Community Forums

Mr.Geritol · 11-24-2015, 01:07 PM

From reading all of the responses here I as a group we have worked for the good, the bad and the ugly employers. I certainly do not intend to burn my bridges when I leave as my company hires contractors at an atractive rate when they need extra help.
I have been trying for over a year to get packaged out but it seems my position has been declared "essential". So I am stuck for another one year, one month ad 6 days.
The one caution to all is make sure you have a plan with the finances and health insurance in place. A number of people my age that I have spoken to have no plan nad no idea what they will do.
We had one guy I will always remember who kept coming to the plant for months with his lunch pail and just stood outside the gate.
I will not be him.
MR. Geritol

99-Am.Star · 11-24-2015, 03:25 PM

When I retired, it was an offer from the company I could not refuse as I was going to retire anyway. They offered an early out program where I would start collecting my retirement in full with no SS removed till I turned 62 when I started collecting SS. I would also get 12 months salary split in two checks, each 6 months, and insurance till I was 65 for the wife and I. After 65 I get XXX $ for the wife and I that is to be used for Backup insurance for the 20% medicare does not pay. So I told them on Monday that my last day was Friday. Best day of my life and best thing I ever did except marry my wife of 50 years.

beamisl · 11-24-2015, 04:38 PM

I think we get into a habit of working and just keep going at it sometimes and don't know when to leave or wonder what we will do when we are done. Others want out so bad that they struggle to stay. I just want to be done. 62 and it is getting time.

I have people I work with I will miss and some I will keep in contact with (hopefully). We'll see. Others, I plan to never think about again. Wish no one any ill, just look forward to walking away from them and never seeing them again. They probably feel the same way.

I just want to be done. Find something different to do. May be CG hosting in the winter so I am out of MI in the winter. Or working for a National Park somewhere warm. Haven't set anything in stone yet. Maybe something will come along that I want to try. Maybe I will just take a walk ever day.

I have worked with a few of the younger people I work with on money managing and investing, preparing now for their future. Some have listened and some will never hear. Would like to do some volunteer work too.

Hope each of you finds the right time to retire, glad most of you who are retired are happy. I will be joining you soon and look forward to it.

Happy Thanksgiving all, hope you have a blessed day! Lynne

Glenn and Kathy · 11-25-2015, 09:50 AM

My retirement letter sounded something like

" Due to the current economic situation ---- Inc finds it necessary to reduce the number of employees....."

Actually I got a good buyout and pension and medical, but it was 15 years before I wanted to retire. Oh and they did hire me back for 3 years as a temp because they were short handed.

Glenn

beamisl · 11-26-2015, 06:51 PM

I believe after reading the responses I will keep it simple,

Dear Employer,

Effective (2 weeks from today) I will retire.
Thank You, Lynne

jacwjames · 11-26-2015, 07:10 PM

I was COO of a company and was completely burned out, in 3 years I had averaged over 225 days a year on the road (mostly international travel) usually away from home 2 weeks at a time. The 4.5 months I worked I was out of USA for 100 days.

I called the CEO and gave him verbal notice that I was retiring. I told him that I would give him time to find my replacement but he didn't do anything for 3 months at which time I gave him a resignation letter with 30 day notice. When I left they still hadn't found my replacement.

I tried not to burn my bridge but based on the snide comments from one of the board of the directors during a conference call I got the feeling I did.

baraff · 11-27-2015, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beamisl

I believe after reading the responses I will keep it simple,

Dear Employer,

Effective (2 weeks from today) I will retire.
Thank You, Lynne

This was exactly what I wrote, as a written follow up after a one on one with my supervisor. I gave them 90 days notice, as requested in policy. I worked for an educational institution and the culture is a bit different there.
I've been retired six months, and while I miss my coworkers, I don't miss the work or the stupid politics. I'm enjoying sleeping to a more reasonable hour, taking naps and playing with my British sports cars.
I'll probably do some volunteer work or go to work at Home Depot part time eventually.
I'm just not through doing nothing yet.

beamisl · 11-28-2015, 03:13 PM

Burns,

I think there will always be employers who will do nothing when you give notice. I figure it is not my problem what they do with my job after I leave. I will never go back to this job but don't want to demean myself in the process. Go out with my ethics intact. Don't want to cause them issues, just want to be done. The road is calling and I have family I don't see enough.

There will be something else out there and I agree I would like to not have to get up at 4:30 am to go to work. We are thinking about taking the first year off and just relaxing then think about getting something part time. Maybe!

Lynne

MartySQ · 11-30-2015, 11:00 AM

I 'work' for a non profit, I and I am a volunteer staff member, so I don't get paid (at my request back in 2009 when I found out I had cancer)
I have been dropping hints and making comments which always get met with, you can't leave yet.... I plan to 'retire' when hubby does in a couple years if I last that long, I've been tired for awhile of the pressures involved.
My paying job, which I picked up a few years ago to help pay for the gas is doing critter care... which I still enjoy, but that will go too when hubby retires also. That will be a bit more difficult as many people will have to find someone to fill my niche of short notice hobby farm care...I will feel bad about that. I plan to simply test all my customers about 2 months before I plan to quit. ( Text is how most of us communicate in this business)

beamisl · 12-01-2015, 05:57 PM

Retiring seems to cause a lot of mixed emotions and reactions. I am so darn excited and I still have more than a year to go.

Just got a good raise and it will increase what I can put away in the bank. I can see the end of the road now, so the stress will come to an end soon .

SeabeckS · 12-01-2015, 11:45 PM

My retirement letter was pretty short. Two weeks notice, since they'd been trying to "encourage" me out of the door for awhile. Really high pressure job, new manager was a organization "climber" and had little use for anyone other than a "yes" man. After a year of recovering from my ninth heart surgery, I pulled the pin.

They hired 4 people (with an accumulated experience base of 64 years) to do the job I did by myself for 8 years.

15 years later I'm still six feet over, so I'm good. LOL

beamisl · 12-08-2015, 08:05 PM

Ahhhh, can't wait to write and deliver mine. Someday soon!

ArmandV · 12-08-2015, 08:38 PM

I've been retired for almost a month. In some respects I am quite used to the idea, and at other times I'm not.

Yes, I like the idea of not having to go to work. But the odd part is having things I have to do, but still with the mindset that I have to schedule doing certain things and then realizing I can do them whenever I want and scheduling is no longer necessary.

It'll sink in one of these days.

powerboatr · 12-08-2015, 09:27 PM

mine was short and sweet

i plan to leave on XXXX date.
I will be available afterwards for consults to ensure my replacement is fully up to speed.

did my three weeks, and exit interview
a year later i get a phone call, can you come back for a temp stint to train a new person?
Yes i can, it was pretty sweet in the compensation arena.

that was 9 years ago.