Ford employees debating range of buyout packages

As one might imagine, finding The Way Forward isn't just difficult for the Ford Motor Company, it's proving tough on the automaker's employees, too.

As part of its initiative to cull 30,000 jobs, Ford has announced a number of different severance package options for select employees. Among the possible buyout choices, workers may chose to take:

• $100,000 lump-sum payout (in exchange for giving up benefits, save their pensions)
• $15,000 in tuition funds each year for four years, plus medical benefits and 50-percent pay
• Hold out and go into Ford's controversial 'jobs bank,' collecting most of their standard pay while waiting for a new position within the company.

As the Detroit News points out in detail, age, education, skill, family size and financial obligations will be among the many factors that enter into every Ford employee's decision.