I just found out that my plant in the US is closing on the 26th, and I was shocked to learn about it from a customer instead of management. Headquarters in France didn't even plan to inform us directly. To keep operations running until the closure, they offered severance and retention packages. What surprised me even more was discovering that I qualify as part of a protected class because I'm over 40. This means I have 45 days to sign the agreement, while younger employees only have 7 days. Initially, I thought this was a great advantage, but now that I'm job hunting, I can't help but wonder if my age is affecting my job applications. Although age discrimination is illegal, I feel like my resume might reveal my age, which could be a factor in my search. The urgency of being unemployed adds a lot of stress, especially compared to searching for a job while still employed.