...Giving Notice Next Week

[Trooper]

Hi - I've been on the forum for a while, posting here and there, but mainly consuming the wealth of info that others provide.

I have decided that I want to be done.....FIRE'd...just like many of you here.
I am financially good according to FireCalc, RIP, and my own spreadsheet. And most important of all my DW is encouraging it due to the many nights I come home in a bad mood because of the BS at the office, not to mention the Sunday night funk in anticipation (dread) of another week.

I am not exactly sure how my manager will react. I have given no indication to anyone of my plans; I just think it's best that way. I am heading up his most important program him and he keeps telling me to "keep doing the good things that you are doing". My desired reaction from him would be something like 'Thanks for your service and have a good life', although I anticipate that he will ask me to stay longer.

I really want to be done, but I also don't want to leave him high and dry. At the same time I realize that in a MegaCorp of my employer's size someone else can be found. I guess I am expecting a question like 'what will it take to get you to stay a little longer? I am giving two months notice.

Have any of you been in similar situations and how have you handled it? I don't want to make it seem like a money grab, but I would want to be compensated for staying longer than the next two months.

TIA for any advice.

 

[athena53]

Congratulations! I think 2 months is plenty. Even if they can't find a permanent replacement (well, as permanent as these jobs are!), they can find someone to work with you on the interim and you can document what you know. If they can't, do the best you can to document everything and get the heck out. If you offered to be available by phone after that (with some limits that you set), would they abuse it?

I have a brother who did the OMY for a few years and then when he finally did give notice was persuaded to work for another month at essentially double pay; he wanted to leave when his accumulated vacation started and they told him they'd pay him vacation pay plus regular pay. They hadn't named a replacement by the end but he left anyway. That was a year ago and he and DSIL bought a house on a lake; he makes furniture and sails his boat, and she fosters kittens for the local shelter. The company is surviving without him.

Don't let them drag it out for you. Sometimes the money isn't worth it.

 

[travelover]

Even if you gave them a year's advance notice, they wouldn't start seriously looking until a week or so before your scheduled departure. Don't worry about it, we all over estimate our self worth.

 

[Willers]

I agree. The max I plan to give is 2 months when I go. If they want you there longer you might want to ask them to sweeten the deal. Not having to accept any given terms will give you the freedom to up the ante if you want to. Also remember that sometimes staying longer as a lame duck can eventually turn others negative as they are reminded of your coming departure. It's usually better to leave when the news is fresh everyone (at least the subset of the everyone that matter to you) is still happy for you.

 

[rdy2go]

I would just do whatever is best for you, whether it is leaving ASAP or sticking around a little longer for extra money if they will come through and id doesn't dent your plans for retirement. If the money isn't important then walk away happy and enjoy the freedom.

 

[Trooper]

Thanks all for the responses thus far. To clarify, I'm not looking for input as to whether 2 months notice is appropriate, but what should I consider if the response is 'can you stay a little longer'.

 

[Trooper]

If you offered to be available by phone after that (with some limits that you set), would they abuse it?

Thanks athena53...I can't say for certain whether it would be abused, but I personally would not want to be tethered to a phone. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[old woman]

I told mine when ask what they could do to make me stay, nothing I was done, tired of wearing shoes.

 

[REWahoo]

To clarify, I'm not looking for input as to whether 2 months notice is appropriate, but what should I consider if the response is 'can you stay a little longer'.

Your response should be whatever YOU think/feel it should be. None of us will have to work beyond your planned retirement date - only you understand what working longer would mean to your mental health.

 

[Meadbh]

Make the decision easier for yourself. Book a trip you have always wanted to take. You won't want to cancel it.

 

[athena53]

A couple of thoughts on things you could ask for: being kept on the company health insurance (including company contributions) for X months after you leave; working 3-day weeks for X weeks beyond the 2 months but with pay and benefits that you now get working FT.

 

[spncity]

Even if they ask, more time can be counterproductive

Sometimes acquiescing to additional time is not good for the company. It ends up seeming less urgent to find your replacement.

I know someone who gave 7 weeks' notice (only four were required). The company asked her for an additional 4 weeks, which - in spite of it interfering with some important family timing - friend said "Yes, but then I need to take off a couple of weeks before I leave because I have some things I need to do."

They agreed.

Then the extra three weeks turned into four. So many unanticipated emergencies happened at work, friend did not get to take off much of the promised vacation time, and was working horrendous hours (part of the reason she was leaving).

They did not even post her job for three weeks (after someone tipped off the CEO that no move to advertise for a replacement had been made).

Essentially, the extra time my friend gave was squandered...

 

[braumeister]

what should I consider if the response is 'can you stay a little longer'.

I would ask why. Specifically, what do they want me to do that couldn't be done within the two month period?

If there is no good answer to that, it probably means they are just trying to put off the search for a replacement because they have their own problems to deal with right now.

 

[Willers]

Thanks all for the responses thus far. To clarify, I'm not looking for input as to whether 2 months notice is appropriate, but what should I consider if the response is 'can you stay a little longer'.

Sorry, misread it. I guess my thought on that is the same as Braumeister. Ask yourself why you would stay longer unless there is something going on about which you aren't aware. If you understand the position and the current work and you decided that two months was the right number to finish up, what would change that?

The second part of my response is still relevant.

 

[travelover]

.......... I don't want to make it seem like a money grab, but I would want to be compensated for staying longer than the next two months............

Sometimes it is hard to comprehend that we are FREE! No more acquiescing just to get along, no more giving into the boss. If you are done, just go!

 

[RetireAge50]

You said you were financially good and really want to be done so why not just say no if they ask you to stay.

 

[Meadbh]

I learnt the hard way that if you really want to leave, you need to stick to your guns. I agreed to stay an extra month, which delayed the sale of my house. Unfortunately, by that time, supply exceeded demand. There were 30 new listings in my neighbourhood the week my house went on the market. Whatever I earned in that extra month was eaten up by the price discount on my house. Essentially I worked an extra month for nothing.

 

[FreeBear]

First, congratulations Trooper on the beginning of the end! This is not a bad problem to have, but it's good you are thinking this through before "negotiating" with the boss. Perhaps it's like negotiating at the car dealer. You need to know your "walk away" price beforehand. What's the longest you are willing to stay, regardless of any perks?? What's the shortest?? What perks do you want thrown in, if any? In the end, it's just business...

On the other hand, if this seems like too much fooling around, you can just state your 2-months as a final offer. It almost sounds like you aren't sure about your 2 month timeline, otherwise you can just respectfully decline any counteroffer. What can they do, fire you?

I left in less than 2 weeks, declining a tepid counteroffer that was more of a conversational courtesy than a retention attempt. Mini-Mega management was almost as glad to be rid of me as I was overjoyed to be free!

Good luck and please remember that you are in the driver's seat.

FB

 

[FreeBear]

I learnt the hard way that if you really want to leave, you need to stick to your guns. I agreed to stay an extra month, which delayed the sale of my house. Unfortunately, by that time, supply exceeded demand. There were 30 new listings in my neighbourhood the week my house went on the market. Whatever I earned in that extra month was eaten up by the price discount on my house. Essentially I worked an extra month for nothing.

Ouch, "no good deed goes unpunished"

Sorry, I'm flashing back to my cynical w*rk self.

FB

 

[petershk]

I think being honest is important.

It sounds like you are done, done but you don't want to let him or the team down.

I'd turn it down like this:
"I appreciate that you value my expertise, but I think it would be disingenuous of me to pretend that additional compensation (or whatever) would be a positive motivation. At best I'd be a mercenary... At worst I'd resent it. Im confident there's other people that can do it and maybe me leaving will be a catalyst for them to step up. Either way I have to be honest with you and myself."

Something like that. Assuming that's how you feel.

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Early Retirement Forum mobile app

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

If you suspect you're going to weaken on your departure date, give 30 days' notice. That'll enable the boss to "talk you into staying" another month for the good of the team.

 

[rodi]

You mention you work for a large megacorp. Does this megacorp have periodic reductions/layoffs? Do they respond positively if one of the reduced folks were to ask to stay longer? Probably not.

I understand you want to give them a good transition. The reality is that they won't commit to a good transition if you give them more time... only when it is evident that you are imminently walking out the door - or have left. I like the idea of giving them 1 month, then conceding a second month if they ask - especially if they sweeten the pot for the 2nd month.

Don't be surprised if they don't sweeten the pot or ask you to stay longer... Even if you're highly valued... It's not in every corporate culture to do so. And for some management they pretty much write you off as soon as you give notice.

But perhaps you have some OMY mindset going on.

 

[Trooper]

It's usually better to leave when the news is fresh everyone (at least the subset of the everyone that matter to you) is still happy for you.

Good words, Willers, thanks. Have had similar thoughts.

 

[robertf57]

I gave 90+ days notice as is required by my contract. When pressured to stay on, I simply have said how flattered I was by their request ; but, that I had made commitments already that could not be changed. End of story

 

[MBAustin]

I gave 90+ days notice as is required by my contract. When pressured to stay on, I simply have said how flattered I was by their request ; but, that I had made commitments already that could not be changed. End of story

If you truly don't want to stay, this sounds like a good approach. And booking a trip for the first month of retirement is a good idea for all kinds of reasons.

I gave my boss 6 weeks verbal notice and she announced it to the group a month before I left. That was plenty of time for everyone, and I was in a pretty unique management role. Only got a couple of phone calls or e-mails in the next few weeks and that was it. I wasn't as invaluable as I thought I was.