After dedicating over two decades to the same company, a man just two years shy of retirement is being shown the door—and the internet is not having it. According to a now-viral Reddit post by his child, the employee was originally set to retire in January 2025 after 22 years of loyal service. However, his contract was extended for two more years, a sign that the company still valued his work-or so it seemed.
Last week, everything changed. The man was allegedly instructed by his manager to issue a formal warning to a reportee for chronic underperformance. That reportee, rather than accepting the feedback, retaliated by writing a cleverly worded email, cc-ing upper management and subtly throwing the veteran employee under the bus.
What followed was shocking: the company allegedly turned on the long-time employee, citing budget cuts and restructuring, and is now trying to force him out without severance. Adding salt to the wound, management is reportedly guilt-tripping him into resigning voluntarily, which would strip him of any potential benefits or legal protection.
“Once he resigns, it’s game over,” the post reads. “They want him gone quietly.”
Users in the comments are calling for legal action and urging the family to consult an employment lawyer immediately. Many are outraged at the company’s alleged tactics, especially the claim that he’s not entitled to severance because he was “supposed to retire already.”
If this is how we treat our elders, what hope do the rest of us have?” one commenter asked.
This story is quickly becoming a rallying cry for workers’ rights and ethical treatment of employees approaching retirement.