Everyone is choosing 11/21 as their exit dates with some being Q12026! Chances are 9/26 WILL BE the exit date for the majority 90% of the folks, as Q3 ends and they start Q4 clean and less overhead.
October and November 21 dates are a pipe dream.
What are you all hearing /experiencing?
I’ve been told this firsthand. I had wanted to exit on 11/21, but was told it will be 9/26. With rare exceptions, that is the mandate from my leadership.
The "Spa Day" (entire comment) is 100% Spot on. Couldn't agree with you more.
Corporate “Early Retirement” is just HR’s spa-day version of a firing—wrapped in warm words, a handshake, and a check that won’t cover your mortgage for six months. You’re too young to retire, too old to be cheap labor, and too experienced to be fooled by their “follow your dreams” speech. Translation: they want you gone, but they want you to feel grateful about it.
I chose Nov 21st as my exit date, however, I asked to stay until the end of the year, which will get me to within a few weeks of turning 65 after my severance. My leaders leader reached out to me to say December was not an option, but I could choose Jan 31 instead. I agreed only because I will have health insurance right up to my 65th bday then I can get on medicare.
Everyone's reasons for accepting the ERP is different. But I agree that pink slips are coming after the change in benefits are announced.
@OP My manager met with me and asked me which exit date I would prefer. My manager, AD and Director were flexible, but, going up the ladder, there was no flexibility. I was advised that my exit date will be 9/26. I originally thought that I wanted to stay until November, but I'm tired and don't feel like logging in. I have survived 3-4 RIF's as an HAH SS. I was a high performer and took on stretch assignments. The last RIF was 2021 - it was absolutely terrible. They asked for early retirement, then volunteers, and, after a two month wait, we learned who would be impacted. I choose my mental health, rather than a drawn out anxiety attack. I decided on ERP. I expect 9/26. Good luck to all!
On Friday I received an email from my leader stating that 11/21 is my official separation date.
Exit dates will not be communicated to leaders or associates until the first week of September. Until then everything is speculation.
I still haven’t been given an exit date. I would LOVE a September end date but since my manager didn’t seem like he wanted me to leave I’m expecting one of the later end dates. :(
I chose the earliest date possible. Actually I have my transition list ready and desk all cleaned up. Let's get out of here the earlier the better. Why wait?!
Your manager was supposed to meet with you to discuss exit dates. Mine didn't, he just told them the earliest date. It felt disrespectful, I have a couple friends whose managers actually talked about those dates with their employees.
@OP a smart decision is to let people go earlier than later. They told you they don't want to work there by signing up. Take them for their word. They do not want to work for you any longer.
@a5
The Corporate Pink Slip Game: Where You’re the Prize
In the old days, companies used to call layoffs “downsizing” or “right-sizing,” like it was some kind of corporate yoga pose. Now it’s just “restructuring” “ Early Retirement Program “—a polite way of saying we spun the wheel and your name came up.
Make no mistake: layoffs in corporate America aren’t always about performance. They’re about PowerPoint presentations, stock price sugar highs, and executives proving to shareholders that they’re “decisive” by cutting the very people who actually do the work.
You can almost picture the C-suite playing a board game:
• Roll the dice — Land on “Cut 500 jobs” and collect a bonus.
• Draw a card — “Move production offshore, skip ahead to your stock grant vesting date.”
• Spin the wheel — “Congratulations! You’ve eliminated your entire customer support team. Hope the chatbot works!”
Meanwhile, employees are left watching their email like contestants on a reality TV show, waiting to see if they’re voted off the island or if they get to keep their seat in the open office zoo.
And the best part? The company will send you a warm, heartfelt email thanking you for your “dedicated service,” signed by an executive who couldn’t pick you out of a lineup. But don’t worry—your sacrifice will be remembered… until the next quarterly earnings call.
The pink slip game isn’t about survival of the fittest. It’s survival of whoever’s on the “critical projects” spreadsheet that quarter. And even that’s temporary. Because sooner or later, they spin the wheel again.
@OP not heard one thing about people’s chosen or offered exit dates. Pretty quiet around here until someone randomly starts losing their mind on a random Friday. It’s super annoying to me, like hey, if I don’t talk about it, it’s not happening kind of thing