Should I ask for any kind of retention bonus?

[Anonymous]

My company was sold a year ago and new C-suite came in. Shocked they did not give me a package. Fast forward to Oct 2025 and walking in on Monday to tell them I am "leaving the full time work force". In other words, semi-retiring and doing consulting work for a year before calling it quits on my career.

My boss is a decent guy but most people in the organization would probably say he is a bit of a jerk. They might tell me to leave immediately and pay me for two weeks. Or ask me to stay and help in a transition while they hire someone. If they do the latter, would you ask for a stay bonus or just keep going with your current compensation? One factor is objectively a brutal commute that tires me out way more than the job.

[Anonymous]

You’re not as important as you seem to think you are.

[Anonymous]

You can ask

[Anonymous]

Sheesh. You are not "leaving the full time work force" that is weird statement. Say "I am resigning effective x and plan to consult part time over the next few years."

They may show you the door immediately, at the end of the pay period, ask you to stay longer or hire you asca consultant after termination. Who knows. Plan for shown the door to get your stuff out.

[Anonymous]

Why would you tell them your future plans?

[Anonymous]

This is so weird. No. Just quit your job.

[Anonymous]

Why on earth would you say “leaving the full-time workforce?” Just say you are quitting. That’s it. Anything more than that is being overly dramatic.

[Anonymous]

You have an inflated opinion of how much you're worth.

If you were not one of the key employees that was interviewed in advance by the new team and locked up for x amount of time when the company was sold, you are expendable. Nobody is going to care that you are "leaving the full time workforce" or ffer you a stay bonus at this point.

[Anonymous]

No company ever went out of business because somebody quit. I have seen executive level F500 leave and a day later, you would never know they had worked there. But you do lose organizational knowledge and no guarantee a replacement will work out.