A loved one was offered voluntary severance on Friday. His company is downsizing so they sent out offers to the entire workforce asking for volunteers. He turned it down but he knows that within two years, the location will be closed and he'll be out of a job.
An overwhelming majority of people have told him to stick it out to the bitter end and then take the offer given then.
I don't think so.
Playing last man (or woman) standing is not pleasant. More and more responsibilities are placed on fewer and fewer staff (I've heard of office workers mopping floors). Everyone is tense, on edge, and snappy. Not to mention, the package offered at the end is usually quite stingy.
I told him to start looking for a new job immediately. Yes, he'd be walking away for a package but that package is designed to bridge between employment, not to be a windfall. If he finds a new job, no bridge is needed.
We’ve talked about the benefits of looking for a job while having a job before. There is no off putting smell of desperation turning employers off (employers like to hire people other employers want). The job searcher has the luxury of time and can wait for a great job, rather than settle for any job. He has some negotiation power. This translates into (usually) a higher salary. That higher salary will more than make up for any severance pay lost.