My plant manager offered me a spot on the new robot maintenance team or a severance package. I took the severance.

It happened at the auto parts factory in Toledo. They installed six new assembly line robots in January. The manager said they needed three people to get trained on the upkeep software, and the rest of the line crew would be let go. The training was a six month course with a pay cut for the first year. I'm 54. I looked at that screen full of code and knew I couldn't start over like that. I took the severance, which was eight weeks of pay. Now I'm driving for a delivery app while I look for something else. Has anyone else taken the money and run when faced with a retrain-or-leave choice? How did you figure out what to do next?

3 comments

3 Comments

sagecooper7d ago

My uncle retrained at 58 and now runs their whole robot crew.

jessica7077d ago

I used to believe you should always take the retraining to stay employed. My cousin got a similar offer at his print shop and took the course on new digital presses. He said the learning curve was brutal, and they still let half the retrained guys go a year later. Your story makes a lot of sense. Starting over with a pay cut at 54 sounds rough, and eight weeks pay gives you a real buffer to find your next move. Sometimes the severance is the better bet.

hayden_craig957d ago

Honestly, people forget the mental tax. Retraining under that pressure, knowing you're on thin ice, can wreck your focus. That stress alone makes the severance a solid choice for your peace of mind.