Should I Take the Boeing Voluntary Layoff (VLO)

On April 20, Boeing announced a Voluntary Layoff (VLO) program in response to recent economic events. For employees who qualify, this benefit may be an opportunity to meet the goal of retirement sooner than expected. Are you wondering if you should take advantage of this program?

At Merriman, we’ve been helping Boeing employees navigate decisions like this for over 30 years. Here are the main points you should consider:

Benefits

For eligible employees, Boeing is offering a lump-sum payment of one week’s pay for every year of service completed, up to a maximum of 26 years in most cases.

Employees who accept the VLO offer may also receive a few months of subsidized health insurance benefits and access to other benefits.

While employees who accept the VLO may apply in the future for open employee or contractor positions, accepting the VLO forfeits any first consideration rehire or recall rights. This program is used as a permanent separation from Boeing, causing the employee to lose those rehire benefits.

Important Dates

Boeing has announced the following important dates for this VLO offer:

April 27, 2020                    VLO Registration Opens

May 4, 2020                       VLO Registration Closes

May 14, 2020                     Formal Notification Sent to Employees

June 5, 2020                       Last Day on Payroll

Am I in a position to retire?

Many people may be considering the VLO offer but are unclear what retiring now would mean for their future lifestyle. This is a major decision to make in a short amount of time, and there are many factors to consider. What retirement lifestyle are you dreaming of? Are the assets you have saved enough? Will you have other income sources like Social Security or pension benefits? To help weigh your options, we’re offering a complimentary financial analysis for Boeing employees considering the VLO program.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by assessing the pros and cons of this decision, reach out to us for your complimentary personalized analysis. We can help you determine whether retiring now would provide you with a sustainable retirement that meets your lifestyle needs.