Have you seen your boss asking different employees from the staff about when they are going to retire? It’s a creepy question, though, but the intentions are not always bad.
What will I learn?
It’s okay to get annoyed by this weird question of your boss. But what should you do in this regard?
Why Boss Ask A Staff When To Retire – 10 Reasons
You should simply tell them when you’re planning to retire; it’s the only way to get rid of this question.
Sometimes bosses ask this question because they are doing workforce or succession planning. And such questions are necessary to ask in such kinds of planning.
However, you should know the reason behind it to see if you or your job is in danger or it is just a simple question.
Here are some reasons why a boss asks a staff when to retire and what should you do in such a situation.
1. The Boss Wants You To Rest At Home:
You’re near your retiring age, and your boss is aware of your depleting health conditions. He knows you can’t manage all the tasks at work now because of weak memory issues.
Also, you’re isolated because all other employees of your age have already retired.
Maybe your boss doesn’t want to see you struggling at work and feeling lonely. That’s why he asks when you’re planning to retire.
2. Why Boss Asks A Staff When To Retire – He Wants To Get Rid Of You:
Your boss is now tired of seeing you in the company for so long. He either doesn’t like you, or your working style feds him up.
It can be a reason why the boss asks a staff when to retire because he wants to know how long he has to endure.
You might not be doing anything to irritate your boss bus he’s still bothered by your presence. He simply wants to get rid of you.
3. The Boss Can’t Find A Suitable Reason To Fire You:
In reference to the previous point, this one has a quite similar reason for this question. Your boss asks you again and again about your retirement plan because he can’t get a reason to fire you.
He might hate you to the core and can’t bear you at work for even one more day. The moment he gets a reason to fire you, he won’t think for once more.
But until then, he keeps on asking such questions to signal you that you aren’t wanted anymore.
4. He Wants To Place Someone Else On Your Position:
Maybe a friend of your boss has requested him to help him get a job. Or someone from the company is your boss’s favorite, and he wants to place him in your position.
Yes, it can be a possible reason for your boss wanting you to retire. Although it’s legally and morally wrong, your boss is trying anyways.
He wants to vacant your position so he can appoint someone favorable in your place.
5. The Company Can’t Afford The Cost Of Firing You:
Your boss knows that if he fires you for some trivial reason, he’ll have to keep paying you until you get a job.
He might not be in a position to pay you anymore but can’t fire you either because of the financial disturbance.
Also, he may not have the guts to fire you because he knows you’ll suffer while finding a new job.
As he has no other option, he asks you when you’re retiring so he can be at ease knowing you’re leaving soon.
6. The Boss Is Estimating The Time To Make New Hiring:
The boss doesn’t want you to leave early, or he has nothing to do with your retirement. He’s just working on succession planning and asks you this question as a part of his planning.
Your boss has to estimate the time required to hire and train new people.
That’s why he asks older employees about their retirement, so the company has enough time for new hiring.
7. He’s Trying To Cut On The Company’s Costs:
The company is in a financial crisis or is about to face one, your boss knows it and wants to do something.
He asks you when you’re retiring so that he can help the organization cut costs. The boss might ask the same question to other older employees, and you don’t know it.
This is a way to encourage you for early retirement so the company can get rid of you by paying just benefits.
Your boss might tease you by asking this question and compel you to quit your job. It will even save the retirement benefits.
8. Why Boss Ask A Staff When To Retire – He’s Threatened Of Your Growth:
Being an old employee, you’re getting promotions and benefits after so many years of hard work.
But your boss can’t digest this fact, and he wants to remove you from your position at any cost.
This is the reason he keeps on asking when you’re about to retire so he can satisfy his mind. The boss can’t see anyone else progressing!
9. He Wants To Hire Fresh Talent:
With the growing age, our productivity level decreases because we can’t work with the same old energy.
Your boss is aware of your working capacity, and he thinks you need to get replaced. That’s because he can’t compromise on the productivity level.
The boss maybe want to hire someone energetic and enthusiastic. Bringing new and fresh talent to the company will bring more good as these people are creative and hardworking.
This can be one of the reasons your boss asks when you are going to retire. He wants to know so that he can train and hire new people.
10. Thinks You Can’t Mix Up With Younger People:
You’re in your older years now, and there are younger and fresh graduates appointed all around you. You try your best to vibe with them and give your best in team projects.
But your boss thinks the opposite. In his eyes, you’ve grown older, and your energy is not matching with theirs.
When you can’t mix up with a group of younger people, it will affect the productivity according to the boss.
That’s the reason the boss asks about your retirement because he wants you to go home and do something else.
5 Signs Your Boss Wants You To Retire
If you’re near your retirement age, it’s possible that your boss wants you to retire. Some bosses directly ask old age employees to get some rest at home. At the same time, others are scared of being offensive.
Here are some of the signs that your boss wants you to retire.
1. He Doesn’t Call You For Long-Term Projects:
If you’re getting too short assignments, it might not be a coincidence. The boss can be doing it purposely because he doesn’t see you as a part of the team now.
The boss thinks you should retire now because you can’t afford to be a part of their vision. They are planning something big and think you won’t be able to work anymore.
2. You Aren’t Being Invested In:
Previously, you’ve been getting lots of constructive feedback from your employer. But now, he seems to be uninterested and doesn’t want you to progress.
The boss thinks you can’t contribute to the long-term vision of the organization. That’s why he doesn’t bother to give you valuable feedback.
3. Your Career Has Stopped:
A strong sign is your boss putting obstacles in your way. He doesn’t want you to get promoted to a higher position because he’s mentally ready to leave.
When you ask him to give his opinion about your promotion, he’ll tell you not to accept the promotion.
So if you think that you aren’t growing anymore, your boss wants you to retire.
4. Makes Mocking Comments About Your Age:
Your boss has started to make rude comments and offensive jokes about your age. It’s his way of encouraging you to opt for retirement.
If the boss is making light comments about your age, it’s not illegal. But if his comments are quite rude and repetitive, then it will create a bad work environment for you.
5. You Get A Different Treatment:
If your boss is categorizing employees for projects based on their age, he’s signaling you to retire.
He must be giving different yet preferential treatment to younger employees. So if you’re getting locked up to differential treatment, it’s the time your boss wants you to retire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can An Employer Ask An Employee When They Are Going To Retire?
No one can force an employee to retire because of the age factor. If a boss repeatedly asks an employee when to retire, he’s signaling to fire him. Yet, the employer has the right to know beforehand that when an employee is going to retire.
When Should An Employer Announce Retirement?
The ideal time to announce your retirement is three weeks before the specific date. You must tell your boss three weeks before the actual retirement date. It’s necessary to tell your boss beforehand so he can plan to hire and train a new person as your replacement.
Can I Get Fired For Announcing Retirement?
It depends on the employer that whether he accepts this announcement strategy or not. But you should give it a try anyway. However, you can’t stop him from firing you. If it deprives you of your retirement benefits, hire an attorney.
Is It Better To Resign Or Retire?
It depends on your choice, but retiring is better than resigning. When you get retired, you’ll receive benefits like healthcare and pension. But when you resign, it means you’re willingly quitting your job, which deprives you of the said benefits.
Conclusion
A boss would ask an employee when he’s retiring because he either wants him to rest or doesn’t want to see him at all.
No matter the reason, the point is that the boss is pushing you out of the door.
You should ask your boss why he’s repeatedly enquiring about your retirement in such a scenario.
If he doesn’t respond in a reasonable manner, you should go to HR. Ask HR professionals to provide guidance for what to do next.
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Last Updated on 2 years by Shahzaib Arshad
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