Volunteer to be retrenched?

[pai000000]

Due to personal reasons, I want to leave my job. (Thinking of FIRE'ing. Or at least down shift to part time work)
My company is known to give not bad retrenchment benefits.

Is it advisable to tell my boss directly that I want to be retrenched? So that next time there is a retrenchment exercise, he no need to think so much.

I seen some websites that recommend this, but its written from American perspective, so I not sure how my boss in Singapore (a Japanese) will react.

https://www.wisebread.com/how-to-get-laid-off-a-step-by-step-guide
https://www.financialsamurai.com/dont-get-fired-or-quit-get-laid-off-instead/

Those websites also suggest other methods, like becoming more unpleasant or bochap, but not easy for me due to my personality. I prefer to be honest, if possible.

Anyone have experience?

 

[BBCWatcher]

Is it advisable to tell my boss directly that I want to be retrenched?

In my view, no, not directly. However, sometimes it makes sense to ask about "rumors" of retrenchments and leave it at that.

 

[revhappy]

In my previous company Credit Suisse, our boss was very open about it and there was a good understanding between the boss and the team about who wants to quit the sinking ship and who wants to wait until retrenchment to get the benefits.

Remember, the boss is also on the same ship and thinking just like you. He is not in some way immune to it.

So nothing wrong in giving hints about your intentions, depending on how your boss is as a person.

In my case my boss and HR were so good that when my retrenchment time came, I was short by 1 week to get another additional year counted for retrenchment benefits and upon my honest request, they delayed my last date by 1 week and instead of 6 weeks salary, I got 9 weeks.

 

[Mecisteus]

I don't see anything wrong.

If you resign, you get zero.

If you ask and get retrenched, at least you have something when you leave.

Best part, boss can retrench a person who is not keen to work.

Rather than retrenching someone who is still committed to work and losing another who is resigning.

 

[BBCWatcher]

If you ask and get retrenched, at least you have something when you leave.

That's not a given. There is no severance required in Singapore. Retrenchment payments are negotiable, and since it is a negotiation to some extent an enthusiastic embrace of the idea before it's offered would not ordinarily be helpful....

....Unless you have specific severance terms in your employment agreement, and if you are satisfied with the default terms should the employer trigger them.

These reasons underpin my advice to ask about "rumors" only.

 

[Mecisteus]

That's not a given. There is no severance required in Singapore. Retrenchment payments are negotiable, and since it is a negotiation an enthusiastic embrace of the idea before it's offered would not ordinarily be helpful....

....Unless you have specific severance terms in your employment agreement, and if you are satisfied with the default terms should the employer trigger them.

These reasons underpin my advice to ask about "rumors" only.

He is already wanting to leave.

If he gets retrenched and zero severance which I think is 99% chance of unlikelihood, then what's the difference if he resigns?

If he resigns, he gets zero as well.

 

[pai000000]

Hey guys, thanks so much for the thoughts.

I think I will wait until I get my bonus, then decide if I want to tell my boss. In case I get fired first, lol

I have asked for rumors a few times like what BBCWatcher suggested, but I doubt they got the message. Maybe they think I am worried about my job security or something. Guess I need to be more blunt, when it gets to that point.

 

[BBCWatcher]

He is already wanting to leave.

Yes, but his employer doesn't know of his eagerness. And why should that information be volunteered from the get go? It shouldn't.

Start with asking about "rumors," and see how it goes. That's my advice.

On edit: OK, if the "rumors" approach has been tried, then raise the temperature a little bit more if you like. If a hard break with severance is not forthcoming, what some employees and employers negotiate is a shift to part-time, a special project, or consulting -- a "soft exit."

 

[existential_reality]

Been in your position before, comprising on your work ethic shouldn't be considered ( not that I think you will).

For me I would speak to your manager just do like casual conversation on the economy and the company and if redundancies might still happen, if there is some indication that its a possibility drop a stronger hint if you can be considered.

But some companies may not allow voluntary redundancy, it will depend on the individual length of time with the firm, pay scale and justification (and voluntary is might not one of them)

Due to personal reasons, I want to leave my job. (Thinking of FIRE'ing. Or at least down shift to part time work)
My company is known to give not bad retrenchment benefits.

Is it advisable to tell my boss directly that I want to be retrenched? So that next time there is a retrenchment exercise, he no need to think so much.

I seen some websites that recommend this, but its written from American perspective, so I not sure how my boss in Singapore (a Japanese) will react.

https://www.wisebread.com/how-to-get-laid-off-a-step-by-step-guide
https://www.financialsamurai.com/dont-get-fired-or-quit-get-laid-off-instead/

Those websites also suggest other methods, like becoming more unpleasant or bochap, but not easy for me due to my personality. I prefer to be honest, if possible.

Anyone have experience?

 

[light84]

That's not a given. There is no severance required in Singapore. Retrenchment payments are negotiable, and since it is a negotiation to some extent an enthusiastic embrace of the idea before it's offered would not ordinarily be helpful....

....Unless you have specific severance terms in your employment agreement, and if you are satisfied with the default terms should the employer trigger them.

These reasons underpin my advice to ask about "rumors" only.

In all likelihood, MNCs will pay retrenchment benefits. Unless TS working in SMEs.

 

[light84]

Due to personal reasons, I want to leave my job. (Thinking of FIRE'ing. Or at least down shift to part time work)
My company is known to give not bad retrenchment benefits.

Is it advisable to tell my boss directly that I want to be retrenched? So that next time there is a retrenchment exercise, he no need to think so much.

I seen some websites that recommend this, but its written from American perspective, so I not sure how my boss in Singapore (a Japanese) will react.

https://www.wisebread.com/how-to-get-laid-off-a-step-by-step-guide
https://www.financialsamurai.com/dont-get-fired-or-quit-get-laid-off-instead/

Those websites also suggest other methods, like becoming more unpleasant or bochap, but not easy for me due to my personality. I prefer to be honest, if possible.

Anyone have experience?

I think it’s okay to ask directly but better backup with a proper personal reason example u enjoy your job but u would like to take sabbatical for self development, spend more time with family etc.

 

[revhappy]

If you work for a big bank then its all part of the policy and there isn't much of manager's descretion or negotiation of the severance amount.

Credit Suisse pays 3 weeks for every year worked and Barclays pays 1 month for every year worked, with a cap of 300k or something.

 

[revhappy]

Hey guys, thanks so much for the thoughts.

I think I will wait until I get my bonus, then decide if I want to tell my boss. In case I get fired first, lol

I have asked for rumors a few times like what BBCWatcher suggested, but I doubt they got the message. Maybe they think I am worried about my job security or something. Guess I need to be more blunt, when it gets to that point.

If I were you I will just stay there as long as possible with a chill out attitude, won't be rude or anything but not contribute much and don't take any initiative etc. Leave at sharp 6. Actually that is what I have always been doing, lol. They should get the message. If there is internal mobility choose to move to a team that is likely to be retrenched.

 

[pai000000]

I am working in a Japanese MNC, doing software dev stuff.
Previous retrenchment packages in my company was quite ok. But my pay is nothing great, just average/below average for my position, so I don't need to worry about any 300k cap, haha

Many nice suggestions here, thanks again.

Will send out some feelers to recce about retrenchment possibilities before I "show hand".
If a chance exist, I may ask, backed with a nice sounding reason.
I also thought about soft exits, like work part time for them, or as a contractor, but it won't be easy.
Doubt HR will dream up a part time scheme just for me. And my company likes to keep knowledge in house. Though I will love to freelance for my company, most likely they will just ask me to pass all knowledge to some understudy.

 

[pai000000]

If I were you I will just stay there as long as possible with a chill out attitude, won't be rude or anything but not contribute much and don't take any initiative etc. Leave at sharp 6. Actually that is what I have always been doing, lol. They should get the message. If there is internal mobility choose to move to a team that is likely to be retrenched.

That's more or less what I have been doing haha
But still I am some distance from the bottom of the pile, so doubt I get a chance if I just wait in queue.
Unless there is wholesale cutting, like whole dept. Not likely in short term.

 

[mousepad_88]

In my previous company Credit Suisse, our boss was very open about it and there was a good understanding between the boss and the team about who wants to quit the sinking ship and who wants to wait until retrenchment to get the benefits.

Remember, the boss is also on the same ship and thinking just like you. He is not in some way immune to it.

So nothing wrong in giving hints about your intentions, depending on how your boss is as a person.

In my case my boss and HR were so good that when my retrenchment time came, I was short by 1 week to get another additional year counted for retrenchment benefits and upon my honest request, they delayed my last date by 1 week and instead of 6 weeks salary, I got 9 weeks.

hi there alumni lol

 

[wira]

I think you are forgetting another important opportunity cost and that is TIME.
If you already reached your FIRE amount and able to retire or semi retire , why still continue with a job which you clearly are not passionate about ?
Time is something which you can’t get back and I would rather start doing things that I am passionate about without the restriction of a job to pay the bills.

 

[tiertime]

if he knows ur intention, he can also tekan u jialat jialat to force u auto resign, coy can save on retrenchment fee... like a lot of chao coy do nowadays...