Alston & Bird, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants

Alston & Bird Staff: You Don't Have To Go Home But You Can't Stay Here

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Last week, older support staff at Alston & Bird received a memo encouraging them to think about the future:

We are pleased to introduce the Alston & Bird Staff Early Retirement Incentive Program. This Program is offered in response to requests from many of you and in our effort to continue to improve our staffing ratios in all offices. The Program is completely voluntary and is available to any paralegal, secretary or staff employee who has been employed by Alston & Bird for at least 10 years and is at least 55 years of age. If you qualify and are interested in participating in the Program, you must sign the Acknowledgement form at the end of this memo and return it to Michael Stephens no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26, 2008.

Employees who accept this offer may continue their employment through December 31, 2008. Employees can choose one of the following two benefit options, with payments beginning after termination of employment on December 31, 2008 (or such earlier date as may be agreed upon by the employee and the Firm).

“Completely voluntary?” How many people believe that the early retirement program is being offer because of overwhelming staff desire to “improve staffing ratios?”

For staffers with over 20 years at the firm, the early retirement plan offers 23 weeks of salary, or 16 weeks of salary plus a $450 health care subsidy.

Sound fair? Let’s fast forward to the end of the message:

Once again, please note that the deadline for electing to participate in the Program closes at 5:00 p.m. on November 26, 2008. The Firm may not offer this or any other early retirement or similar program again at a later date. If we do not receive an adequate number of responses in certain areas, the firm may need to take additional steps to adjust our staffing ratios.

An “adequate number of responses” reminds me of the scene in Gladiator when Commodus suffocates his father under the guise of a hug. How callous do you have to be to essentially threaten 55-year-old people who have worked for your company for over a decade with “additional steps to adjust our staffing ratios?” I know we’re in the midst of a serious financial crisis, but there’s a way to be a person about these things.

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Predictably, older staff, younger staff, even attorneys at A&B are freaking out. A tipster reports:

Older staff is in panic. Get pressured into package now, or get laid off later with nothing. (Wonder how they’re going to fill those extra 2 floors they just leased in the NY office in this economic environment?) Nothing equivalent for lawyers yet, but A&B is very youth-worshiping, so it’s just a matter of time I expect.

We dig deeper into the “incentive program” and post it in full after the jump.


Here’s a fun little caveat to the program’s continuing health care coverage:

Monthly medical subsidy of $450/month until the month the retiree attains age 65. The firm reserves the right to amend and/or terminate the Retiree Medical Plan at any time.

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Come again? Part of the incentive is a health care stipend that may or may not exist at the time you need health care?

But, if you are eligible, don’t you kind of have to take Alston & Bird’s offer? From behind the veil, 23 weeks of salary beats the bag out of getting fired.

Speaking of being let go, how confident can older, expensive associates be about their jobs?

Good luck Alston & Bird people. Read the full memo below.

ALSTON & BIRD — MEMO — EARLY RETIREMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM

We are pleased to introduce the Alston & Bird Staff Early Retirement Incentive Program. This Program is offered in response to requests from many of you and in our effort to continue to improve our staffing ratios in all offices. The Program is completely voluntary and is available to any paralegal, secretary or staff employee who has been employed by Alston & Bird for at least 10 years and is at least 55 years of age. If you qualify and are interested in participating in the Program, you must sign the Acknowledgement form at the end of this memo and return it to Michael Stephens no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 26, 2008.

Employees who accept this offer may continue their employment through December 31, 2008. Employees can choose one of the following two benefit options, with payments beginning after termination of employment on December 31, 2008 (or such earlier date as may be agreed upon by the employee and the Firm).

Option A: Salary Continuation:

Employees with 10-14 years of service will receive 18 weeks of salary continuation, payable over a 52-week period on the following schedule:

* 3 weeks at 100% salary

* 4 weeks at 75% salary

* 3 weeks at 50% salary

* 42 weeks at 25% salary

Employees with 15-19 years of service will receive 20 weeks of salary continuation, payable over a 52-week period on the following schedule:

* 4 weeks at 100% salary

* 6 weeks at 75% salary

* 4 weeks at 50% salary

* 38 weeks at 25% salary

Employees with 20+ years of service will receive 23 weeks of salary continuation, payable over a 52-week period on the following schedule:

* 6 weeks at 100% salary

* 8 weeks at 75% salary

* 6 weeks at 50% salary

* 32 weeks at 25% salary

Option B: Salary Continuation, plus A&B retiree medical subsidy:

Employees with 10-14 years of service will receive 12 weeks of salary continuation, payable over a 24-week period on the following schedule:

* 8 weeks at 75% salary

* 8 weeks at 50% salary

* 8 weeks at 25% salary

Plus $450/month subsidy for A&B Retiree Medical Plan

Employees with 15-19 years of service will receive 14 weeks of salary continuation, payable over a 28-week period on the following schedule:

* 2 weeks at 100% salary

* 8 weeks at 75% salary

* 6 weeks at 50% salary

* 12 weeks at 25% salary

Plus $450/month subsidy for A&B Retiree Medical Plan

Employees with 20+ years of service will receive 16 weeks of salary continuation, payable over a 30-week period on the following schedule:

* 4 weeks at 100% salary

* 8 weeks at 75% salary

* 6 weeks at 50% salary

* 12 weeks at 25% salary

Plus $450/month subsidy for A&B Retiree Medical Plan

*Monthly medical subsidy of $450/month until the month the retiree attains age 65. The firm reserves the right to amend and/or terminate the Retiree Medical Plan at any time.

To help you understand the results of the salary continuation process, a sample payout schedule is attached. In addition, PTO (Planned Time Off) balances will be paid out in accordance with the PTO policy. Please note that all employees who elect to participate in the Program will be required to sign a release agreement as a condition of receiving any benefits under the Program.

We hope to honor all requests for the Early Retirement Program. However, the firm reserves the right to limit the number in a particular office, administrative department or practice group if it adversely affects the continued operation of that area. Once again, please note that the deadline for electing to participate in the Program closes at 5:00 p.m. on November 26, 2008. The Firm may not offer this or any other early retirement or similar program again at a later date. If we do not receive an adequate number of responses in certain areas, the firm may need to take additional steps to adjust our staffing ratios.

If you qualify and want to discuss your options under the Program, please contact [Redacted].

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