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By Darlin Tillery
Life & Trends Reporter
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A family man says he is torn after his employer offered him $150,000 to resign, a proposal he described as potentially “life-changing.”
The 30-year-old father of two, under the Reddit username AJ3TurtleSquad, explained that he earns about $100,000 a year in a physically demanding job and has spent nearly seven years with the company.
His wife stays home with their two young sons and he relies on the job’s “great insurance” and steady hours.
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Dad Confronted
“My job is very physically demanding and I don't know if my body will last 30 more years here,” the original poster (OP) shared, adding that while he enjoys the role, “for the most part,” he has faced mounting pressure from management over the past year.
The dad claimed the offer, which would amount to about $105,000 after tax, is part of a wider buyout program at UPS that employees can opt into.
Chances are, he will not have enough seniority to qualify, he noted, but the offer forced him to confront a question he had been avoiding: what comes next?
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Around 4,000 comments responded on Reddit within five days, often with blunt advice.
"They want you gone either way, safe choice is to just take it, [in my opinion]," a contributor declared.
Another person sympathized: “Lots of people at UPS weighing this choice and mostly younger men that can get into the trades. Open your biz.”
The original poster (OP) replied with a question of his own: “Is being an electrician or plumber worth it over UPS?”
Severance packages can vary widely and are not guaranteed under federal law.
“There is no requirement in the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for severance pay,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which notes that severance, “is a matter of agreement between an employer and an employee (or the employee's representative)."
Opportunity and Risk
For workers who have spent years at one company, a buyout can feel like both an opportunity and a risk.
Amanda Cardoso wrote in The Muse that losing a long-held role can leave employees reeling after they believed they would, "retire there.”
Career coach Kaila Kea-Lewis told The Muse, “The process for applying and receiving benefits is usually slow, so I would move that forward as soon as possible,” referring to unemployment benefits.
Kea-Lewis also advised workers to review severance policies and take time to reassess their long-term goals before rushing into another role.
The UPS employee said he had considered health care as a possible next step but admitted, “I don't think I'd like working with sick people very much.”
He also acknowledged lacking direction, even as a friend accepted the same offer, “without a true backup plan.”
On the Table
After weighing the responses, he shared an update: “I will be staying with UPS and if I would like to change careers then I will do so on my own time while still having a great job,” he wrote.
The OP added that declining the offer would not cost him his position and that he expects to gain seniority and additional hours.
For now, the six-figure buyout remains an option on the table. Whether it becomes a stepping stone into the trades, a small business or a different path entirely is a decision he appears content to postpone.
Newsweek has reached out to AJ3TurtleSquad for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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