Left job after 25 years, all I got was flowers 🫣

[BruceLeTerror]

i did get a few gifts (chocolate, alcohol) from colleagues, but after 25 years all I got from the company was a box of flowers?!

Previously when people have left, there’s always been a collection of sorts. I know I shouldn’t expect anything- but I realise now how under appreciated I was - it has left a sour taste (and not filled me with confidence to start my new job tomorrow)

I think this is true but not because you aren't a fabulous human.

I was just chatting with someone about this the other day. Companies/jobs like to have loyal staff.....develop a language of team/family. If you are the kind of person who is loyal, it only works while you are employed. You thought you had genuine relationships....well, they were genuine but really they are colleagues not your friends.

In a similar situation, but not work, a friend of mine moved to a different part of the country. When they were leaving I overheard many people gush over them and say they would come and see them. I'm old enough to know if you didn't have a coffee with someone while they lived in the same town it would be a miracle if you drove three hours, without an ulterior motive

Honestly don’t give it any more thought. It is not nice but it moving on so just think good thoughts and don’t let it eat at you .everyone is struggling, people are finding things hard at thins time of year it’s really difficult but u gotta
let this go.

I used to have to organise all the collections and I got fed up of people not bothering to contribute and me either ending up out of pocket or hand over £4 73 in copper coins so now I just don't bother even contributing. If I like someone enough I get them something but don't get involved in collections now.

If you are leaving to go to a competitor in a similar role then I am not surprised that you "only" got flowers. Where I work it would just be after work drinks with colleagues. Why would the business celebrate the fact that you have left and now they have to recruit and train your replacement ? Not to mention your colleagues having to pick up some slack until the new person is in situ and up to speed? When I worked for a Big 4 accountancy firm in the 90s we were specifically forbidden from celebrating departures of this nature. Different if you were going to work for a client.
FWIW where I work now ( national law firm) we do celebrate long service, as long as you stay. When I reached my 10 year milestone last year I got 2 days additional annual leave amd £150 shopping voucher from the business. There are similar ( bigger) rewards at 20 and 30 years. Plenty of people in the business stay 20+ years

I left my last job after more than 20 years. I got vouchers and a couple of small gifts but there was no presentation and neither my manager nor my head of department spoke to me once in the month between my resigning and leaving. I felt erased before I even left the building.

I worked 22 years teaching p/t for an academic institution and didn’t even get a goodbye,

lol thank you everyone 🙏 I am aware I sound like a spoiled brat, and yes it’s completely confounded that I’ve done the right thing (it just hurt because they’ve recently done collections for other colleagues that have left)

I did text my old boss on Friday to say “Thanks for the flowers, good to know I was appreciated!” (Meant in a slightly facetious tone - he completely missed the point (alpha male) hearted the message and replied saying we and two other (lovely) colleagues should meet up for lunch 😂😂 Well, yes I’ll keep in touch with them - but no, not you my “friend” 😂😂

Onwards and upwards 💪💪

After 25 years that is really shitty behaviour frankly.

It just shows how little workplaces value long term employees and that colleagues are usually ''friendly'' just as long as they might need you for something...

I’ve noticed a change in our work recently too regarding collections. Previously I think we used to be a closer team/teams and collections were generous and meals out arranged but since Covid this hasn’t happened in the same way.

Says it all.
A sharp reminder for us all.
I've worked with some incredibly lazy, selfish people and others who have been totally committed and hard working.
All got same send off.

In our organisation they send out expressions of interest for your post with the email informing people you are leaving.
ClareBlue is leaving at the end of the month after 30 dedicated years of service, who wants their job.😂 keeps perspective that you really are dispensable, even before you even been dispensed with.

I'm sorry, OP.

Unfortunately, this is why I always remind myself and others not to kill themselves and volunteer their personal time for their jobs. You will be replaced in a heartbeat should you get hit by a bus, and downsized out the minute the economy turns or the higher ups want more money for themselves at the expense of the people actually doing the work.

Don't take it negatively, take it as reaffirmation that you made the right choice to go.

I left after 28 years and got nothing from the school. However, I did get gifts and cards from colleagues.

I think you need to remember a job is just a job. Most employers will easily make you redundant without a second thought if they need to cut costs or if they have a way of operating cheaper without you. It is increasingly common for people to leave without much fanfare IME. The lesson to take away is whilst you should do your job well and work hard, if an opportunity comes for you to do better, take it without a thought. Loyalty counts for nothing.

You had only been there 25 years and are leaving, no idea why you thought you’d be entitled to more. Collections are usually from colleges and those that get more are the lively happy go lucky type who everyone loves.

We’ve had loads of people leave recently due to a restructure and voluntary redundancy. Lots of them have worked there decades. But I haven’t been able to donate to all the collections as there are just too many. Could it be something like that?

Yep I was with a small company of 8 people three of whom were directors. Worked closely with them everyday. Worked for them for nearly 13 years and I was let go during COVID. Received my redundancy notice and the other two directors didn't even bother to send a farewell message to me.

I have only worked in public sector so it's always just a collection from colleagues that's used to buy flowers, wine or a voucher, a 15 min Teams call is usually booked in to present this so everyone has the opportunity to say goodbye in our hybrid working arrangements.

I contribute more since COVID with online collections as the organiser knows how much everyone has put in and have blanket policy of £5 for all collections. A box of flowers could easily cost £50 so unless you are a really high earner or work in a massive team most people wouldn't expect more than that, plus you got extras like chocolates on top! A really nice message or personal goodbye is more meaningful.

The nameplate from my office door, and £100 voucher for sports gear (which was very welcome). 18 years there. I was fine with it, and someone gave a really lovely speech.

{mention:BruceLeTerror}@BruceLeTerror, I recently arranged a leaving collection and was surprised, not by the amount collected, that was fine, but by the percentage of staff who participated. It really left me feeling down, as a measure of the teams appreciation of these staff. I will continue to contribute to everyone else's leaving collections, but when my turn comes I'm going to specify no present.

You should never assume you matter to an employer. You'll be forgotten about within days of leaving.
Sorry to seem like a miserable cynic. I'm not, I'm just a realist.
I like change, so move on every 2-5 years, and I always do an eyebrow raise at long standing members of staff who think they're part of a work "family" and carry huge social currency within the organisation.
You're a line on a spreadsheet and nothing more. You provide a service, they pay you for it.
It's better to go into every new employment situation with that knowledge in mind.

Collections are usually initiated by colleagues, not ‘the company’ and since Covid people don’t give much (and also don’t care about their colleagues that much).

I wouldn’t take it personally, just how society is changing: work is just work, colleagues are not friends, they can leave at any point and we’ll never see them again.

I would say flowers from the company is pretty decent. Where I am the company does not send any leaving gifts, I don’t know anywhere that does.

What was she expecting? I am glad cash strapped councils are not wasting public money on leaving gifts, strange that a senior person in a management position thinks they are owed more.