That is what it strikes me as. But even large companies can play this game. One I worked at had a fairly sweet pension plan. The catch was you had to work there 30 years. It was pointed out to me when I had been there about 2 years that at about 29.5 they would let someone go then re-hire as contractor. It was usually 2-3 people in the building I worked in, per year, and was for them considered a small facility of 'only' 200 people. In the time I was there only one guy made it to 30 and he was an upper manager. My takeaway on that was take care of yourself and your money. Do not depend on 'bonus' items like that.