A Major Epiphany

[EllisWyatt]

Have been planning on retiring after receiving my bonus in March, 2014, but had an exceptionally lousy day at work - following an extraordinarily crappy week. So bad, in fact, I was close to telling them "Good bye, and thanks for all the fish" at the end of the day.

Since the new management arrived six months ago, my notional concept of leaving next Spring has become a firm decision. I've been counting "Months 'til Freedom" for a while (4 and counting), but today I sat down to count "Weeks 'til Freedom" and had a major epiphany - I have not been subtracting vacation days, holidays, and sick days (I seldom used sick days, but that is going to change, pronto).

What started out at 16 work weeks remaining (which is barely tolerable) magically became 6.03 actual weeks of being in the office.

Six weeks....okay, I can handle that.

 

[Walt34]

Six weeks....okay, I can handle that.

That sure makes it better. One can handle almost anything workwise if the end date is known.

 

[47]

Depending on the type of work and if your constitution would allow it.. give them the requisite notice, emotionally disengage and coast to the end. You should be able to cash out vacation and sick days.

Living well is the best form of revenge.. and you may pleasantly find that job is not the four letter word, but it is the w0rk!

 

[GT1 Doug]

Don't tell them you are going to retire before the bonus is in your account. My company had an extremely bad habit of reducing or eliminating bonuses for those that announced their pending retirement prior to payday.

 

[BigE]

Great news Ellis. 6.03 seems pretty doable.

 

[traineeinvestor]

Don't tell them you are going to retire before the bonus is in your account. My company had an extremely bad habit of reducing or eliminating bonuses for those that announced their pending retirement prior to payday.

+1

If there is any element of discretion involved at all, then don't let anyone know until the day after the bonus has hit your account.

 

[EllisWyatt]

I don't plan on even giving them a HINT that I'm leaving until the bonus hits the bank. In the dictionary, under the term "penurious", it says "see XYZMegacorp".

Under normal circumstances (ie., as recently as 6 months ago) I would give significant notice in order for them to find a replacement. The new president (who I report to) is not trustworthy enough, and is vindictive enough, that I strongly believe it would be a mistake. Soooo.... they get the minimum 2 weeks notice.

The hardest part of the next couple months will be smiling and nodding convincingly at the appropriate times.

 

[Ronstar]

The 6 weeks is doable. The .03 is going to be rough

 

[FUEGO]

I don't plan on even giving them a HINT that I'm leaving until the bonus hits the bank. In the dictionary, under the term "penurious", it says "see XYZMegacorp".

Under normal circumstances (ie., as recently as 6 months ago) I would give significant notice in order for them to find a replacement. The new president (who I report to) is not trustworthy enough, and is vindictive enough, that I strongly believe it would be a mistake. Soooo.... they get the minimum 2 weeks notice.

The hardest part of the next couple months will be smiling and nodding convincingly at the appropriate times.

Wise plan of action. You got to know when to hold em, and know when to... cash in the chips and get out of the casino!

 

[Animorph]

I'd worry about the bonus if you were going to work only 6 out of 16 weeks. You might not look very productive.

 

[brett]

Stay there.

When new management is installed, it often takes them 6 months to figure things out and come up with a new, improved, better, plan that has their fingerprints on it.

Perhaps you will be fortunate enough to get the bonus and a severance package if you can wait them out.

 

[growing_older]

Originally Posted by GT1 Doug
Don't tell them you are going to retire before the bonus is in your account. My company had an extremely bad habit of reducing or eliminating bonuses for those that announced their pending retirement prior to payday.

This has been standard practice everywhere I've worked, even in the friendliest "we're all like family" places. Never will I hint I'm leaving until the bonus is in my account.

 

[pb4uski]

I'd worry about the bonus if you were going to work only 6 out of 16 weeks. You might not look very productive.

Sort of what I was thinking. While you can probably squeeze a vacation in and reduce the 16 weeks to 13 or so I don't see how you can get it down to 6.03 weeks without them getting a sense that you are leaving and killing your bonus.

 

[EllisWyatt]

Good points.

I'd thought about the looking productive issue, and that was part of my epiphany ... bonuses are determined by Jan1 to Jan1 performance. I have already significantly exceeded the performance criteria this year; Jan1, 2014-March 2014 are next year’s cycle.

The company is an overseas based company whose culture is vacation-friendly. The rotational staff regularly take several weeks of vacation at a time; I will just be following suit. A week and a half for Thanksgiving, a week for Christmas+a week for New Years….

Sick days are more problematic... and if I don’t take them, I can’t cash them out. Still thinking on that.

As for severance.....ain't gonna happen. Not in the corporate culture, and no redundancy -part of the issue.

 

[2B]

+1

If there is any element of discretion involved at all, then don't let anyone know until the day after the bonus has hit your account.

+1

I don't get bonuses like the old days but I still get a small one. I don't know what might happen if I announce anything before then. Mine will hit in late December. I've decided that is the decision time.

 

[meekie]

I hope you called in sick today!

Mental health should be just as important as physical health. If you were that stressed yesterday, you deserve a day off today.

 

[2B]

Good points.

The company is an overseas based company whose culture is vacation-friendly. The rotational staff regularly take several weeks of vacation at a time; I will just be following suit. A week and a half for Thanksgiving, a week for Christmas+a week for New Years….

Sick days are more problematic... and if I don’t take them, I can’t cash them out. Still thinking on that.

As for severance.....ain't gonna happen. Not in the corporate culture, and no redundancy -part of the issue.

Being "sick" comes with its own problems. You can't take more than a few days at a time and you can't do it too often. This is especially true if you have a good attendance record. This will just call attention to yourself.

 

[EllisWyatt]

+1

I've always had a good attendance record, so that is the one thing I'm going to have to be careful of.

I plan on having thorough physical and dental checkups, and any work that needs to be done while I am still under the current health insurance, prior to pulling the plug. Considering I live 350 miles from where I work, an hour appointment equals 1 day of sick leave, so that may work out and not raise any eyebrows.

 

[EllisWyatt]

The hard part will be that I have a great staff, and we all are friends as well as co-workers. I'm not as worried about tipping my hand as I am about causing undue concern among some very good people.

 

[MikeD]

Sort of what I was thinking. While you can probably squeeze a vacation in and reduce the 16 weeks to 13 or so I don't see how you can get it down to 6.03 weeks without them getting a sense that you are leaving and killing your bonus.

I agree with this sentiment. I also agree that you should not say anything until you have cash in hand.

Mike D.

 

[MooreBonds]

+1

I've always had a good attendance record, so that is the one thing I'm going to have to be careful of.

One other suggestion - if you take a sick day on a Friday, you don't have to have the following day "so how are you feeling" barrage of requests from co-workers/bosses to see if you were really sick or not. A 3 day weekend will clear up most things that would come on someone.

 

[Chuckanut]

Congratuations!

 

[FUEGO]

One other suggestion - if you take a sick day on a Friday, you don't have to have the following day "so how are you feeling" barrage of requests from co-workers/bosses to see if you were really sick or not. A 3 day weekend will clear up most things that would come on someone.

How about the standard "fan-fu**ing-tastic! I wasn't at work yesterday" for those difficult to avoid mid-week sick days?

 

[ohyes]

Ellis,

This is great news and surely puts more wind in your sails! Very happy for you. After i finally finished with producing babies, my sick time built steadily and into an impressive amount of days, even after total knee replacement a few years back.

Guess what, that last year---I was taking days off right and left. Sniffles? Sick day! Bad mood? Sick day! Toe pain? Sick day! OK, i made that one up.

Did it reflect badly on me? I could not have cared less, lol. It made that last year so much more tolerable with all those four day weeks -and, I still left with 76 sick days).

 

[Rustward]

Just FYI, the fine print on some direct deposit agreements authorizes the employer to withdraw overpayments from the checking account. Just something to be aware of.