To apply for voluntary severance when I'm leaving anyway?

[crizpz]

I was offered a new job, and the timing of the offer and start date neatly aligned with an opportunity to apply for voluntary severance. The voluntary severance terms say anyone who has already resigned, or who resigns before the VS process is complete, is not eligible, but this isn't a problem for me because I don't need to resign.

I've mentioned this to a couple of friends outside of work and it has met with slightly furrowed brows, as if they're not sure it's the right thing to do, but I didn't probe. Am I missing any pitfalls? Is it morally wrong to take the severance pay when I have a new job seamlessly lined up?

Do it!!
My late DF gave his supervisor his letter of resignation when he was retiring. Heard nothing for 2 weeks. Then his (fabulous) supervisor gave him his resignation letter back as he’d heard there were voluntary redundancies coming up. DF got a good redundancy package and retired with some cash in the bank.

Yanbu! Do it!

Have you not already given them as referee to get a job offer? Waiting for vr may delay a start date.

I explained the situation to the new employer and they allowed me to sign the contract "subject to checks".

The references will be fine - not worried about those.

But that will tip your current employer off and give them a let out to pay.

If the dates add up and all the small print works then yes why not

Whwt a win. Go for it!

I did exactly this. Was going anyway, got headhunted for fab new job with massive pay rise (nearly doubled my salary) and they have paid me £90K to leave! Win win!

Go for it. Your current (and future) employer(s) wouldn’t think twice about cutting headcount. Which is nicely indicated by the voluntary, to be followed by non-discretionary, redundancies.

You owe them nothing, morally, other than to work the hours you’re paid for to the best level your skill set allows.

Do it! I know a few people who had a new job lined up to start the week after being made redundant, pocketing the redundancy pay out. While they were coy about when they got the new role, I’m pretty sure at least one just got lucky timing wise with a job offer before applying for voluntary redundancy.

Applying for voluntary severance doesnt automatically mean you’ll get it though. In which case, you WILL have to resign! Presumably your potential new employer will have to request a reference from your current employer?

If you’ve signed the contract, surely they’ve already contacted your employer for a reference? Also, the contract will be dated.

In my experience when VS has been offered at companies I have worked for, almost everyone I know who applied either planned to retire early, or had a job lined up.

Go for it and feel no guilt OP.

Perfect, but you need to realise that they may decide they don’t want to loose you, would this be an issue if you then had to wait for your notice period?

I tried this as my company wanted to loose 2/4 support staff unfortunately for me they wanted me so I then had to resign, then they complained!

I checked that. They don't equate asking for a reference as giving notice. (It would be a bit mean if they did because presumably many of the people applying for VS will also be actively applying for jobs to try and minimise the amount of time between jobs).

This is a risk, but I have a contingency plan for it (and firmly crossed fingers. 🙂)

No, contract was subject to references, so is ok.

When I got severance as part of redundancy recently the severance contract had a section in it that said I confirmed I had not received a job offer at the date I was signing. The lawyer who reviewed the contract said he could try to get it taken out if applicable to me - it wasn’t - but just bear that in mind as they may be less likely to agree to removing that clause if it’s a voluntary redundancy.

On a personal level I say go for it and think of it as a leaving bonus.

My only niggle would be the consideration of public vs private sector. I'd be a bit less inclined to do it personally if it was public money.

Totally fine, as long as it doesn’t break the contractual terms of the VS.

I’ve known lots of people leave jobs on VS schemes. All of them had been somewhere on the route to leaving already, whether for another role or retirement. Which is exactly why VS doesn’t work very well - it tends to be the best people who leave. But that is not your problem, it is your employer’s!

Thanks. I did ask to see the draft contract before I applied, but they wouldn't share it.

I was offered the new role verbally just a couple of hours before the VS application deadline, and received the offer in writing the following working day (so after I applied).

It did feel like the stars were aligning, so I went with my gut, but will watch out for gotchas in the contract terms.

Do it!! Just triple check the T&Cs of the VS, someone at my organisation got shafted last year because they had another job offer when they applied.

100% do it. My employer had a voluntary scheme a few years back, it was rumoured for months and people who were on the cusp of leaving or retirement held back. Some got lucky, some didn't, but by doing it none of them lost anything and nobody thought any the worse for them. These opportunities don't come along often so go for it

I actually refused a resignation from one of my team because I knew that the following week VS was opening and they would get it! Told them to wait a week, it netted them a free £20k.

I have absolutely no issue with it and have tried unsuccessfully to line it up that way for myself.