Holding on one more year in Information Technology

[justpassinthru]

Turning 62 in a month, one year to go for planned retirement at 63 have not made the announcement at my office.
Final year not as I had envisioned, learned of a management plan to hire "over the top of me". I suppose I should be pleased with my performance to have kept employed in a field that is dominated by a much younger "crowd", but still challenging to experience what truly feels like ageism discrimination.
My survival plan to deal with the humiliation and disrespect when the new hire is formally announced is to totally check out from my job, skip as many meetings as possible and survive the final days.
Any strategies or stories of similar experiences I would love to hear.
Whatever happened to the days when society respected those ahead of us in years instead of pushing them aside least they get in the way?

 

[DrRoy]

Another strategy might be to pull the plug immediately.

 

[justpassinthru]

Retirement planning

I would take that option of pulling out now if financially viable. I have 6 months to go to be able to start a pension immediately, if I leave before then the Pension is not avail for another 3 years at age 65.
This will have to be a grin and bear it.

 

[ready53]

Age discrimination is clearly present in the working world, and the lack of respect for experienced, seasoned workers seems to be increasing. It is the worst that I have observed in my 38 1/2 years working. Is that a battle you really want to fight at this point in your career? I agree with DrRoy, just move on as soon as you can. A message to those "in power" in companies today: "what goes around comes around".

 

[broadway]

I would take that option of pulling out now if financially viable. I have 6 months to go to be able to start a pension immediately, if I leave before then the Pension is not avail for another 3 years at age 65.
This will have to be a grin and bear it.

Is there a difference in the amount you will receive with the pension?

If getting the pension immediately versus 3 years down the road is very important to you, I would give notice at 2 weeks before the 6 months. No sooner. I would not give your management any advance notice. No telling what they would do.

Then just go a long to get a long. You don't have to be totally insubordinate but just do the minimal. 6 months isn't that long in the scheme of things.

 

[bingybear]

Then just go a long to get a long. You don't have to be totally insubordinate but just do the minimal. 6 months isn't that long in the scheme of things.

I would not rock the boat. Just because they promote someone younger above you does not mean age discrimination, but it could be. While you don't sound like you'd like it, you could get parting gifts!

Don't give them reason to let you go with cause.

 

[mystang52]

Is there a difference in the amount you will receive with the pension?

If getting the pension immediately versus 3 years down the road is very important to you, I would give notice at 2 weeks before the 6 months. No sooner. I would not give your management any advance notice. No telling what they would do.

Then just go a long to get a long. You don't have to be totally insubordinate but just do the minimal. 6 months isn't that long in the scheme of things.

+1 No matter how upset you may be, it should be a bit easy to tough it out for 6 months, and then joyously give the 2 weeks notice.

 

[ivinsfan]

Is there a difference in the amount you will receive with the pension?

If getting the pension immediately versus 3 years down the road is very important to you, I would give notice at 2 weeks before the 6 months. No sooner. I would not give your management any advance notice. No telling what they would do.

Then just go a long to get a long. You don't have to be totally insubordinate but just do the minimal. 6 months isn't that long in the scheme of things.

Well way things work today, I wouldn't give notice until the 6 month and 1 day mark in case I got walked to the door ASAP.

 

[broadway]

And being the careful type, I would also want to know when the official 6 months date is. You don't want to miss it by a few days.

My one-year anniversary to receive 25% of the employer 401(k) match was September 10. But I stayed until September 27.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

.....learned of a management plan to hire "over the top of me".
.....is to totally check out from my job, skip as many meetings as possible....
.....Any strategies or stories of similar experiences I would love to hear.

No disrespect to you, while it sucks, it depends on the direction of the company and possible new technology. If the company is making a bold change and you have limited experience in that area, it might make sense. Perhaps they should of consulted you, but who knows. Look at it this way, the new (maybe younger) person will have all the pressure and hopefully the energy to make it happen. In my experience, recruiting a quality person may take 1 - 3 months and another few months to brief/train them.

Do your job with pride as you have always. Just be careful as you "totally check out", it would be terrible to be terminated with cause due to job performance.

I know one guy that seems to study the release/patch schedule and major project delivery dates and always seem to be on vacation or not available so it's best to assign to another person.

Take a good look at your schedule, get vacations and doctor's appointments on the calendar, just milk the next 6-12 months. Any good/tough projects, assign to someone that expressed a desire for promotion in the area, so you are fostering the "grooming" and "growth".

Technology is great, but it has changed so much in 5 years. I'm turning 48 this year and get tired of reading all the new benefits of AWS, Azure, microservices, cloud services, security and regulatory compliance requirements, etc. etc. Any resources saved in one area is spent in another area within technology.

 

[MRG]

My DF used to say "grin and bear it". Don't blow a few years of pension over the pride. Shortly you won't care about the place.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

How about just putting aside personal feelings and helping the new person and your colleagues to be as successful as possible? That would, for me, produce the best feelings during the remaining time and would allow me to leave with my head held high.

-BB

 

[Midpack]

Sad situation and I fully appreciate your disappointment. Is there any way to quietly surface the issue and find an amicable way to ride out that last year? IF your SURE of your intel, could you talk to someone with 'I understand you're planning to replace me,' and sort out your needs vs the companies? As long as you've been there, maybe they're aware of your pension eligibility date and though they're planning to replace you, they're not trying to push you out short of your eligibility date? Any chance their plans might be better than you think? Maybe they have an exit bonus in mind, or any number of other unpublished inducements.

I am not accusing you by any means, but I had employees who heard rumors and assumed the absolute worst, didn't discuss with management, kept it to themselves and got themselves all worked up, largely if not totally unfounded. Some even had co-workers angry, all unfounded. We could tell something was eating at them, for weeks or months, but they just stayed upset - despite our attempts to discuss what was bothering them. And when they found out what we really had in mind, they were pleasantly surprised. Weeks or months of angst was wasted, for several people. That's sad.

Best of luck, hope it plays out better than you're anticipating.

 

[target2019]

We reorg'd, and I'll be getting a new boss. I'm not management, but directly connected to customer. I was offered a lead position but declined about a year ago.

My old boss took the liberty of adding an additional goal to this 2017 goals. He explained that me and others (named manager who has been out 3 months with heart attack) need a succession plan. However the written goal mentions mentoring. He carefully avoided words "old" and "young".

In the reorg'd chart I have an empty box above me, and Mr empty square box has 6 other reports.

The way I see this, I can only ruin things by asking questions. The situation remains great. I'll wait and watch, and do my job.

If there is any pushing or shoving on the playground, I will take my human capital and go home.

To OP, you have skill and will. Let out your emotions here as much as necessary. There will be more surprises, I'm sure.

 

[BeachOrCity]

The good news is that if you are only 6 months from retirement eligible they won't dare lay you off without a rock solid case. Too legally risky.

 

[justpassinthru]

So glad I found this forum and all of you. Really had no one to share these thoughts with that actually understood.
In regards to "Intel" I have known about the "hiring'" for several months. A week ago the President of the organization called me into her office and shared with me that they were going to hire someone that would bring in expertise in another area. (Intel tells me the actual job description is a mirror of mine ) In a quick decision I shared with her that I was looking at a possible retirement a little over a year away (let her know that was not public yet) and wanted to finish my working career at this company.(Yes I know hindsight might of not been best to share) We talked about retirements in general and she gave assurance that I could finish out there. I thanked her for sharing with me up front about the plan (That was decent of her and I did appreciate it tremendously), let her know I was on board with their plan and would help in anyway (survival mode)
Even as I am sharing these thoughts I realize my situation could be much worse, although not fulling trusting my "assurance" of being safe it is miles ahead of being immediately let go.
I think the hardest part will be the confusion of others on staff that will be filled in with assumptions as the new person comes on board doing the tasks I once did. I don't think proper thought has gone into the clarity of this new position, its a gut reaction to a changing business environment, my advise on the creation of this position would of been invaluable and the whole situation could of been handled in a much more constructive way.
I have not formally announced retirement plans, maybe I should? I need to let go of dignity and pride, focus on my new found love of cycling, lifelong love of sailing and keep perspective on what is really important in life.
Thank you all for the shared words.

 

[Fedup]

I wouldn't take it too personally. Maybe they do read the tea leaf that you are closer to retirement and may pull the plug any day now, so it's best to have a replacement just in case you do. I wouldn't feel hurt if you can help it. Play along and see. You may get out sooner or you may not. But give yourself the freedom to think you can walk out any time.

 

[MRG]

I would not formally announce any plans. Nothing good ever comes from it but sometimes bad things do.

Work with the President and the new person on a turnover and communications plan. Sounds like six months worth of work to me.

 

[Aiming_4_55]

.... I think the hardest part will be the confusion of others on staff that will be filled in with assumptions as the new person comes on board doing the tasks I once did. I don't think proper thought has gone into the clarity of this new position, its a gut reaction to a changing business environment, my advise on the creation of this position would of been invaluable and the whole situation could of been handled in a much more constructive way.
I have not formally announced retirement plans, maybe I should? I need to let go of dignity and pride, focus on my new found love of cycling, lifelong love of sailing and keep perspective on what is really important in life.
Thank you all for the shared words.

How can you help with the clarity? Can you draft the employee introduction and suggest language for how you will still be involved/key projects? Are there key areas that need extra focus? Are there a few managers that need extra grooming and mentoring? I would look for an opportunity to assign certain responsibility to the new person and move on to special areas that the company still value. Every transition in business or technology takes time, so the new person will need some legacy insight.

I've done this before when I "lost interest" in a role. I've always valued "my time" so the first to get re-assigned were under resourced projects, areas that reviewed on-call status/rotation, or something I was not interested in. I was willing to walk away, kind of like FI, but I knew my area of focus was always in demand.

 

[Midpack]

So glad I found this forum and all of you. Really had no one to share these thoughts with that actually understood.
In regards to "Intel" I have known about the "hiring'" for several months. A week ago the President of the organization called me into her office and shared with me that they were going to hire someone that would bring in expertise in another area. (Intel tells me the actual job description is a mirror of mine ) In a quick decision I shared with her that I was looking at a possible retirement a little over a year away (let her know that was not public yet) and wanted to finish my working career at this company.(Yes I know hindsight might of not been best to share) We talked about retirements in general and she gave assurance that I could finish out there. I thanked her for sharing with me up front about the plan (That was decent of her and I did appreciate it tremendously), let her know I was on board with their plan and would help in anyway (survival mode)
Even as I am sharing these thoughts I realize my situation could be much worse, although not fulling trusting my "assurance" of being safe it is miles ahead of being immediately let go.
I think the hardest part will be the confusion of others on staff that will be filled in with assumptions as the new person comes on board doing the tasks I once did. I don't think proper thought has gone into the clarity of this new position, its a gut reaction to a changing business environment, my advise on the creation of this position would of been invaluable and the whole situation could of been handled in a much more constructive way.
I have not formally announced retirement plans, maybe I should? I need to let go of dignity and pride, focus on my new found love of cycling, lifelong love of sailing and keep perspective on what is really important in life.
Thank you all for the shared words.

Well that sounds a little better, the President has considered your needs along with the needs of the organization, even if it's not ideal in your view. There is no way they could get away with pushing you out before you're eligible, and it appears the Pres has acknowledged that. It's not ideal, but your transition will be better than many others, as you acknowledge.

We all provide value to our employer, but almost no one is as valuable as they think, whether a clerk or a CEO or anyone in between. I watched hundreds of employees who thought, even said, they were absolutely indispensable replaced with little to no disruption. I replaced many very talented, well-liked people, and our organization moved forward with continued progress/improvement through them all. Though we missed some of their expertise, the replacements often bring new skills that the valued predecessor didn't. When I left, I told my organization I expect you to break every record we set while I was here. Hopefully there will be some things we've put in place here that will continue to serve the organization, but I EXCEPT you to improve in those areas where I may have had blindspots or biases. The sooner the better. That's how it always works, and should. Even Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, George Washington, etc. were replaced, and they were/are truly extraordinary.

BUT, AND only you know your actual situation. I see no advantage to broadly announcing your retirement any sooner than necessary. I told my boss 3 months out to give Corp more than enough time to replace me (even though I'd already groomed an onsite replacement for them, and he got my job), but expressly told him I'd rather WE didn't announce until 3 weeks before my retirement. He said OK, and then put out a company wide email the next day. It was pretty awkward, especially at my site, for those last 3 months - everyone reacted differently to dealing with a "lame duck."

Five years from now, none of this will bother you much if at all.

And as a fellow lifelong sailor, I'd be looking forward too if I was you!

 

[Which Roger]

I didn't say a word to anybody until my pension kicked in, then I told my boss that I would like to get laid off, i.e., paid to quit, if at all possible. Is that a possibility in your situation, given that the company seems to be trying to push out the older workers in favor of the new ones?

 

[justpassinthru]

Clarity

That might be the key, pushing myself more into the circle of those creating this "new" position. I have approached the key manager that I know is driving the change and offered to help with the hiring without success. Too many assumptions can be made when those offers to help are ignored. Within that circle is little I.T. savvy and tack in employee relations (my skills with people has always been a strong point).
As I think about this the best approach may be to get out ahead of the "inner circle" with a two pointed strategy. Begin to share with other staff throughout the office that I am retiring a year from now (could be sooner but strategically Ill publicly keep it out longer). By sharing I will help direct opinion and assumptions by others from a being pushed out to what it really is, a changing of the guard.
Second, get the planning phase out of the closet, there is no reason for this to be secretive and it's really a reflection of poor management style. By pushing it to a public level I have a better chance of getting some involvement in the process. This would accomplish both a better outcome for the organization and a more positive ending of a 40 year I.T. career.
I am feeling way better about this, I do hope you all realize the value of your wisdom shared. If anyone has thoughts on my new laid plans I welcome them. Excellent advice thank you.

 

[justpassinthru]

Pension timing

This is a plan of mine as well, once the pension is available to start at anytime, being let go with a "paid to quit" agreement. I will be way more relaxed when the pension is locked in.

I didn't say a word to anybody until my pension kicked in, then I told my boss that I would like to get laid off, i.e., paid to quit, if at all possible. Is that a possibility in your situation, given that the company seems to be trying to push out the older workers in favor of the new ones?

 

[justpassinthru]

Timing

Its a tough call the timing of pension announcement. Because I have already informed the President and as I think back over the last year I have slipped a couple of innuendos about one day not being there to others on the management team, I'm not sure that I have a lot to lose with going more public.
What i have to gain is putting a label on the transition rather than leaving it to the office gossip pool. That has high value to me, I assume because of a major life transition coupled with a loss of partial identity.
We all want to feel valued, even in the artificially contrived business world, its a basic human need. I have always valued myself as being above that need, keeping myself centered and balanced in how I define myself and allow others too. This is big one for me that I am quite sure I will smile everyday past my retirement date looking back.

Need to take the 4 hour drive to my sailboat more often, as soon as I step on the docks, spy my boat waiting for me, all these petty thoughts melt away.

Fair winds...

Well that sounds a little better, the President has considered your needs along with the needs of the organization, even if it's not ideal in your view. There is no way they could get away with pushing you out before you're eligible, and it appears the Pres has acknowledged that. It's not ideal, but your transition will be better than many others, as you acknowledge.

We all provide value to our employer, but almost no one is as valuable as they think, whether a clerk or a CEO or anyone in between. I watched hundreds of employees who thought, even said, they were absolutely indispensable replaced with little to no disruption. I replaced many very talented, well-liked people, and our organization moved forward with continued progress/improvement through them all. Though we missed some of their expertise, the replacements often bring new skills that the valued predecessor didn't. When I left, I told my organization I expect you to break every record we set while I was here. Hopefully there will be some things we've put in place here that will continue to serve the organization, but I EXCEPT you to improve in those areas where I may have had blindspots or biases. The sooner the better. That's how it always works, and should. Even Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, George Washington, etc. were replaced, and they were/are truly extraordinary.

BUT, AND only you know your actual situation. I see no advantage to broadly announcing your retirement any sooner than necessary. I told my boss 3 months out to give Corp more than enough time to replace me (even though I'd already groomed an onsite replacement for them, and he got my job), but expressly told him I'd rather WE didn't announce until 3 weeks before my retirement. He said OK, and then put out a company wide email the next day. It was pretty awkward, especially at my site, for those last 3 months - everyone reacted differently to dealing with a "lame duck."

Five years from now, none of this will bother you much if at all.

And as a fellow lifelong sailor, I'd be looking forward too if I was you!

 

[Midpack]

That might be the key, pushing myself more into the circle of those creating this "new" position. I have approached the key manager that I know is driving the change and offered to help with the hiring without success. Too many assumptions can be made when those offers to help are ignored. Within that circle is little I.T. savvy and tack in employee relations (my skills with people has always been a strong point).
As I think about this the best approach may be to get out ahead of the "inner circle" with a two pointed strategy. Begin to share with other staff throughout the office that I am retiring a year from now (could be sooner but strategically Ill publicly keep it out longer). By sharing I will help direct opinion and assumptions by others from a being pushed out to what it really is, a changing of the guard.
Second, get the planning phase out of the closet, there is no reason for this to be secretive and it's really a reflection of poor management style. By pushing it to a public level I have a better chance of getting some involvement in the process. This would accomplish both a better outcome for the organization and a more positive ending of a 40 year I.T. career.
I am feeling way better about this, I do hope you all realize the value of your wisdom shared. If anyone has thoughts on my new laid plans I welcome them. Excellent advice thank you.

Yeah, against my experience/instincts, and I've already posted from my experience - but you indeed know your circumstances, and what's best in your situation. You'll make the best decisions for yourself.