We have been "cost saving" for the last 5 years and we are STILL CUTTING. I chose to control my future rather than wait - this year or next - to be RIFd. This company does not care if you are an amazing employee - we are just numbers always take the money
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I’d never just say “take the money and run” because everyone is in a different boat. Some people really like working at Centene, and let's face it—job hunting is daunting, so staying put for comfort is totally valid. It really comes down to weighing the pros and cons of the VSP. For some people, the offer isn't great, and it actually makes more sense to take the layoff and collect unemployment. At the end of the day, you just have to do what’s best for you and your family.
@a6 this was also my thought process but now im not sure if i made the right decision because if lay offs occur will there still be a severance package. I obviously need the money.
@ce Oh, bless your heart… that’s quite a proposal. I’m not sure how you got from ‘the payout is guaranteed under the agreement’ to ‘just pay everyone early and hope they stick around,’ but that leap wasn’t from anything I said. The VSP has actual legal timelines and calculations — it’s not a bake‑sale IOU system. Cute idea, though.
@a8 The VSP paperwork actually mentions that nothing—including the end date—is guaranteed. It’s easy to miss if you click through quickly, but giving the fine print a glance usually helps. And yes, it’s frustrating. The folks who panic‑applied and already got interviews are now stuck choosing between declining the job, losing the VSP, or attempting to negotiate a much later start date. At the end of the day, that’s adulthood. You weigh what’s best for you and your family and make the call that fits your situation.
Do what’s best for you & your family!
@ce Not sure why this proposal got downvoted, I mean doesn’t trust have to work both ways?
@a7 Seeing as how, according to you, “they will receive their money,” I propose they just pay them their VSP money now and then let them continue working until their scheduled end date…on the honor system.
@a7 I understand that an extended date doesn't cancel their package but some had Jobs lined up for the fall. They will obviously leave so they won't last to see that money. There's also plenty of time for reasons to be invented to fire someone within that time. We've already seen that Centene continuously moves the goal posts.
@a4 If someone accepted the VSP, they will receive their payout. An extended end date doesn’t cancel the package — it just means the final amount is recalculated closer to their actual last day, based on their updated years of service. No one is ‘losing’ their VSP because of an extension. The payout is still guaranteed under the terms of the agreement, and extensions don’t eliminate it.
@a4 I agree. It's a deeply personal decision for a lot of people. Myself, I have a young daughter so being remote offered me flexibility I wouldn't have had in office. I've been with Centene over a decade and in leadership so my package was tempting, but I couldn't give up the remote flexibility with a young child, remote jobs aren't easy to come by. Will I still be RIF'd and my thought process backfire, it's definitely possible. But in my situation I'd rather make them do it than me offer myself up.
@OP yes I should have, lesson learned!
Not everyone's vsp package was worth taking especially since it will be heavily taxed. There are also some states where this would risk unemployment benefits. I don't know why some are acting like the VSP was universally the right thing for everyone. There will also be many that will never see that money since so many had dates extended.