FORCED OUT! That's Becoming Standard Route to Semiretirement (much will change)

 Typically, it is so obvious that you are being forced out of an organization that when the exit actually occurs it's a downright relief. Euphoria is common. 

Also, that management dynamic, especially when it happens to the over-50, could trigger the shift from a career to semiretirement. Pro Publica documents that more than half of you over-50 will be pushed out. Never underestimate the ordeal of the adjustment process.


It almost isn't emotionally relevant if you pull the plug or that's done for you. Of course, it is financially and legally very relevant what terms and conditions you will negotiate. Those could be associated with if you resign or if hold on and are fired. So, as you pick up that you might be iced out it could be smart to consult an employment lawyer. Just introducing the lawyer into the loop can strengthen your hand in dealing with the whatevers. 

Yet there are those who come to me for intuitive coaching who contend getting the boot was a shock. 

Admittedly there are some organizations so skilled in concealing their cards that you are blindsided. A setting for that is the professional services niche.

In law firms, for example, some partners are known to keep you laboring long hours and preoccupied with producing quality work products right up until the day what pops up on your calendar is the meeting with HR and the partner.

In this volatile time in global business, however, many of the signals messaging that you are on short time have become familiar. You should be aware of those processes and the vibrations. 

However, let's go over some of them:

Too much work, with no additional support given. The expectations include your quitting or the work quality declines so much that firing is appropriate. However, in this era of cost-efficiency the agenda could simply be to save money, not drive you out.

The pressure, though, can be so extreme that you should seek out a trusted friend or a professional career expert to assess your options. At Sidley law firm overloaded with work 42-year old partner Gabe MacConaill committed suicide. He was managing a complex bankruptcy case + handling firm administrative projects.

Nothing is worth your life. Remember: Semiretirement is an option for continuing to earn income from your labor. 

Little or no work. That is often the fate of those who step out of line politically. Many whistleblowers wind up coming in every day with nothing to do. 

Another scenario is that there actually is little to do. Because there is you could wind up on the chopping block, through no fault of your own. Your unit is slow. In management consulting that's called "being on the bench."

Being left off email lists, not being invited to meetings and being snubbed in casual interactions such as running into others in the corridor. At first this might seem like an oversight. Then you connect the dots. 

Sure, you can ask superiors what seems to be happening. If you get a straight answer instead of their pretending you are imagining the situation it could be a termination notice. Be careful about your direct questions. 

Passed over for a promotion. Historically that meant you "had to" leave. But that might not always be the case. 

Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp noted that not being voted in as equity partner but being allowed to take on the role of non-equity partner at the law firm could give you the opportunity to further prepare yourself for the big job. It is all-too-human to overestimate your abilities. A position such as non-equity partners allows further skill development. 

Notice too that currently organizations are continually restructuring and fewer professionals are leaving. All that is changing the traditional dynamics of promotions. You may have to decode the emerging signaling to determine if you are being assessed as valuable enough to the organization to retain by promoting. 

Public humiliation. Superiors chew you out in the presence of others. Soon enough even your peers realize they have permission to come down on you, both in public and in private. Yes, you are being targeted. You may be tempted to abruptly quit. Stop. Discuss what you perceive with an employment lawyer.

Lackluster performance review. This could occur after continuous excellent ones. Someone might want you out. Or maybe your performance has become subpar. Or you might not be developing at the expected pace. 

They might want you out or they might intend for this feedback to be an authentic strategy for you to up your game. 

Reduction in compensation, be it salary, bonus or Profit Per Equity Partner. This isn't happening firm-wide, only to you and maybe some others being encouraged to leave.

The PIP. You are formally assigned to a Proposal to Improve Performance. Not often does anyone survive that. 

Increasingly it has become necessary to hedge on what it takes to ensure you can pay your bills. Or have your ducks in the row to move on to semiretirement.  

More and more, clients want me to review what they report is happening in their workplace in order to have confirmed if they are on the way out. 

Hedges include:

Establishing multiple sources of income. 

Having a long game. That could include the semiretirement option. For example, you may be planning to be able to begin freelancing when major debts such as the mortgage is paid off. Here is the award-winning podcast in which I discuss freelancing after 50.

Having a lifestyle of living below your earning power.

Understanding employment law in your state.

Doing due diligence of personnel practices at the business before you take the job or contract position. Professional anonymous networks help with that. They include Reddit, Fishbowl, Blind and Glassdoor.

Requesting a written contract.

Meanwhile detach from a one-dimensional preoccupation with the job. That frequently boosts your success. "Success" I define as the ability to hold on to the job or contract position. 

If you decide to semi retire, you will have to contend to a dramatic shift in how society perceives you. My immediate advice: Ditch the need for external validation. On my Substack column I introduce that topic. 

You made it this far. The next phase could be semiretirement. Coach For Seniors Jane Genova welcomes providing you with a complimentary consultation about that transition. Text/phone 203-468-8579, email janegenova374@gmail.com for appointment. Fees custom-made for your current budget.

 

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