Severance packages are all over the map.

It's going to be hard to replace packages that were about $67 an hour when you added in pensions and health-care benefits.

Since severance packages generally are contractual, the issue is not the size of the severance package. The issue is why was the original employment contract structured to allow such a severance package? And that responsibility rests in the board.

I think that the social compact hammered out in the mid-20th century has been superseded by a new compact that is different and doesn't promise the potential for lifetime tenure. Workers are free agents.

Kids today have grown up with technology.

You should tie up these loose ends a year or two before retiring. Don't wait until the last minute to understand your benefits options.