Yes, I took a package (from fed govt) and regretted it. But about five years before that, I took a package (from state govt) and things turned out really well. Ultimately you need to be really clear about your chances of getting another job that you will be 'satisfied' with, presuming you aren't ready to retire.
For the most part, I now believe it usually comes down to whether you are good at networking and 'selling yourself' to potential other employers rather than your skillset (unless you happen to have a particularly in demand skillset). I'm not great at the personal selling thing and on the second package I took (where I didn't already have another job lined up), I paid the price in terms of a period of temporary jobs below what I was used to and pockets of unemployment.
In retrospect, I can look back and say, it wasn't that bad because it gave me some great worklife balance but until you can get back into a job that's more like the one you were used to it can feel really unsettling. I felt almost insulted working in various temporary gigs, including as a contractor, and being treated so differently from the 'other staff' who of course were in the position I used to be in. Maybe I was just too sensitive though. There's something to be said for the security of a familiar job, even if there are plenty of things you don't particularly like about it.
Also, just from a financial perspective, even a fairly hefty package by public service standards (say ~$100k) is basically a year's after tax salary for any sort of senior-ish (but not exec) role. It doesn't take too much unemployment or lower hourly rate part-time gigs before you've burnt through the package and realise you're actually worse off (not to mention loss of things like long service leave and potentially large amounts of accumulated sick leave).
So while it definitely depends on the individual to an extreme degree, including life-stage, psychological makeup, skillset, networking ability etc, it is worth asking yourself if in a not worst case but not ideal scenario you'll still be good.
Normally, probably. I went from state to a fed (stat authority), they recognised the ~13 or so years of service at the previous job as well as the years in the then current one. Plus 4 weeks 'notice' pay and what was probably a couple of weeks of annual leave I still had up my sleeve at the end from memory.
Not government but a friend of mine took a package. Couldn't get another job... spend all the package as it was basically a years wages and after 12 mths after the re-employment restrictions came off he went back to his old company. So he still benefited as got a year off on full pay basically but it didn't turn out how he hoped
Yeah this would be it for me. I've got a wife, kids, mortgage. I'd be stressing the whole time on the "what if I can't lend a new gig." I am aware I'm pretty risk averse due to these factors I mentioned. Others will be different.
Yeah, I’ve seen that too. People often forget they “got lucky” at some point. Promotions tied to a generous manager, a taskforce where everyone got a badge or just being in the right place at the right time are easily forgotten. When you step out and try to come back, the old ladder isn’t always there for you to climb.
For some, this can be a real hit to pride and status, especially if work is a big part of their identity. You go from “once I built a railroad” to something much quieter. Meanwhile, the people who stayed behind have moved on and any sense of shared history or obligation often evaporates.
A lot of people end up in scribe-type roles, which can amplify the pain. You’re stuck watching others get interviews and promotions while your own applications quietly go nowhere.
Or you go from having a lot of status and deference around you to managing a capable, settled team in a flatter structure. Your colleagues work normal hours, focus on their product and are knee-deep in technical work rather than ladder-climbing or theatrics. The dynamic shifts. The old signals of authority matter less and expectations become much more transactional.
None of this means taking a package is a mistake. It just means it’s worth being clear-eyed about what you’re actually giving up. Time off is easy to price. Lost momentum and place in the system are much harder to quantify.
This is so well put. We tend, as humans, to ascribe bad outcomes to luck (I was overlooked for this job because of bad timing) and good outcomes to achievement (I got this job because of my talent.) Which means we underestimate how vulnerable we are to changes that we can’t control, and assume we’ll be able to succeed again. And we also take it personally when that doesn’t play out.
I work with several people in a federal agency who took packages from the equivalent state dept and then came over. And I know that because they tell me. They tell me how senior they were and how important, and that they wanted better work life balance and they’re glad they have less responsibility. But they definitely want me to know that this was their choice and they did in fact build that railroad once.
It’s harder than we realise, I think, to step back unless you’re really, really well scaffolded outside of work.
I had the same experience. Retrenched after 20 years with the same company, got approximately one year salary as compensation.
Found it hard looking for work after decades with one employer, not to mention now being mid-40s, when they want people in their 20s. Did a few small freelance contracts that paid well, but only lasted a few days or weeks at a time.
Fast forward almost a year, now having depression and issues at home due (turns out my wife doesn't want me moping about at home for weeks on end), and I was offered almost the same the same job back, but with better salary and better conditions. Took it in a heartbeat.
Now 4 years later, I'm about to make the jump to the APS.
I would only recommend taking a package in one of two scenarios:
You’re old, or financially secure, enough to retire and the package is just the icing on the cake, allowing you to leave 1 - 2 years earlier than planned; or
You genuinely possess the skills and ability to find another position in short order, so the package is a bonus and you don’t end up frittering it, and any other savings, away while you look for another position.
If you don’t fit into those scenarios, I would not take it because it could backfire and you could end up without a job, having run through your savings.
You genuinely possess the skills and ability to find another position in short order, so the package is a bonus and you don’t end up frittering it, and any other savings, away while you look for another position.
This is really solid advice. I think often the biggest mistake people make when they get comfortable in their careers is not maintaining market currency - how often do you look at similar advertised roles, do you apply and interview occasionally to keep your skills sharp, how well do you sell yourself as a candidate at your current level and do you need tenure in a role in order to get runs on the board for promotions and opportunities?
I have a niche but very attractive skillset, and I allow recruiters and industry professionals to court me, respectfully. I'm always open to discussing opportunities without wasting anyone's time, I'm upfront about being well kept but open to the right offer and timing. Even with all that, I would hesitate on taking a package. I'm really enjoying the fruits of my years of being on the grind at the current company and have built enough of a reputation as the Gets Shit Done gal that I now have a great work/life balance at a much better pace - going somewhere new means having to put in the effort to prove my experience and capability, and feeling the pressure to always be going the extra mile, especially if the work is contract or there's probation periods.
My partner got made redundant but it was a forced redundancy (private sector). They're not government but I want to share because even though you get a lot of money and all this "time off," it sucks. My partner took a year to find a new job and we went through their entire redundancy payout during that time (I'm an EL1 and don't earn enough by myself to fund our life even at bare bones). They hated being unemployed, they got knocked back from literally hundreds of jobs and felt really demoralized and unworthy. Given we didn't get to save a dollar of the payout, they felt it was a wasted, stressful year, no professional development and didn't learn anything. They did lose 12kgs tho through gym and healthy eating (which they had wanted to for a long time) so that was the only silver lining.
I raise this because I think people think oh it'll be an amazing paid holiday but actually unless you have the money to retire, it's really stressful.
Appreciate you taking the time to write this. I’m sorry to hear about the stress, this is the side we don’t know about until we’re going through it ourselves.
Thank you - appreciate it. My partner has been back at work now for about 6 months and we've recovered financially and emotionally. Honestly some hard lessons came from it and overall I'm grateful, even though it was very hard.
I took one six months ago and no regrets, but I had several things in my favour: I was within a few years of retirement, financially secure, spouse still working in a well paid role, burned out and disillusioned on what I was doing. My super/pension will forever be lower than if I had stayed, but I got another totally different job after six weeks, and it has restored my self respect and filled in the earnings gap.
I don’t know anyone who has regretted taking a package - either they know they’re employable and want to return to work to some capacity in the future, or they don’t want to work.
If you’re good and passionate at what you do, you’ll have no trouble finding another gig. Trust your gut with your decision, only you can make the right call for yourself.
My husband took a redundancy from a private sector job -- not a voluntary one, but perhaps his experience is still relevant. Although in the first weeks he had some of his old stakeholders getting in touch and saying they thought they might be able to open a position for him, that didn't happen. He had his LSL paid out (so effectively lost the opportunity to use it for a big holiday), was unemployed and stressed about it for 6 months, then took an APS job at a lower pay point than he'd left. It took 7 years to get back up to the same salary.
foresight into how the halt in productivity and lack of direction will slow things down further
I am sure they understand this. But when the government says "remove $x million from your budgeted expenses for the next five years" then there will undoubtedly be staff reductions.
Australia's public service is bloated, we all know it. The fact that Australia's economic complexity is below that of Botswana tells you everything about the state of private industry - we can't afford the public service we have today.
Not on your life. Was life changing for me, maxxed mine out a $200k payout, also the eligibility to take my PSS pension, which I have done. I've gone into a role that's not far off my old salary plus fortnightly pension so I'm in a very very good spot.
Following because I'm in the same situation where I'm contemplating taking one. I think it depends on your situation and whether taking one will benefit you, and if you can / need to find a new job soon
I've taken two federal packages. Great for lifestyle got to travel. 2nd package I only in circus for 2.7 years and took one,had six months camping trip then went on the dole. I took an index pss which only a few hundred a fortnight but that did not lower the dole. Been on dole for 5 years, travelling about, mtns,coast etc. ....I do not miss traffic, paid parking, and the office crap, I also get a proper health card, bulk billing cheap prescriptions
Yes, I took a package (from fed govt) and regretted it. But about five years before that, I took a package (from state govt) and things turned out really well. Ultimately you need to be really clear about your chances of getting another job that you will be 'satisfied' with, presuming you aren't ready to retire.
For the most part, I now believe it usually comes down to whether you are good at networking and 'selling yourself' to potential other employers rather than your skillset (unless you happen to have a particularly in demand skillset). I'm not great at the personal selling thing and on the second package I took (where I didn't already have another job lined up), I paid the price in terms of a period of temporary jobs below what I was used to and pockets of unemployment.
In retrospect, I can look back and say, it wasn't that bad because it gave me some great worklife balance but until you can get back into a job that's more like the one you were used to it can feel really unsettling. I felt almost insulted working in various temporary gigs, including as a contractor, and being treated so differently from the 'other staff' who of course were in the position I used to be in. Maybe I was just too sensitive though. There's something to be said for the security of a familiar job, even if there are plenty of things you don't particularly like about it.
Also, just from a financial perspective, even a fairly hefty package by public service standards (say ~$100k) is basically a year's after tax salary for any sort of senior-ish (but not exec) role. It doesn't take too much unemployment or lower hourly rate part-time gigs before you've burnt through the package and realise you're actually worse off (not to mention loss of things like long service leave and potentially large amounts of accumulated sick leave).
So while it definitely depends on the individual to an extreme degree, including life-stage, psychological makeup, skillset, networking ability etc, it is worth asking yourself if in a not worst case but not ideal scenario you'll still be good.
A VR after five years would be 10 weeks’ pay?
Normally, probably. I went from state to a fed (stat authority), they recognised the ~13 or so years of service at the previous job as well as the years in the then current one. Plus 4 weeks 'notice' pay and what was probably a couple of weeks of annual leave I still had up my sleeve at the end from memory.
They didn’t notice you had had a previous package? That’s rad! 😀
Your LSL gets paid out and most places give you an initial +3 weeks too
It’s not bad.
Not government but a friend of mine took a package. Couldn't get another job... spend all the package as it was basically a years wages and after 12 mths after the re-employment restrictions came off he went back to his old company. So he still benefited as got a year off on full pay basically but it didn't turn out how he hoped
Unfortunately it’s not just a year of leave though.
It’s a stressful year of worrying about when the next job will come.
Yeah this would be it for me. I've got a wife, kids, mortgage. I'd be stressing the whole time on the "what if I can't lend a new gig." I am aware I'm pretty risk averse due to these factors I mentioned. Others will be different.
Yes and the job market is cooked right now
And for me it would turn into years because it is very hard to get another job while employed.
Yeah, I’ve seen that too. People often forget they “got lucky” at some point. Promotions tied to a generous manager, a taskforce where everyone got a badge or just being in the right place at the right time are easily forgotten. When you step out and try to come back, the old ladder isn’t always there for you to climb.
For some, this can be a real hit to pride and status, especially if work is a big part of their identity. You go from “once I built a railroad” to something much quieter. Meanwhile, the people who stayed behind have moved on and any sense of shared history or obligation often evaporates.
A lot of people end up in scribe-type roles, which can amplify the pain. You’re stuck watching others get interviews and promotions while your own applications quietly go nowhere.
Or you go from having a lot of status and deference around you to managing a capable, settled team in a flatter structure. Your colleagues work normal hours, focus on their product and are knee-deep in technical work rather than ladder-climbing or theatrics. The dynamic shifts. The old signals of authority matter less and expectations become much more transactional.
None of this means taking a package is a mistake. It just means it’s worth being clear-eyed about what you’re actually giving up. Time off is easy to price. Lost momentum and place in the system are much harder to quantify.
This is so well put. We tend, as humans, to ascribe bad outcomes to luck (I was overlooked for this job because of bad timing) and good outcomes to achievement (I got this job because of my talent.) Which means we underestimate how vulnerable we are to changes that we can’t control, and assume we’ll be able to succeed again. And we also take it personally when that doesn’t play out.
I work with several people in a federal agency who took packages from the equivalent state dept and then came over. And I know that because they tell me. They tell me how senior they were and how important, and that they wanted better work life balance and they’re glad they have less responsibility. But they definitely want me to know that this was their choice and they did in fact build that railroad once.
It’s harder than we realise, I think, to step back unless you’re really, really well scaffolded outside of work.
I had the same experience. Retrenched after 20 years with the same company, got approximately one year salary as compensation.
Found it hard looking for work after decades with one employer, not to mention now being mid-40s, when they want people in their 20s. Did a few small freelance contracts that paid well, but only lasted a few days or weeks at a time.
Fast forward almost a year, now having depression and issues at home due (turns out my wife doesn't want me moping about at home for weeks on end), and I was offered almost the same the same job back, but with better salary and better conditions. Took it in a heartbeat.
Now 4 years later, I'm about to make the jump to the APS.
I would only recommend taking a package in one of two scenarios:
You’re old, or financially secure, enough to retire and the package is just the icing on the cake, allowing you to leave 1 - 2 years earlier than planned; or
You genuinely possess the skills and ability to find another position in short order, so the package is a bonus and you don’t end up frittering it, and any other savings, away while you look for another position.
If you don’t fit into those scenarios, I would not take it because it could backfire and you could end up without a job, having run through your savings.
This is really solid advice. I think often the biggest mistake people make when they get comfortable in their careers is not maintaining market currency - how often do you look at similar advertised roles, do you apply and interview occasionally to keep your skills sharp, how well do you sell yourself as a candidate at your current level and do you need tenure in a role in order to get runs on the board for promotions and opportunities?
I have a niche but very attractive skillset, and I allow recruiters and industry professionals to court me, respectfully. I'm always open to discussing opportunities without wasting anyone's time, I'm upfront about being well kept but open to the right offer and timing. Even with all that, I would hesitate on taking a package. I'm really enjoying the fruits of my years of being on the grind at the current company and have built enough of a reputation as the Gets Shit Done gal that I now have a great work/life balance at a much better pace - going somewhere new means having to put in the effort to prove my experience and capability, and feeling the pressure to always be going the extra mile, especially if the work is contract or there's probation periods.
I was offered a VR and it was a pittance compared to the superannuation I would lose. Said no!
My partner got made redundant but it was a forced redundancy (private sector). They're not government but I want to share because even though you get a lot of money and all this "time off," it sucks. My partner took a year to find a new job and we went through their entire redundancy payout during that time (I'm an EL1 and don't earn enough by myself to fund our life even at bare bones). They hated being unemployed, they got knocked back from literally hundreds of jobs and felt really demoralized and unworthy. Given we didn't get to save a dollar of the payout, they felt it was a wasted, stressful year, no professional development and didn't learn anything. They did lose 12kgs tho through gym and healthy eating (which they had wanted to for a long time) so that was the only silver lining.
I raise this because I think people think oh it'll be an amazing paid holiday but actually unless you have the money to retire, it's really stressful.
Appreciate you taking the time to write this. I’m sorry to hear about the stress, this is the side we don’t know about until we’re going through it ourselves.
Thank you - appreciate it. My partner has been back at work now for about 6 months and we've recovered financially and emotionally. Honestly some hard lessons came from it and overall I'm grateful, even though it was very hard.
Good luck with your path :)
Edit: additional info added
I took one six months ago and no regrets, but I had several things in my favour: I was within a few years of retirement, financially secure, spouse still working in a well paid role, burned out and disillusioned on what I was doing. My super/pension will forever be lower than if I had stayed, but I got another totally different job after six weeks, and it has restored my self respect and filled in the earnings gap.
This is such a feel good story! I’m glad it worked out well
I don’t know anyone who has regretted taking a package - either they know they’re employable and want to return to work to some capacity in the future, or they don’t want to work.
If you’re good and passionate at what you do, you’ll have no trouble finding another gig. Trust your gut with your decision, only you can make the right call for yourself.
My husband took a redundancy from a private sector job -- not a voluntary one, but perhaps his experience is still relevant. Although in the first weeks he had some of his old stakeholders getting in touch and saying they thought they might be able to open a position for him, that didn't happen. He had his LSL paid out (so effectively lost the opportunity to use it for a big holiday), was unemployed and stressed about it for 6 months, then took an APS job at a lower pay point than he'd left. It took 7 years to get back up to the same salary.
Taken 2 in my career, never regretted it
What's a package? Like salary packaging?
Package as in voluntary redundancy.
I am sure they understand this. But when the government says "remove $x million from your budgeted expenses for the next five years" then there will undoubtedly be staff reductions.
Australia's public service is bloated, we all know it. The fact that Australia's economic complexity is below that of Botswana tells you everything about the state of private industry - we can't afford the public service we have today.
Voluntary Redundancy
Yes, I took an APS package years ago and found it hard to get back in. Kind of burnt my bridges. Eventually got a State govt role but took six years.
Not on your life. Was life changing for me, maxxed mine out a $200k payout, also the eligibility to take my PSS pension, which I have done. I've gone into a role that's not far off my old salary plus fortnightly pension so I'm in a very very good spot.
How do you get this? Is it something that can be asked for
Following because I'm in the same situation where I'm contemplating taking one. I think it depends on your situation and whether taking one will benefit you, and if you can / need to find a new job soon
I've taken two federal packages. Great for lifestyle got to travel. 2nd package I only in circus for 2.7 years and took one,had six months camping trip then went on the dole. I took an index pss which only a few hundred a fortnight but that did not lower the dole. Been on dole for 5 years, travelling about, mtns,coast etc. ....I do not miss traffic, paid parking, and the office crap, I also get a proper health card, bulk billing cheap prescriptions
Enjoy life