Would It Be Dumb To Tell My Manager My Plans?

[Dynaflash]

I did it. Gave a little over 14 months notice after 37 years. Retired at 62. The extra time was for the same reasons as you. It was a mistake on my part. Instead of getting a replacement for me to train they waited until the very end. In fact, after I was gone but in the last 14 months they decided that since I was leaving that they would get all they could from me. My work load was unbearable.
In your case if they are closing the office you should not say anything because there could be a early retirement package offered to you that you will not get if they know you are leaving anyway

[Maidensong]

My DH did everything you all are warning about, except he told his boss a full two years before he intended to retire early from G**gle. And also told his boss's boss. He even discussed how to find and train his replacement, but nothing was ever done. I guess they didn't believe he'd actually do it. He continued to get excellent bonuses, stock options and raises.

Then when the time came he submitted the resignation letter he'd written two years earlier and gave two weeks notice. His boss still did nothing to replace him. In fact, his position wasn't even posted until the day he walked out of the office for the last time with his boss begging him to telecommute (we were moving to a LCOL area) until the end of the year. His last day in the office was May 1st, but he was on the company payroll until the following January. I think the DH was hoping in the end that they'd fire him so he could collect unemployment for a while!

Anyway, that said, I would NOT recommend what he did. It could have gone sideways in so many ways. We were amazingly lucky.

However, I do recommend to OP that you write your resignation letter and keep it under lock and key. Just the act of committing your plans to paper is a boost.

Good luck!

[2177V]

It is a myth that anyone is indispensable. I have seen many employees left the company that I thought was indispensable. What happened is either nothing gets done or critical work is re-assigned to other people until they hire a replacement. The work continues somehow.



If the company gives 2 weeks notice when they fire people, then employees should do the same if they retire. When you do retire, it is OK to burn your bridges since you are not likely to come back. On the other hand, if you found a better job, I would not burn your bridges because you may have an interest to maintain a good relationship.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vchan2177 It is a myth that anyone is indispensable. I have seen many employees left the company that I thought was indispensable. What happened is either nothing gets done or critical work is re-assigned to other people until they hire a replacement. The work continues somehow. If the company gives 2 weeks notice when they fire people, then employees should do the same if they retire. When you do retire, it is OK to burn your bridges since you are not likely to come back. On the other hand, if you found a better job, I would not burn your bridges because you may have an interest to maintain a good relationship.

Usually, a company gives you no notice when they fire you. They just ask you to clean out you personal stuff and they walk you to the door!

[jollystomper]

To the OP, I would only tell your manager your plans for August 2020 if you can afford, and are prepared, to leave today.

I had several co-workers tell manager of their plans to leave a couple of years out. When the next round of Megacorp layoffs came around, much less than a year down the road, layoffs hit, both were gone. Managements view was that it was easier to let someone go who had already made up their mind to leave. Unfortunately those co-workers were not happy, as they were still counting on those years of income to prepare for retirement.

I told my management in August 2017 that I likely would be retiring before the end of 2018. But that that point, I was financially prepared to go, so there was nothing they could have done to me to hurt my retirement financial plans.

[PJHawk]

I've been thinking about this a lot because I'm almost on the final approach to the airport. I originally thought about 3 months. Now I'm thinking 30 days max. My wife says 2 weeks. I think anything over 30 days will become awkward. I'm also going to be mentally ready to be escorted out of the office on the day I announce. I'm sure I can list everything I do in 30 days.

[Jerry1]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aja8888 Usually, a company gives you no notice when they fire you. They just ask you to clean out you personal stuff and they walk you to the door!

Yes, but they do tend to pay you for the two weeks.

[aja8888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jerry1 Yes, but they do tend to pay you for the two weeks.

Depends on the company. I got let go from two firms over the years and was just paid up to the day of release and any accumulated vacation time. No set rules on this.

[nhcycling]

4 weeks notice is plenty at any MegaCorp ...

[sn2792]

I let my manager know 6 months ahead of time and it worked out really well. They named someone to replace me and my folks that reported to me started reporting to the new person. I was able to brain dump and stayed on working with the team to help out. My boss even put feelers out for an interest in leaving package and I ended up getting a years severance package when I left. So in my situation, it was well worth it.

[BigNick]

Quote:

Originally Posted by vchan2177 It is a myth that anyone is indispensable. I have seen many employees left the company that I thought was indispensable. What happened is either nothing gets done or critical work is re-assigned to other people until they hire a replacement. The work continues somehow.

If the company thinks you are indispensable, they will provide a chauffeur-driven armoured vehicle to make sure you get home safe each night and back into work the next morning, and your contract will have clauses prohibiting you from engaging various hazardous activities. Kind of like the (possibly apocryphal) story that there were only three people who know the formula for Coca Cola and they never flew on the same plane. (I knew someone whose contract required him to vacation no more than 30 minutes from a helicopter landing pad, and to check in with his location on any hiking trip.)

In the absence of the above-mentioned armoured car and restrictive clauses, your sudden demise is something that the company could cope with. Plan your retirement accordingly.

[Calico]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigNick If the company thinks you are indispensable, they will provide a chauffeur-driven armoured vehicle to make sure you get home safe each night and back into work the next morning, and your contract will have clauses prohibiting you from engaging various hazardous activities. Kind of like the (possibly apocryphal) story that there were only three people who know the formula for Coca Cola and they never flew on the same plane. (I knew someone whose contract required him to vacation no more than 30 minutes from a helicopter landing pad, and to check in with his location on any hiking trip.) In the absence of the above-mentioned armoured car and restrictive clauses, your sudden demise is something that the company could cope with. Plan your retirement accordingly.

[AreWeThereYet0]

Lot's of good advice here. 2 weeks notice and no more. Only tell them when you are ready to walk out the door because they might show you to it when you tell them your plans.

[tsturbo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AreWeThereYet0 Lot's of good advice here. 2 weeks notice and no more. Only tell them when you are ready to walk out the door because they might show you to it when you tell them your plans.

Great advice! Exactly what I plan to do!!

[scrabbler1]

I gave one month's notice before I left in late 2008 after working for them for 23 years. But then again, I was working only 2 days a week at the time, so it translated into 9 more working days.


I was working on one big project, one I was planning to get done in those 9 days. I got it done, barely, about 45 minutes before I walked out the door for the last time.


A few months earlier, a key coworker in another division who worked with me a lot on other stuff retired. I spent some time upgrading the programs I maintained for her and her work group so that others in both divisions could run them more easily.


I would not advise anyone giving that much advance notice. I recall some long-time employees giving a few months notice, but nothing as long as a year. Really, who wants to be a lame duck for that long?