Ok, I know nothing about the law and the only time I worked retail was when I was in college and I worked for Lane Bryant for a semester (nice deal, they gave steep discounts and free bras to the employees once a month I remember buying their jeans which were normally like 70 bucks (much to expensive for a poor college student like myself) for 15 dollars. ANYWAY). I’m watching Between a Taiwanese drama and I’ve got QUESTIONS.

The setting for the drama is a luxury clothing company. Their brand has its own fancy pants website and is sold in department stores and they also have a slew of their own clothing stores. The company decided to close 5 of these stores. They offered the employees a severance package, offered to help them find new jobs and a bonus. Now–these employees didn’t own these stores. They worked in the stores selling the clothes and doing up the mannequins and helping the customers. Like I said, I only worked at LB for a semester–I have no idea what would have happened if the store went under when I worked there but I feel pretty ding dang confident that they would have given me my last paycheck, a hi five and the offer to write a recommendation letter if I needed one later. There would have been no severance packages. There would have been no bonus checks. There would have been no offer to help find a new job. I don’t think, anyway. Maybe they would have.

In the drama the employees of the stores that are closing are protesting and picketing for bigger severance packages, guaranteed seniority benefits at their new jobs and something else–I don’t remember. So my question is this: I know that this is a drama but how freaking realistic IS THIS? Is this because this is a luxury brand company? Is this a culture clash? Is this because I’ve never been there for the closing of a retail company? Because I’m sitting here befuddled like–what were you expecting when the store closed? Its RETAIL! Like–sorry, Charlie, that you are losing your job but they are offering to help you find a new one and giving you a severance package and a bonus. And you’re getting a bonus when your stores are closing because NO ONE SHOPPED THERE. So basically for nothing. What is happening right now?

Guys, I need some answers please. Are they overreacting (in their defense they are getting pumped up by a sneaky lady with plans of revenge on her mind) or am I underreacting?

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    I have never heard of any retail store giving severance packages for employees. Sometimes they don’t even get a heads up that the store is closing. If you’re lucky they will transfer you to another location, but it is a big fat IF.

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      This is what I thought but no one in the drama was like: pfft. They want bigger severance packages? They can get TF outta here! Everyone is bopping around like this is perfectly reasonable (except for the picketing. The picketing everyone is all annoyed with). So I was like is this a culture clash? Does this happen at fancy retail stores? Thanks for answering and telling me that these women are just outta line.

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    So my Mom works for a retail store (she is full-time and does the ordering among other things) and when they went private a few years ago, they were rehired by the new company and any vacation and retirement they had was paid out to them. Soon they will be managed by a new company and their soon to be old company is paying out their vacation time and giving them 2 month severance for ALL employees.

    I think it really depends on the store and management. I’m not familiar with retail and doubt the above happens a lot, but I think it can happen.

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    There was a retail store nearby that shutdown (not high end more of an electronics company) and I had a friend who worked there when they got laid off they got 6 months severance and then qualified for E.I.

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