CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D. wrote as follows......
>Regarding your story it certainly sounds like your boss is setting up
>the documentation to "ease you out" with a good swift kick. If I were in
>your situation and I wanted or needed to stay with that company or if
>you think that getting you out early might hurt your retirement benefits
>e.g. by you leaving before you are fully vested in your retirement plan
>- I would be in touch with an attorney who has a good knowledge of the
>Americans with Disabilities Act and employment related issues. It
>appears that with your CEO your years of satisfactory + service means
>nothing. Did he discuss your illness or what you needed to do to
>improve or did he- as it sounds just heap criticism on. I am usually
>one to give people the benefit of the doubt but this guy sounds like a
>money-grubbing SOB that uses his employees as objects to be discarded
>when they begin to have problems rather than people with needs. If you
>have been loyal to your company the least you can expect is that they
>show the same loyalty to you.
Jack and Charles,
My experience is on the management side, both as a CEO and as a consultant.
If management wants you gone, they will succeed, probably by eliminating the
position in a reorganization. If you are really convinced they want you
out, my advice is to cut the best deal possible. Think about what you want,
write it down as a guide for your face-to-face meeting with the CEO. If you
have not pissed him off to much, most likely he will be more than happy to
give you what you ask for at the time of the meeting. Ask for a leave of
absence or disability leave, a reduced salery (like maybe 75%), full
benefits until you are vested, esp. health care, vested retirement which the
company may be willing to give you, and any thing else you can think of.
After the meeting, document everything. Send him a short memo with the
agreed upon "deal". Be nice; you are dealing with a person, not a company
and you need him to help you get the "deal". Don't mention ADA; he is aware
of it. If he is not, his personnel manager should be fired!
The reasons he may go for this "deal' is:
1. His conscience is clean
2. He comes out the good guy. He can say to his staff "look at me, what a
generous thing I did for this long time, valuable employee".
3. He will really look good to the board as a humaine CEO. He has a
defendable position. Therefore he will push the acceptance of the "deal"
4. The "deal" will not affect operating budgets, and, in fact, will make the
numbers look better (one less salary), as well as lowering the tension in
the workplace and improving morale. (What a wonderful company to take care
of it's formerly valuable, long term employee!). Depending on the company's
insurance, a good part may be covered.
A reminder: you will never have more leverage (or sympathy) than at the
time of the meeting. You will not be able to go back to the well. Get
everything you can.
Business is a meritocracy. The CEO of a company is "graded" on his
financial performance, not on his kindness. This is how Wall Street does it.
If you are a stockholder, this is how you would want it, and he works for
the stockholders. His job and his pay depends on the numbers. By doing it
this way you have solved a major problem and made himself feel good, and
saved himself (and you) a very difficult time.
Peace, John
