Retirement

[nickjdavis]

15 working days left.

Had to write assessments of the various team members replacing me today. No going back now after what I wrote.

 

[IanM]

15 working days left.

Had to write assessments of the various team members replacing me today. No going back now after what I wrote.

No harm in telling the truth... but hopefully framed in a way they can get some benefit from.

I found standing on a desk chanting "You're shhhh, and you know you are" is fun, but ultimately unproductive!

 

[nickjdavis]

No harm in telling the truth... but hopefully framed in a way they can get some benefit from.

I found standing on a desk chanting "You're shhhh, and you know you are" is fun, but ultimately unproductive!

Wasn't a bad assessment of them (quite the opposite in fact)...but my suggestions for areas of improvement was more of a veiled attack on their new boss, who is an interfering micro manager who doesn't have the brains to trust his team and let them work freely and learn from their mistakes.

 

[nickjdavis]

Hilariously, my employment agency have just emailed me telling me that my client wants to extend my contract for a further 12 months.

This is totally at odds with what I've been told directly for the last 8 months during which time I've been spending most of my time training the Romanian team who are replacing me and my other colleagues who are going at the end of the year (one of whom also has been told by his agency, in the last couple of days, that his contract is being extended as well!!).

Left hand/right hand. Arses/Elbows me thinks.

Arses and Elbows are now communicating effectively...formal notification has now been received regarding my termination date.

13 days and 3 hours left to go.

 

[williamalex1]

It's gone VERY quiet. No one is answering e mails which are requesting updates. Although my account does say "contribution in progress" so..........

They've probably put you on ignore or just blocked you lol

 

[Crazyface]

So ....it's bin a while so I thought I'd give both parties a call yesterday for an update.
Firstly, neither side have spoken to each other, both sides think the original state they were at is the norm, so have done absolutely nothing
Secondly, the person who knew differently has gone on maternity leave without telling me, or doing anything to ensure things were going to happen
I have, very calmly for me, spoken to a man at the receiving company and asked him to sort it out. And when he has sorted it out, to get his manager to ring me, not e mail, with EXACTLY what is the position of that company,vans why there has been such a delay and why there is conflicting ideas of what they can and cannot do. I'm not holding my breath.
A mate of mine had had to go back to work as a pension he thought he was going to get appears to be "lost". You might be reading this and thinking that is all rubbish and can't happen. I can assure you it can. Pensions is one of the biggest money making cons out there. Good luck getting yours ,how and when you like.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

15 working days left.

Had to write assessments of the various team members replacing me today. No going back now after what I wrote.

I wrote a detailed letter of resignation pointing out all the stuff that needed doing to bring my side of the business up to date.
I stood in front of the Director whilst he read it, he quietly put it down and said 'not much point of me trying to persuade you to stay then Doon' We both burst out laughing.
One month later he tried to bring me back as a consultant but the money offered was a bit of a joke. not much more than my leaving salary.

Enjoy your new life, keep busy.

 

[PJ87]

So ....it's bin a while so I thought I'd give both parties a call yesterday for an update.
Firstly, neither side have spoken to each other, both sides think the original state they were at is the norm, so have done absolutely nothing
Secondly, the person who knew differently has gone on maternity leave without telling me, or doing anything to ensure things were going to happen
I have, very calmly for me, spoken to a man at the receiving company and asked him to sort it out. And when he has sorted it out, to get his manager to ring me, not e mail, with EXACTLY what is the position of that company,vans why there has been such a delay and why there is conflicting ideas of what they can and cannot do. I'm not holding my breath.
A mate of mine had had to go back to work as a pension he thought he was going to get appears to be "lost". You might be reading this and thinking that is all rubbish and can't happen. I can assure you it can. Pensions is one of the biggest money making cons out there. Good luck getting yours ,how and when you like.

I dont think you have any right to know when she's going on maternity leave. She should hand it over to someone else but you can't expect her to say she's off on maternity leave. That's her business

 

[Crazyface]

I dont think you have any right to know when she's going on maternity leave. She should hand it over to someone else but you can't expect her to say she's off on maternity leave. That's her business

LOL. Not biting. Go and have your daily row with someone who gives a carp.

 

[nickjdavis]

Final chat with advisor today , told him of my plans and what i wanted out of retirement and my financial commitments. Agreed my strategy was sound and sustainable. Completed my request for first tax free fund withdrawal...will leave most of my tax free allowance in the pot to grow. Regular income will not be taken until mid 2025 as it is not tax efficient for me to take any taxable income until the new tax year.

Maybe I struck lucky in moving my old employers DB pension scheme (which I hadn't contributed to since 2008) into a drawdown scheme immediately I turned 55 back in 2021. (Granted it took some time...during which the transfer value rose by around £75k..but I haven't encountered half the issues that have been reported elsewhere in this thread).

Just back from an Xmas meal with a group of blokes I've been meeting up with for a beer on the first Thursday of every month for the last 23 years (and I'm a relative newcomer to the group!!!) and found out that one of our number who used to be a regular attendee of our Thursday night sessions, and only retired a year or so ago, has Acute Myeloid Leukemia and has about 3 months left, with a maximum of 12 months if he undergoes Chemotherapy. Only goes to re-in force my thoughts about getting out of full time work and enjoying myself whilst I am still in reasonably decent health (apart from the Gout!!!).

I know that for some people their work brings them a whole lot of social contact which might be difficult to give up in retirement, but I do feel fortunate in that Covid has dealt me a bit of a favour, in that it initially forced me to work from home, and this is something that I have continued to do since the majority of folk went back to work....and it has effectively conditioned me into adjusting to an isolated environment over the last three years, and with any luck I'm not going to miss the social interactions quite so much as someone who has continued to work in a fully staffed office. (not that there are many of my team left....there are just 4 of us remaining of the 11 that we had this time last year).

11 working days left.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

In my last ten years working, other than a period of about 3-4 months working away from home on the client site, my working life was spent mostly working from home - going into the office in London maybe 3-4 times a year. Company policy for PMs.

WFH during pandemic was therefore no big deal - and though I spoke all time with those on the teams I worked with - I never met them - some were UK based; many Poland, and at one time I was the only UK-based member of a global team. So when I was offered and accepted voluntary exit I had no qualms about leaving and worries about missing the social interaction of work - indeed as all of the teams I worked with on my final projects were either WFH themselves or were in Poland I didn't have a leaving do. Nothing. A couple of managers I worked with knew but work had asked me to not talk about my voluntary exit - so most only found out I was finishing on the morning team call of the day I finished. And at 4pm that day, with my wife sitting with me, I logged off my laptop and closed the lid..turned to her and said "Well that's it. Done".

Do I miss work - not in the slightest. Do I look at life knowing that we cannot see what is waiting for us around the corner - you bet. With my BiL developing Multiple Myeloma not 3yrs ago at the age of 64 and now flying with the angels I remind any of my age still working away who will listen that life is not only about work; it is not about having money for stuff...it is for living.

 

[rudebhoy]

No harm in telling the truth... but hopefully framed in a way they can get some benefit from.

I found standing on a desk chanting "You're shhhh, and you know you are" is fun, but ultimately unproductive!

Back in my civil service days, I was once sent on a course on how to write annual performance reviews.

They gave real life examples of how not to do it.

My favourite was "willing but witless".

 

[Tashyboy]

Wasn't a bad assessment of them (quite the opposite in fact)...but my suggestions for areas of improvement was more of a veiled attack on their new boss, who is an interfering micro manager who doesn't have the brains to trust his team and let them work freely and learn from their mistakes.

Once read a piece where people who have left the company were asked why? There reply’s were quite damning. Once they had left the company they were free of any shackles and no recriminations from speaking their minds.

 

[Tashyboy]

Final chat with advisor today , told him of my plans and what i wanted out of retirement and my financial commitments. Agreed my strategy was sound and sustainable. Completed my request for first tax free fund withdrawal...will leave most of my tax free allowance in the pot to grow. Regular income will not be taken until mid 2025 as it is not tax efficient for me to take any taxable income until the new tax year.

Maybe I struck lucky in moving my old employers DB pension scheme (which I hadn't contributed to since 2008) into a drawdown scheme immediately I turned 55 back in 2021. (Granted it took some time...during which the transfer value rose by around £75k..but I haven't encountered half the issues that have been reported elsewhere in this thread).

Just back from an Xmas meal with a group of blokes I've been meeting up with for a beer on the first Thursday of every month for the last 23 years (and I'm a relative newcomer to the group!!!) and found out that one of our number who used to be a regular attendee of our Thursday night sessions, and only retired a year or so ago, has Acute Myeloid Leukemia and has about 3 months left, with a maximum of 12 months if he undergoes Chemotherapy. Only goes to re-in force my thoughts about getting out of full time work and enjoying myself whilst I am still in reasonably decent health (apart from the Gout!!!).

I know that for some people their work brings them a whole lot of social contact which might be difficult to give up in retirement, but I do feel fortunate in that Covid has dealt me a bit of a favour, in that it initially forced me to work from home, and this is something that I have continued to do since the majority of folk went back to work....and it has effectively conditioned me into adjusting to an isolated environment over the last three years, and with any luck I'm not going to miss the social interactions quite so much as someone who has continued to work in a fully staffed office. (not that there are many of my team left....there are just 4 of us remaining of the 11 that we had this time last year).

11 working days left.

A very good post indeed, welcome to the retirement crew.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Once read a piece where people who have left the company were asked why? There reply’s were quite damning. Once they had left the company they were free of any shackles and no recriminations from speaking their minds.

Whilst some of this may be blood letting it can also be really useful. Well worth the top bods reading them.

 

[RichA]

I've given up trying to figure out where I stand with my Equniti managed public service pension that I'll be taking in just over a year. They're beyond useless.
Currently focusing on the bigger questions, like where can I get my much loved Barker brogues and DM boots resoled for golf when I don't need them for work anymore.

 

[nickjdavis]

6 days left.

Team leaving drinks tonight (my entire team is being replaced...not just me).

 

[Billysboots]

15 working days left.

Had to write assessments of the various team members replacing me today. No going back now after what I wrote.

About three weeks before I retired my teams’ annual performance reviews fell due.

One of them had spent the majority of his service arsing about and, whilst he was good at his job, the honest truth was that he was a manipulative, devious individual who thought nothing of trashing someone else so that he could get what he wanted.

Trouble is, he was also extremely good at what he did, so successive supervisory staff had glossed over the bad and focused entirely on the good.

I’m afraid I did what should have been done years before I received him on my team, which was about six months before I retired. I submitted a full, but balanced appraisal. It made clear reference to where he could improve, and he absolutely hated it. Didn’t like it one bit.

I certainly wasn’t going to apologise for it. If his previous managers had done their jobs properly it would not have been necessary.

 

[YandaB]

Still got 58 working days, I can see a very faint glow at the end of the tunnel.

 

[nickjdavis]

Still got 58 working days, I can see a very faint glow at the end of the tunnel.

Dont tell folks which tunnel you are walking towards...some ucker will only go and brick it up.