The company should have their own in-house training program, not make the condemned pull the trigger on his own execution.
I work for a multinational banking company (maybe the largest in the world, I don’t know), and the same thing happened to me. They are migrating my job to Costa Rica. I was given a three month notice. After my job ends here, I am still technically an employee for three more months in that I still get paid and have insurance, but don’t show up for work. If I get a job during that time, sweet, I’m being paid for two jobs. At the end of that time, I’m given three more months salary in a lump sum, plus any accrued vacation. Needless to say, if I get a new job before my last actual work day, all bets are off. The whole point is to entice me to stay.
I just spent two weeks training my replacement, and we’re starting the migration process right now.
I have to say, if I’m being laid off anyway, this seems the least painful way to do it. And, yes, it’s in writing. The tough part is applying for jobs and saying that you won’t be available for three months, or whatever. I’d hate to lose the severance package.
Wow.
Thanks for all the replies.
I have nothing in writing. My boss was let go on that day and her boss told me what I put in the OP. They have done this before and they have not made any attempt to weasel out of the severance, so I am reasonably confident that they will honor the agreement. They are a large company and while I am certainly not happy about what they are doing, I will say that they are fairly open about it. This is Corporate America, folks, and it is not going to get any better.
It does make looking for a job a little problematic. If I find a new job before this one ends, I need to make a decision; take the new job, or wait? I hope I am faced with that decision.
The other problem I have is dealing with my replacement. We have a number of these folks in the office already, and generally speaking, I like them. Most are smart and hard-working (of course you need to get past the fact that they are willing to do your job for half the price). One important variability is how well they speak english. Actually they all seem to speak english fairly well, the real variability is how well I can understand them, but I am not looking forward to spending the summer saying “What?”, or “Excuse Me?”.
My brother is in much the same situation and as others have noted, the severance depends on his working with his replacement for a certain training period. If he finds a new job at the “right” time (i.e. starting just after that period), he comes out ahead. Earlier or later, then not so much. Anyway, it’s not unheard of, at least.
And it does show that the company has some faith in your ethics!
Bottom line: don’t do anything dishonest during your transition time (that’s sure to come back and bite you in the behind). Not that it sounds like you would - just reacting to what El_kabong mentioned. I did know of a situation where a fellow was let go and not escorted out - and he spent several hours wiping files (not personal ones but client ones).
I would continue to do my job well but get another job ASAP and then give my 2 weeks, severance be damned and training be damned.
Yes. I rather have undertrained employee than a mistrained one. The costs of retraining properly should have been included in the decision to offshore.