After You Retire...

     they just want you to go away

I worked at one of the 10 largest food companies in the United States for over 33 years. What a difference a few years make after you leave their employment. I am of the realization that this company owes me nothing at the end of the day, but it's still remarkable the differences between how I was treated when I worked for them and now that I'm retired.

In September they'd start sending mail about our upcoming benefit elections, the new costs and the changes we may need make for the next year. This would be followed up by several meetings we had on company time. Now that I'm retired.. POOF!

This month I got my quarterly bill for life insurance for the remainder of the year. First off they use to only increase this at the first of the new year. Instead they raised it three months earlier then they ever had before and 6 months before my birthday. They did this without any warning so I could save up for the increase. No letters, no email, no nothing. The increase is an astounding 79 1/2%. Of course I can't continue affording this. Just last December I reduced my coverage by half for 2014. Now they want to charge me even more then what they wanted for double the coverage last year before I reduced it

Hell it would take me almost 30 years to get that kind of increase (at it's present rate) to receive 79 1/2% more in social security. These yahoos expect that in just 1 year !!!

I called to cancel. I couldn't use their online website. It said it was down for maintenance for over a week or did they change that too w/o notifying us?

After navigating the menu (which didn't have a cancellation option) I pressed 0 and waited on hold (being reminded how important my call was) for 30+ minutes before someone finally answered. I said I wanted to cancel. After giving my information the policy was cancelled in less then a minute with no questions asked. No save-a-sale involved here. I can take a hint. Obviously they wanted to dump my ass.

Costs for my retiree medical benefits is skyrocketing even worse. Last year I qualified for Medicare. Here I though it would be cheaper. Instead it went up double. HUH !!

The way I figure it this company used to schmooze us for all it was worth since unions constantly were banging at their door. After ya retire.. the hell wid ya. What are we gonna do about it...go on strike?

I'm posting this as fair warning to those who are coming up on retirement. No matter how much companies pretend to care this is what you can expect.

I can truly understand companies are not charities, but there used to be such a thing as business etiquette. Retirees should receive advance notice about changes and cost increases. Sure companies can't afford to baby us till death, but they sure as hell needn't pull the plug on us by both unexpectedly and unreasonably escalating the costs of the benefits we were promised. At least not without some sort of fair warning so we have time to prepare or find alternatives..