Six months to go. Should I tell them or wait?

I want to retire in six months. Should I let the firm know now so that
if they fire me I can collect unemployment? Or should I wait 'til the
last few weeks before telling them? - Bob

Alan Lichtenstein...

You know the lay of the land at your firm. Act accordingly. Asking
others who have no such frame of reference will only get you bad advice,
if you get it at all. In short, in this situation, you need to make the
decision for yourself. You've apparently suggested the pros and cons.
Now make your decision.

California Poppy...

Most employers want 30 days notice. Work until the end and do your
best for the company or department. It is dishonest to collect
unemployment insurance when you aren't legitimately unemployed and
looking for work. It is also dishonest to accept pay for work if you
don't do it.

Lee K...

Would they give you a six month notice before firing you?
What is the normal notification period if you were to just change jobs? Two
weeks? That's all that's necessary.

El Castor...

My employer wanted something like three months notice. It wasn't
required, but the extra time gave HR a little maneuvering room to
close out my 401K, calculate and prepare a check for a lump sum
distribution from the remnants of our defined benefit pension plan,
get my wife and I set up in the retiree healthcare plan, make sure my
remaining vacation days were scheduled, post the opening to fill my
position -- etc. Chances are if you work for a big corporation, your
HR has a standard policy of X number of weeks or months notice. If you
cooperate it's hard to believe they would fire you, but you know
better than I.

Here's something worth considering. When I retired I was eligible for
18 months severance pay if I was laid off -- and I still would have
gotten the same retirement benefits. Before word got out that I
intended to retire, I practically got on my knees and begged my
manager to lay me off. Sadly, he wouldn't do it, but in my wife's case
(she worked for the same corporation) her boss made a deal with her --
if she would delay her retirement for six months, he would lay her
off. He was as good as his word. And here's a little bonus. If you
get laid off you are probably eligible to collect unemployment
insurance -- even if you receive a severance package. (-8

Rita...

I thought a condition of receiving unemployment compensation
is to be actively looking for work, and that one has to document
this weekly with one's state unemployment agency?

My job once was abolished and I was given 3 months severance
pay. The company said if I accepted it I could not file for
unemployment insurance. The day after my last day at work I
did file, however, and was granted it.

I received it for about three months, while looking for work. Then
I got a miraculous windfall and decided to take a year to complete
my B.A. degree. I stopped my unemployment checks at that point
since I was no longer looking for work.

And you thought liberal were not honest:)

Thumper...

It depends on the state Rita.
Thumper

"It is useless to attempt to reason a man out of what he was never reasoned into."
Jonathan Swift

Harry Thompson...

I gave my last employer two weeks notice.