I doubt it. Most people where I work have careers, not jobs. A years salary is nice and I’m sure a lot could get a new job (turnover here is steady but not huge) but we’re paid well and have great benefits. Most are in it for the long term. And we are a specialized skill, so you’d keep running into these folks at other jobs.
A few young folks might take it, and one or two close to retirement, but the bulk of my coworkers probably wouldn’t take that deal.
I’m 57. A years salary wouldn’t be enough to add to my current funds to retire comfortably.
And, I would never do that to my co-workers.
And I am a bit dedicated to the web site I run. No one else in the department could take it over just like that. I’m not indispensable, but it would be a struggle. The site helps thousands of people a day providing free information (I work for county Gov).
I agree. That seems to me to be a choice the poll needs.
“I wouldn’t accept his offer because I don’t want to give up a long-term career for one year’s salary.”
Hmmmm, what are the legal implications of Lotto Winner handing over that sum to me? If I show up at the bank and try to deposit it, won’t they have to file something because of the large sum?
Ah, forget all that, since this is a fantasy scenario I will ignore the mechanics of it!
I would lie. I would take the money, quit, but then cut a deal to come back and keep working, maybe as a contractor. I’m about 3 years away from retirement. If I quit now with 1 year of pay, I would need to find a way to bridge the gap for the additional years I need. Likely I wouldn’t be able to find a comparable job, and even if I could find one, I would be lying to a new employer about how long I would plan on being there. So, it’s a tricky question.
Well, the goal is getting a job with equal or higher pay in my field and with the same flexibility and work environment that I have now, not just “getting a job”.
I’d take it, and then try to reapply for my old job a few months down the road. They may be re-hiring.
I voted “yes - give me the money.” But then I retire June 30th so it’s not like I’m giving up a job I’d have, and the extra effect on any of my coworkers is trivial.
I agree the poll is clearly missing “no because it isn’t worth the financial risk.”
A year’s salary is cool but simply walking out of my job would make me poison in this industry, and quite justifiably so; I am not sure the long term cost wouldn’t be worth more than the windfall.
Sure, if you show up with a giant stack of cash, they report that to the feds. But is your Lotto Winner buddy handing you a stack of cash, or is he writing you a check? He’s writing you a check, probably, unless he’s intentionally being a dick.
I’m not sure that using a check instead of cash gets you out of that requirement, but in any case, so what? The Feds will (at most) ask if you’re a drug dealer, you’ll say no and give an easily-checked reason why you’re depositing so much money, and that’ll be it. The only people who need to avoid that cash deposit limit are the folks it’s intended to catch – it’s not like they’re confiscating the rest of it.
My answer is also the missing “no, because that’s a horrible thing to do.”
True, but maybe that’s the OP’s point - to make a difficult poll choice. If he had said 20 years’ salary, then the poll response would be overwhelmingly yes, and that would make for a lame poll/thread.
Since I plan on quitting my job as a security guard in a week or two anyway, Hells yeah! Gimme the money and let’s put wings on this crate of shit!
I work part-time as a custom art framer for a retail store. My income is supplemental to my husband’s. I like the job, but $12k cash in hand would have me out the door in no time.
Also, apparently, at my store, you can walk off the job at lunch and not return or call for up to three days and still have your job. A colleague did this earlier this year.
In reality, I’m getting ready to retire (Ok, re-retire) in a few months, and while a chunk of money would be nice, I think too highly of this company to consider bailing for such an offer. I’ve had other jobs that I’d have left in a heartbeat, but not here. In fact, if I hadn’t promised to be stay-at-home grandmother when my daughter goes back to work, I wouldn’t be re-retiring right now. I like what I do, I like the people I work with, and I feel like this company is doing good work.
So I voted no.
No good poll option for me so I did not vote.
I am 5 years from retirement, I like my job reasonably well, and I value the people I work with.
After one year I would have to find a job, probably land one that I didn’t like as much with people I might not like as much, and be a newbie (something I haven’t been in a very long time).
I would do it for a 5-year annual salary lump payment, not a penny less*.
mmm
*RIP Richard Harrison
Yeah, my industry is rather incestuous and if you say “This is from Bob Smith at ACME”, someone will invariably say “Hey, I worked with him and Jim Doe at Superior” to which someone else will say “Jim Doe? How’s he doing? I knew him at Excell…” and so on. If you seriously screwed someone over, word is bound to travel and anyone of any size you try to get a job with will probably have someone who heard the story.
I suppose maybe someone will be more forgiving of “Well, a multi-millionaire made him a special offer” since how often is that going to happen but I don’t know how many people will believe it either.
I’m almost 100% convinced that I’m going to start a job search anyway, of course I’d take the money.
Walking out the door as a teacher would pretty much torpedo the chances of my getting any other teaching job. I have some real problems with the way teaching is going in North Carolina, but ultimately it’s the job I ought to be doing, so ruining my chances for life of teaching here? No thanks.
Yes, take it and GO! Can I take this as part of my up-coming retirement plan?
I can understand the feeling of not wanting to inconvenience or disappoint co-workers or bosses that you like. But you could die on the way to work someday and they would figure it all out without you. You are wanted but not needed, despite what your self-esteem tells you. Essential employees are not, essential.
And if the reverse were true, if your company could save a year’s salary by getting rid of you, you could walk into your office and find a cardboard box on your desk, HR person and a security guard, both telling you very little, maybe a statement right out of The Godfather telling you “it’s just business.”
Nope.
If that colleague were willing to support me financially for the rest of my life - very possibly - or maybe 10 years and medical coverage.
But what if the year comes and goes and I don’t find new employment? I do find a new job, but it has lower salary & benefits (which is happening to a lot of people these days)? Then - where am I? (The last time I was unemployed it lasted much, much, much longer than I expected it to. It’s terrifying.)
I can’t take that risk. (I also like my job and wouldn’t want to do that with my co-workers, but the much bigger issue is that I need to stay gainfully employed for the next several decades and I have a better chance of doing that if I don’t walk away from a job.)