Last week I gave notice to the company I’ve worked for for over 15 years. I had my exit interview with HR on Monday. HR did not go over with me: when my benfits end, COBRA, how my acrrued PTO hours would be paid out, what I need to or can do with my 401k or anything about my pension, or anything about the stocks I’d been given. I had to bring up all these things on my own and call 5 different people to get the answers to my questions. Actually, I’m still waiting for answers from three people. Is this normal? I would have thought most HR departments have a checklist of things to go over with parting employees and possibly some canned literature to hand out.
There are probably as many different variations as there are employers. At the last place I worked (2200 employees), salaried employees got an exit interview with a checklist, and all the information you described.
Maybe HR was short-staffed the day you left?
Depends on the company. Sometimes I did, but usually I didn’t.
HR short staffed the 4th of July week? Never!
I think that is probably what happened. HR tends to be a ghost town during most holiday time periods as companies likely aren’t doing any interviewing or hiring during that time.
Of course, if you’re not in the United States, ignore this response
Many times all of the benefit information is mailed out in one package that will contains COBRA, 401k, etc.
PTO/vacation time is usually explained prior to leaving. I recall firms having rules that if you left voluntarily, you forfeited some/all of that. - but times have changed in the past 25 years.
There are plenty of HR people who suck at their jobs. Perhaps you got one.
I’m with Yarster. The people from HR in the monstrous, multi-national company I work for never admit to having the answer to any question. I think if I ever have to talk to one again, I might ask what color the sky is, just to hear them say they’ll have to research that and get back to me.
I worked in one company where the standard answer to any question to HR was “I’m not responsible for that.” My next question of “OK, who is?” would be the one triggering “I’ll ask around and let you know.”
I’ve had jobs where the information on “what happens when you leave” was built-in into the short-term contract, it was part of the conditions agreed upon; I’ve had others which gave me all the information during the exit interview or, more commonly, when I was informed that I was leaving. I’ve had others where I had to pull a few teeth. It changes from place to place, not even company to company.
H/R doesn’t WANT to help you. Why should it, you don’t work there anymore.
I have worked in H/R and we never did anything to help employees. I hated it, our H/R director was a TOAD. She’d try to get people to sign forms saying they quit, when she laid them off. We fought every unemployment claim period, justified or not, in the hope that someone would get frustrated and quit filing.
That said, I have never encounterd an H/R that won’t answer a direct question. Ask them what day does my medical coverage end. When can I expect my COBRA information in the mail by. Does my last paycheck have to be mailed to me, or picked up in person, or can that be direct deposit?
I would say what you’re experiencing is completely normal.
For all time time I’ve worked here I’ve thought our HR department sucks. At least now I know they’re normal. For the record, my last day isn’t until Friday.
I’ve been escorted out twice, both by my direct management. One instance was a voluntary resignation, the other a layoff. The other times were voluntary, and I was free to go on my own.
ETA: the layoff was the only time I had a comprehensive exit interview. The others were non-existant to something over the phone a week after the event.
The only exit interviews I’ve ever had (2 of them!) the HR person basically asked “why are you leaving? Did you have any problems with your manager or coworkers? Were you satisfied with your salary?” I was always very uncomfortable with these questions and would give vague non-answers while wondering what the point was. Oddly, it never occurred to me that they should be giving me information about things like pensions and whatnot.
First job was in 1967, I have never had an exit interview. Most times on the last day I just go to personel and pick up my last pay check and sign a form stating that I have recieved all my pay in full.
working for engineering service companys, around my last day account manager gives me my last check, has me sign a form stating I quit or was being laid off. If I was laid off I was remided that my health care would continue for 3 months.
The stupid thing is, I was looking on our intranet this morning and found a document in the HR section that had everything in it I had questions about. All they would have had to do is point it out to me, or print it out and hand it to me.
I had kinda assumed the good-bye packet was a minimal courtesy for people getting laid-off, who you assume are taken by surprise and won’t have all their ducks in a row. If I’m leaving then I would expect to find that all info myself, on the intranet or the the providers website or whatever. Of course it should be easy to fine and well-organized, but I wouldn’t wait for someone to print it out for me. In fact I’d probably rather research myself, and see what current and incoming employees are promised, rather than trust what I’m told as I’ve got one foot out the door. Stuff like PTO accrual and my 401k … that I would stay on top off anyhow, even if I wasn’t planning on leaving.
JMHO, I’m not any sort of HR expert.