Just going to leave this right here….
“Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support”
https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/04/23/microsoft-plans-first-voluntary-retirement-program-for-us-employees.html
What a novel idea… accomplishing business objectives without completely sh-tting on your own employees.
You know it’s bad when you wish our executives were more like Microsoft.
@ca
I was with Mobil for this and it turned out to be a mistake - for Mobil. Many of the younger best and brightest bet on themselves and took the package. The loss of talent was severe. Mobil never offered this again - and for good reason.
If XOM offered something similar many would take it.
Good quotes from article.
The one-time retirement program, announced in a memo on Thursday, will be available to U.S. workers at the senior director level and below whose years of employment and age add up to 70 or higher.
"Our hope is that this program gives those eligible the choice to take that next step on their own terms, with generous company support,"
Lee Raymond had a policy that we do not invest in any project that relies on government subsidies. Government subsidies were considered "high risk" investements.
EM won't offer an early or voluntary retirement because they know most all would take it and not look back leaving a giant vacuum. I hope I'm wrong.
@ca this is a fun game, let’s quote other things Lee said out of context. Personally I think he’d be a little ashamed of what our executives are doing.
“It is important to remember that all business has an impact on the lives of real people.”
Lee R. Raymond
@ca funny how we will follow this from Raymond. Why don’t we follow his guidance on being an oil company and not doing LCS projects which don’t provide a return and are dependent on taxpayers being forced to pay subsidies by politicians .
Mobil Oil offered a voluntary severance package in mid-1990's when Mobil Oil was going through a global reorganization including a 20% layoff. There were many volunteers that self-nominated for 2 weeks of pay per year of service. 99.99% of the volunteers received the package with managements blessing.
I doubt that Exxon will ever consider a "volunteer" severance package. As former CEO Lee Raymond once said in circa 1999, "We do not pay employees to leave this company."
Maybe we should do benchmarking on how we fire.
The way we are treated is shameful and an outlier. It is not normal.
Hmmm. Should I offer my longtime employees generous support OR a threatening email from HR? These are tough decisions!
Nah… let’s surprise everyone by offering a one-time chance to be fired “near retirement” so we can save a few bucks and juice the stock price!