Nudging toward "retirement?"

I probably can guess the response to this, but
here's the skinny: we are an emerging airline that
recently completed its 121 certification, allowing
us to compete side by side with the big guys.
Upon getting certified, we had an older gentleman
(over 70) that could no longer, by regulation,
captain the aircraft. Because we also had a
reg requiring a Director of Safety, we pulled him
from the cockpit and put him in this admin position.
He really doesn't have all the required military,
field, and mechanical background to flesh out this
position, and we've found someone else who
fits the bill to a "T" (not a kid - he's 62).
We'd like to nudge our friend into retirement -
perhaps with an attractive severence package or
something like occasional contract work. He's become
profoundly deaf, and the FAA is not thrilled about
a Director of Safety who can't hear anything. He is
also single, and hasn't saved much over the years,
so we know he's unlikely to be marketable.

So, to you panel of experts, what are the tricky
spots to a maneuver like this? Any tips?

Thx, Tracey

Comments

  • 4 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • You need to talk to your attorney on this one. I would not go into this with tips from us. Although some of us do give good advice. x}>
  • Hi Tracey - I agree with Smace, you should cover your bases & talk to your attorney about this issue. If you go the severance route - make sure to get a signed severance agreement from the gentleman (just in case you didn't know).

    That said, I think your company is in a tight spot. To a stranger (me), your post reads like this: We have a gentleman working for us that no longer met the requirements of one job, so we put him into another job in which he also didn't fit requirements. Does this sum it up? Man - does your company sound really, really nice x:-)

    An attorney will help get your company out of this pickle, but hopefully your company will start laying the groundwork now, based on this situation, of only putting people into jobs that they're qualified to do - & not because it's the "nice" thing or the "least confrontational" thing to do. Good luck!

    Mandi
  • This is a mess you will probably have to buy your way out of. When you give an older employee a severance package, you need to be aware and beware that they can still sue you under ADEA and collect money there plus the severance. In order to avoid this, there is a list of things you must do such as give them time (a prescribed number of days)to change their mind, advise them to consult an attorney, etc. A good labor attorney will know this list and walk you through it. Better make sure you are getting what you are paying for.
  • How is his job performance? Is there anything there you could focus on that would give you leverage?
Sign In or Register to comment.