I did get pension-whipped back in those days but the longest tenure I achieved was 15 years between layoffs.
I have been with the same company 34 years now, it was my fathers and since he died now it is mine.
43 years this June.
Of course, tomorrow is a big lay-off
Could be my last day...
Yup,I did...and so did my Dad.It’s what you did back then.
Sometimes it is best to move around. You may get 5% or 10% or much more depending on the line of work you are in. I went from below $8/hr at the first job and now make much more after working at 5 jobs. I should have moved around more but I am 9 years away from retirement so I do not think I will be attempting the fates.
I had 1 co-worker quit after starting just 9 months before at the internal Help Desk job to work at another company that gave him a 40% raise doing the same work. He notified another here that there was a job opening a few months later and that guy got a 50% raise making in the low 60’s. I had to be here for 13 years to get close to that money.......
I started in the computer software industry in 1984 with no pension. Since then I’ve never lasted at any company past 9.5 years, through no fault of my own. I can name all the companies. Mini-computers, disk drives, semi conductor, gas and fluid process control, now medical.
I last worked with people who were there 20, 25, even 30 years. These people are now getting laid off or will be. Many will retire. Those that cannot are screwed. For every one of them are 10 or 20 H1-B visa holders from India who are trained in the latest technology and they aren’t.
I lived this for two brief months. I saw. I overcame. For now.
I did 42 but the company had three different owners during the period. It’s recently changed again.
The third owner was private equity and they squeezed out all the old guys like myself.
I worked at the same company for 25 years. Then I turned 50. That’s when the pension really started to accrue. I got laid off just like all the other 50 year old people.