What can go wrong with an exit interview?

I feel silly trying to, say, haul in my union rep for the last hour of my employment. This is exactly what union reps are for. Get your rep on the phone ASAP (like, now if you can) and follow his or her advice. If you can't get hold of your rep now, keep trying in the morning. Act like you've been accused of a crime -- don't say anything to the cops management without your lawyer union rep present. If not for yourself, consider it a learning experience for your rep, so the next time someone calls about an exit interview, he or she can say, "Oh, yeah, I've been in one of those. Here's what's going to happen..."

"I have no feedback to give at this time. If that changes, I will be in touch."

When they try to get you to answer questions, I'd just say thanks for the opportunity but as they already told you, exit interviews are voluntary, you won't be answering any questions and oh, are they my keys? And the paper works all done? Great, you'll be going then. Be polite but firm. I don't think any good will come from telling them the truth and you owe them nothing. They can't fire you and by being polite and offering no information you're not giving them any ammunition in any legal sense so just stick to your guns.

Send an email which starts "Confirming our conversation at such-and-such a date where you stated that an exit interview is voluntary, I again respectfully decline your request for such an interview." CC your union rep. Without a paper trail, verbal convos mean nothing. You are being nothing but polite and professional, while still putting the onus on them to make a stink of it if they really want/have to. Either way, you're covered. I would be surprised if it wasn't the end of it -- you have declined, the interviewers can show that they did their job and tried, and who really wants a war over this?

Here's what can go wrong: you can burn a bridge with this company and anything you say can wind up on the desks of the the people in your company's ultratoxic bureaucracy. Don't refuse to answer their questions, you want a good reference, so spin your answers that way. Answer their questions with diplomatic statements like: You have no complaints about the company. You have no suggestions on how to improve their operations, all their processes are already optimal. You are thankful for the opportunities for career growth your current position presented. You are pursuing a new and exciting employment opportunity that is more in line with your career goals. Keep your answers short and sweet, the less said the better. Everything was unicorns and rainbows at this job, but you found even better unicorns and rainbows at your new job.

Union rep said "You don't have to do an exit interview." Thank you all for being much more helpful! If questions come up, I will say I have declined the interview, and then say "I have no feedback at this time."

Decline, let Union rep know via email that you are declining, depart gracefully! The key word is "voluntary". Don't bow to social pressure. "I'm sorry I don't wish to answer questions." Can you stick around for just one question? *** "-I'm sorry, that won't be possible, I must run to [my next thing]"***

Some of my former colleagues chose to speak their minds during the exit interview Could you get in touch with these people and ask them what sort of questions were asked? In particular you might want to find out if they asked any unusual questions or if they asked about particular incidents or people. I think avoiding the interview is the best course of action in any case, but if you find out they're going deeper than "How would you describe your time at Company?" then this is not something you want any part of. Maybe this is a bit paranoid, but, given your description of the management and the underhanded ways they are trying to make an interview happen, you should treat this as an interrogation. Try to avoid, but be prepared if they spring it on you (as soon as you walk in to work, for example). Don't believe any of their guarantees of anonymity, confidentiality, reasons for conducting the interview, that management won't be present, that it will not result in disciplinary or legal action, etc. Assume that everything you say is on the record in your name and will be used against you if possible. http://changingminds.org/techniques/interrogation/interrogation.htm has a bunch of information on interrogation techniques, reading up on questioning tactics might help recognizing some of the things to expect.

I wouldn't say anything contrary to what you really believe, if you ever intend to bring it up later (and even if you don't). You don't want them pulling out some piece of signed paper at a hearing later (even in support of someone else) and their lawyer saying, "Well that's funny, when asked if you had any issues with your supervisor during your exit interview, you said, and I'm quoting here, everything was fine. Did you say that?" Let them ask a few questions, and say "I have no comment about that at this time." More than a few questions, then you say "Uh, I was told there would be no exit interview. I have no further comments to make" and stick to it.