Last Sunday's article, 'The big bad bosses', brought back bad memories.

I am still smarting over the treatment I received from the company which I had served for almost 12 years.

I was retrenched eight months ago. Of the 14 employees, only two administrative staff members (including myself) had worked with the company for more than 10 years.

I was given one week's retrenchment benefits for each year of service - which came up to a payout for 11.7 weeks.

It was a shock - firstly, receiving the news of my retrenchment, and secondly, my severance package. That showed how little the company valued my loyalty.

I was escorted out of the building like a criminal: I was not allowed to go back to my workstation to get my belongings or to speak to anyone; someone had to get my bag and pass it to me.

On reaching home and collecting my thoughts, I went through the calculations and felt angry about the retrenchment benefits I was given. Considering my long service with the company, it should have at least given me the norm of one month's benefits for each year of service.

I called the company to voice my unhappiness over the compensation.

Apparently, I was not the only employee to have done so. Later, the management decided to review the package.

However, the result was still not what I expected.

The revised package was one week's benefits for each year of service for the first five years, and two weeks' benefits for each year of service from the sixth year onwards - which came up to a payout for 17weeks - not that much different from the initial 11.7 weeks.

There was nothing I could do but accept that revised package, as I was told 'the management's decision is final'.

Joanne Mosbergen (Ms)

This article was first published in The Straits Times.