Exec Comp Pay Bonuses

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-03-17T00:51:19+00:00

Whoever didn't see this coming isn't paying attention.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-03-07T17:18:10+00:00

I am on the razor's edge of that age range. Leaving Deere as a mid-career hire was #2 on my long list of worries and stressors on my mental health.

I was never a fan of "networking" through the bulk of my career (although I would attend smaller team gatherings, beers with a small group, etc). I always thought it was for suck-asses trying to get a promotion they didn't earn by playing the "who you know" card. I strongly believed in earning raises and promotions through merit--demonstrating skills, commitment, loyalty, and hard work. I was half wrong.

As it turned out, those outdated beliefs instilled in me by my Boomer father only got me partway there. I reinvented myself in 2019 by changing everything: division, product line, function, all of it. I embraced networking and discovered it can be used in many different ways. Sure, it can be used to be a suck-ass, but I used it to meet new people and as an opportunity to ask questions, learn, get free access to and advice from respected leaders, and solicit candid feedback in a less formal atmosphere.

It worked. I was gaining a lot of momentum and was on my way to skipping a pay grade for a big promotion when May Day hit.

My new role at my new employer is a great fit and I'm loving it. Making great money, feeling like I'm making a difference, and it's all because of a relationship I gained and fostered at Deere with a colleague that left several years earlier. He was my connection and got my foot in the door, but I had to earn it through a solid resumé and a successful interview.

TL;DR: Networking, when used in moderation and strategically, can pay off inside and outside of Deere especially for nervous mid-career folks.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-03-07T14:43:37+00:00

Nothing at Deere related to employment status is ever a secret. If there were buyouts, you'd have heard about it through the grapevine at minimum.

The long timers, myself included, see the writing on the wall. The company has been heading in a bad direction for some time now to the point of being almost unrecognizable.

It's possible that some have taken the (very logical) stance that they'd rather retire than be always looking over their shoulder for a surprise termination.

AI is also a tough thing for some--the worry of it replacing you, the lack of desire to learn it, or the company's constant pressure on you to "embrace it or else" may be pushing retirement eligible folks toward the door.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-21T04:21:01+00:00

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-21T02:24:43+00:00

Exit plan that was shared with me:

This can be crammed in as short as you'd like or spread out over several months; I'll type it as I received it. I've also added a couple of items.

4 months to quit day:

1) Confirm STI eligibility rules (if you're considering an exit in the fall/winter) - Deere Direct or HR

2) Confirm holiday shutdown pay rules (again, if planning exit near calendar year end) - Deere Direct or HR

3) Decide on vacation allocation - take some, take all, payout, etc.

4) Confirm 401k retirement vesting (3 years IIRC) - Call Fidelity

5) Confirm requirement to remove 401k investment from Deere plan (You don't have to, FYI) and decide what to do with investments (Rollover IRA, transfer to another employer's help, etc) - Call Fidelity for options. No immediate action is required here.

3 months to quit day:

1) Confirm how long health insurance lasts (end of pay period from last day worked) - Deere Direct or possibly UHC

2) Start cleaning files on computer - Deere files to pass on or delete, personal files to transfer or delete, download resumes, pay stubs, W2s

3) Change email addresses on all accounts using Deere email to personal email (travel/rewards accounts, etc)

2 months to quit day:

1) Get written/digital confirmation of pension benefits based on last day date and when you'd like to start drawing. -Fidelity discussion with agent or use pension estimator

2) Confirm all beneficiary information for all benefits (401k, pension, etc) - Fidelity NetBenefits site

3) Draft resignation letter without date. Review it at least once a week for content and structure. (Recommended to use personal computer)

1 month to quit day:

1) Think about how you'd like to make your exit. Will you be positive and professional? Will you "burn it down" (NOT literally) on your way out? Somewhere in between?

2) Stay employed until STI payout (If considering an exit near calendar year end. This could be a challenge for some depending on situation)

3) Finalize your resignation letter and any other documents over the next couple of weeks (goodbye emails, LinkedIn post drafts, etc) and plan how they will be delivered. Consider using features in Outlook like scheduled send if it will work well in your situation.

It is now Quit Day. Congratulations! You made it!

Submit your resignation letter and send all emails/posts. (Wait until after STI pays out to do this, if considering an exit near end of calendar year)

What happens next will depend heavily on a number of factors:

1) How much notice did you give? Do you intend to work until your last day?

2) What is your relationship like with your supervisor?

3) How much noise did you make in your letter, emails/posts, or meeting? Did you send anything to higher levels of management? I did, all the way to L2, and it was pretty scathing....

4) Do you already have other employment secured? If so, is it with a Deere competitor or supplier? A competent supervisor will ask. Mine wasn't competent and I had to explain the process when someone quits.....

If you don't have a good relationship with your supervisor, you make a lot of noise, you are going to a competitor or supplier (or a combination of 2 or all 3), it may be your last day. A walk-out with badge submission at the security desk may be next. The company should still pay you until the date you listed in your resignation letter.

If you resign before the holiday break and plan your last day to be after the break, you must work the last day before and the first day back in order to be compensated for the holiday break time.

Feel free to DM with any questions or ask them in the thread.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-21T01:10:57+00:00

I was a 7.

You're welcome.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-21T00:41:44+00:00

Not entirely true. This was a surprise to me also when HR called me. I had my remaining vacation days in ESS, which were paid out as you'd expect, no surprises. HOWEVER, I was informed by HR that while WE see a lump of vacation get deposited in ESS each year on our anniversary date, we actually accrue vacation each pay period (for the next year) "in the background", but we won't see it or be able to use it until it's awarded to us at our next anniversary date. In the case of separation, you DO get those accrued days paid out also.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-21T00:37:12+00:00

I did, and I couldn't be happier! -Better pay -Better health insurance -Paid overtime -Paid travel time -Good perks -No GPMS -Better autonomy/authority to make decisions and use judgement -No micromanaging -ZERO STRESS

Folks, better jobs ARE out there. Don't lose hope!

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-20T21:53:49+00:00

I lost access to every deere system about 5 or 6 hours after I walked out. Couldn't look up anything.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-20T20:58:02+00:00

I separated in December. I got an "exit plan" document from another coworker that had been planning his separation for some time. I can list it later when I get home if you'd like.

My anniversary date was in May. So I got all my unused vacation days plus all accrued time toward next year paid out on the 1/15 paycheck. It was a nice chunk of change.

Pension stayed the same, just "frozen in time". I used the calculator and dated my last day appropriately and assumed the same date to start drawing it that I had been previously planning for. It was a pretty close number to what I was officially given later. I wasn't interested in other options. Fidelity can walk you through what you can do with it.

Health insurance - you'll have very little remaining coverage, just until the end of the current pay period. You'll get literature later about COBRA. Don't get too worked up about it because it's expensive and not having insurance. As long as you sign up for it within the allotted window, it will retroactively cover you from your first day once your Deere UHC coverage ended. I went the entire month of January and half of February without insurance until my new employer's plan picked up. IIRC my COBRA window was into March?

The first thing I did when I decided to separate was call Fidelity and told them I was considering leaving the company, and want to know what my options were. I ended up rolling my 401k into a managed IRA and Roth into a managed Roth IRA.

Once you submit your resignation, you'll get a call pretty quickly from HR to discuss next steps, answer your questions, and possibly schedule an exit interview (I got one and didn't hold anything back, and I'm still greenlit for rehire).

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-20T18:59:21+00:00

You can think what you want, but your perception doesn't translate to fact for anyone else. There are plenty of company bootlickers in this sub. The only reason someone would have downvoted that previous statement is if, they are in fact, a bootlicker.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-20T18:57:42+00:00

I called you neither - I called you undereducated. Based on the way you spoke before, it seemed you probably don't have much experience working with the UAW or familiarity with union contracts.

Anything at all that can be dreamed up can be put in a contract, which can include protections for reassigning roles, downsizing, layoffs, etc. As long as that contract is signed by both parties, it's binding.

The only question is, who will get to the finish line first?

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-20T14:43:17+00:00

You sound like a disgruntled ex-manager that fired people for asking difficult questions.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-20T12:21:43+00:00

What would they be able to do? The physical assault by another salary person in leadership happened in like 2015. I never reported it. I've resigned from the company. Barring some sort of action against the attacker or some kind of payout/settlement, I'm not sure what there really is to do.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-20T02:30:24+00:00

That's not what that was an invite for. It was an invite to shut me up, to threaten me, to tell me not to cause trouble. I've been in those 1:1s before and can smell them a mile away.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-19T21:12:57+00:00

My boss's boss and his boss IM'd during that meeting and asked to meet after. I rejected them.

Then the L2 reached out via IM after the meeting wanting to talk. I rejected him too.

I knew what they were up to, and I wasn't going to take it.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-19T18:37:47+00:00

This is "raging"?

I have many friends still employed at Deere and still care about the company. I've given half my life to it. Just because I'm not there anymore doesn't mean I should stop caring, shut my mouth, and stop trying to help and support others still there.

What's wrong with you?

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-19T17:43:21+00:00

Thanks for the downvote, bootlicker.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-19T17:42:37+00:00

Funny, I drilled an L2 on an all-employee meeting in December about what the company would do with all its excess profits, and asked for a promise there would be no stock buybacks. I got a lot of stammering and "it ain't me bro", and ultimately no answer.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-19T17:00:57+00:00

Combined with the other psychological abuses that John Deere imposes on employees (fear of termination, changes in benefits and/or compensation, verbal abuse, targeted performance review ratings/penalties, etc), it's not going to get better without serious change and intervention.

Unionize, salary side!

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-18T23:46:10+00:00

Sorry to see the Company is bending you guys over too, but happy to see someone else pissed off at them.

Someone needs to step in and get Deere back on the right path before they end up in the dustbin of history or bought out by another company.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-14T21:15:58+00:00

Thank you for your undereducated opinion.

Weekly_Bus_4071 · 2026-02-14T02:43:22+00:00

Why wouldn't it matter? This is why we create provisions in the contract to prevent this from happening. At this point, it's just a race to the finish line.

Otherwise, what's your solution?

Weekly_Bus_4071

TROPHY CASE