that he was just under 60 years old, close to retirement age and earned a handsome salary with many benefits for so long was apparently the spoiler. He had gone to several "head hunters" and agency's with no luck at all. Finally after 3 years of job looking, a heart attack & stroke and in declining health, he just retired - actually forced too.

He had complicated heart surgery, recovered 95% from his stroke, was nursed back to stable health but never ever worked again. His story is not a rare story, very common in fact. Big company's dislike paying pensions, high salaries, benefits, etc. When my friend was let go, he had gotten a years compensation, health benefits for a year and then cut off. They simply did not care that he had dedicated 28 of his best years to them, they just wanted to cut their expenses moving forward. So much for his loyalty - and BTW, his company was not in financial difficulty.... they were and are doing quite well!

This is why a plan must be put into action early on if one is to work for someone else and not have control of their own destiny (employment wise). Not telling people how much to save, how much to spend and what to do - but one working for another person or entity must always have in the back of their mind it could always end some day abruptly & unexpectedly. While we are limited as to just how prepared we can be, preparation and readiness is so so important.

I worked for myself my entire adult life and while I probably could have done a little better preparing for retirement, all in all I am proud of what I did. Unfortunately we only go around once and don't get a second chance, so preparing and planing is of the utmost importance as far as I am concerned.

This story brought back some bad memories of the steel mills shutting down. Not only the mill workers losing their jobs, but all the supporting companies and venders, machine shops, etc. Thousands of lives were changed, families were split up, divorces, mortgages in default, suicides, etc., etc. Some of the guys I knew from work were getting busted for robbing convenience stores. I got lucky, as I was only 27 when I got laid off and was able to let the the government pay for my electrical schooling and RHVAC school. Getting into the Steamfitters was the best thing that ever happened from all that hell.
Bad memories turned good. I'm glad it worked out for you, ACORN. Good luck at your new digs. The first thing I thought of was that nice house with the new metal roof and the flag pole. It actually made me sick to my stomach, what with all the bad memories of losing everything back in the 80s. Even the music sucked!

well there ya go! All that worrying about nothing. God takes care of us-he just does it His way!

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Forum consigliere

Heads up and eyes front & you're good to go... after that deep breath and brow wipe.

Yup, that was the point of my previous post.
If THEY (management) have to make a choice between what benefits YOU (the employee) and THEM (the COMPANY) they will always choose what most benefits THEM (the COMPANY).
That's part of their job, and their responsibility as fiduciaries of the company.
It isn't anything personal, it's just BUSINESS.
That's the fundamental nature of a Capitalistic economy.
It's "nothing personal - it's just business".
So don't take it personally.
Been there, done that. It is what it is...

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Send lawyers, guns & money...