Management Think They Can Fire Expensive Employee, He Uses Golden Parachute Clause To Outsmart Them

I think it’s common knowledge that some corporate baddies out there care more about money than their employees. It’s hardly surprising when you look at the world, which is so obsessed with capitalism that people even sell their souls to get rich.

Speaking of such toxic companies, this one had the audacity to fire an employee for being “expensive.” Little did they know, their decision would add more fuel to the fire, because he was ready with a more pricey comeback. Read on to uncover how the company fell flat on its face!

More info: Reddit

Sometimes, corporate life can be pretty cruel to those who work really hard for them

Team in a modern office discussing charts and data while unaware of an expensive employee's pricey trick up his sleeve.

Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)

The poster has been working in a company for the past 7 years as a technical director, often helping clients from multiple regions

Text excerpt from a fired expensive employee revealing his role and skills helping teams across Europe and LATAM regions.

Text excerpt about traveling to a distant office for a meeting, highlighting an expensive employee’s hidden strategy.

Image credits: rammmyb

A group of coworkers discussing an expensive employee with a pricey trick during a business meeting.

Image credits: fauxels / Pexels (not the actual photo)

A couple of weeks back, he was ambushed with severance papers by management, who claimed he was getting too “expensive” for them

Company fires expensive employee during a meeting, unaware of his hidden pricey trick up his sleeve.

Text on screen showing a statement about an employee being fired for being too expensive during company restructuring.

Text displayed with sarcasm about being an expensive employee who brings huge profits to the company.

Person explaining severance papers at a table, highlighting the moment they had to stop the company from firing him.

Image credits: rammmyb

Man in beige jacket sitting at office table with two colleagues during discussion about expensive employee situation

Image credits: Edmond Dantès / Pexels (not the actual photo)

He clapped back with the “golden parachute” clause, where they were obligated to pay him a year’s salary, plus his projected bonus

Text excerpt showing a conversation about a golden parachute clause and pricey employee contract terms in a company dispute.

ALT text: Text describing an employee signing a new contract after being fired, revealing an expensive trick related to a non-compete clause.

Image credits: rammmyb

He also increased his consultancy rates as they kept giving him work, but the final blow is that he’s joining their biggest competitor

In today’s corporate drama, the original poster (OP) tells us how he taught a witty and expensive lesson to his large company. He has been working with them as a technical director of Southern Europe for the past 7 years. However, his position was more than that, as he also helped out with clients in Eastern Europe and the entire LATAM region.

It sounds like a pretty high-profile role, so naturally, he was getting a big, fat paycheck, which is what got him into trouble. He had traveled around 750 miles for a meeting, but after it was over, his boss singled him out to his office. Here’s where the plot thickens, because waiting for him were also the HR director with the local country manager, and he immediately sensed an ambush.

They told him that they were “restructuring” and he was “too expensive” for them. OP sarcastically retorted that he wouldn’t be so costly if he weren’t bringing in so much profit for the company. However, when they pushed the severance papers, he reminded them about a clause that he had signed. It stated that they owed him a whole year’s salary, plus his projected bonus, if they let him go.

Despite all this drama, they kept giving him more work, so he revealed his new consultancy rates of €1,500 per day and €800 for a half day. Well, that shut them up quickly, but OP was yet to deliver his final blow. Since they fired him without cause, the non-compete clause in his contract is void, so he is joining their biggest global competitor!

Person in business attire filling out expensive employee paperwork with a pen on a white desk surface.

Image credits: Kampus Production / Pexels (not the actual photo)

To get a deeper understanding of the corporate world and how such “golden parachute” clauses work, Bored Panda got in touch with HR specialist Nicola Dias. She claimed that these contracts are pretty common for senior executives, especially in big companies or fast-changing industries. Generally, it’s a way for them to attract top talent, she added.

Our expert also explained, “When a company says someone is ‘too expensive,’ especially if they have been doing a great job, it’s really important to think things through before letting them go. Ethically, it’s about treating people with respect and fairness, and honoring their contributions instead of just looking at the money.”

As per the expert, if it’s really about cost-cutting or restructuring, there are usually smarter, kinder options to explore first. Nicola stressed that letting someone go should be the last resort, not the first move, because how they treat one person sends a message to everyone else. In this case, it’s obvious that they just want to let go of a loyal high performer without rewarding him, she commented.

“This can seriously damage a company’s culture in the long run. People start to feel that hard work and dedication don’t really matter. It may lead to lower morale, less trust in leadership, and a sharp drop in motivation. Over time, it creates a culture where employees become more guarded, less engaged, and more likely to leave at the first opportunity,” Nicola summed up.

Well, it seems like the company just sparked more trouble for itself by firing the poster. Netizens heartily applauded him for handling it so wittily, and claimed they would love to see the management’s faces when he joins their competitors. I bet that will be a fun sight! What are your thoughts about the story? Feel free to type them away in the comments below!

Folks online couldn’t help but applaud him for his epic comeback, which cost the company way more than what they had anticipated

Comment about employee's daily rate being cheap compared to expected hourly price, relating to expensive employee and pricey trick.

User comment about being labeled expensive but quickly finding new job opportunities, highlighting pricey employee trait.

Comment text discussing curiosity about how Spanish helps in Eastern Europe, posted by user fibbermcgee113.

Comment text describing a fired expensive employee who returns as a subcontractor earning much more for the same job.

Screenshot of an online comment about a company firing an expensive employee without knowing his pricey trick.

Screenshot of a forum comment reacting to a company firing an expensive employee with a pricey trick up his sleeve.

Screenshot of a forum comment discussing a small company IT manager role with text about an expensive employee fired.

Screenshot of an online comment saying F yeah, related to company fires expensive employee story.

Screenshot of a forum comment praising content related to a company firing an expensive employee with a pricey trick.

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