# Elementary School Jerks That Never Grow Up **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 16, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365 "2010-04-16T17:04:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365/41 "2010-04-21T13:36:48Z")
The problem may have just taken care of itself! Our company is offering a severance package to get some people to retire early to reduce head count, and I heard he’s taking it. It does sadden me to find that he’s old enough to be that close to retirement though. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365/42 "2010-04-21T13:40:15Z")
> [@Gedd](#): > > The problem may have just taken care of itself! Our company is offering a severance package to get some people to retire early to reduce head count, and I heard he’s taking it. > > It does sadden me to find that he’s old enough to be that close to retirement though. So he’s a winner in the end. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365/43 "2010-04-21T13:58:02Z")
Too bad he can’t get fired and lose all of those benefits. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365/44 "2010-04-21T15:27:39Z")
If he has a retirement party, it would be terrible if you accidentally spilled something on him because of your shaky hands. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365/45 "2010-04-21T15:38:37Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Then leave the room, carefully staying far away from him as you go by. Yes, and he has to do it in an exaggerated fashion, with a pained look on his face, never turning his back toward Biff, somewhat knocking against tables, trying desperately to keep as great a distance as possible, and never turning around. That would be A+. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365/46 "2010-04-21T16:26:14Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > If for some reason he starts dancing around the issue, with excuses like, “Hey, I was only joking. Lighten up. No harm done,” then you have liberty to address it directly with him and say, “Don’t mess with me any more or I will bring it to your supervisor and HR.” That should shut him up. It is IMPERATIVE that you avoid phrases like, “I didn’t like it when…” or “It really hurts me when you…” All they do is make you look weak and nonassertive. It will feed into his ego and make him continue to harass you. There’s no need to get angry or yell at him. Just tell him what you need to tell him directly and with conviction. Good point: if you want to reach people like this, you need to come down to a level they’re willing to accept. In their eyes, you can’t be the “better man” and still be a _man,_ and you need to show them you live in that world. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365/47 "2010-04-21T18:53:37Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Too bad he can’t get fired and lose all of those benefits. It doesn’t work that way (nor should it). Retirement benefits are earned all those years that the person was employed, and that person is entitled (vested) to them as part of his pay for the years he was working. They can’t be taken away just because he gets fired. Otherwise you would have companies finding excuses to fire people at age 64-1/2. (That already happens sometimes. I had a friend as part of a group of women who all had their jobs ‘eliminated’ when they were within 6 months of 20 years employment. Some were even asked to spend their last weeks training in the young guy who was replacing them in the ‘eliminated’ job!) ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365/48 "2010-04-21T19:04:30Z")
Proof that maturity doesn’t always come with age. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elementary-school-jerks-that-never-grow-up/536365.md?page=2)