FIREd like a boss! I walked out the door and didn't tell anyone!

[rmcelwee]

Yes, they got what they deserved! I thought I did the right thing by telling them a few months ago that I was going to leave in March after 32 years and they took revenge on me (long story).

So, two days ago I went to w*rk just like normal. At the end of the day I cleaned out my desk and walked out without saying a word. I'm burning all my vacation to get to my real retirement date of March 1st. I sent an email to the HR department this morning and notified them but my boss and subordinates don't know yet. I already had vacation scheduled for the next 13 days so they won't expect anything when I don't show up next week.

I will still have to go in for 4 hours in a month and another 4 hours on my last day to tie up loose ends but other than that I am done. I'll do it after hours when no one is around. I'll submit my team's timesheets and year end reviews from home.

 

[Jim59]

Well done, must be a great feeling.

 

[StillFiguringItOut]

I want to read the long story!

 

[pb4uski]

+1

 

[38Chevy454]

Congrats, sounds like you are basically free now, only the formal waiting period to make it official.
I had a little different case at my company, at beginning of the year I had the obligatory annual performance plan from megacorp. My only item for the year was "retire later this year". My boss was OK with it, but I still had to fill in the required flow-down BS even though it didn't make a difference since my plan was leaving before the end of the year. Which I did leave at beginning of Aug. I did not get any revenge type actions like you did. Probably helped that the company needed me a lot more than I needed them.

 

[rmcelwee]

I want to read the long story!

It would come across better if you were sitting here having a beer with me but here is the short version. It might come out confusing.

I am a shift supervisor. We rotate from days to nights every six weeks. If you are a supervisor you always stay on your shift and never move, only the people who work for you move to other shifts and that is rare. Another shift supervisor is also leaving in March. He mentioned to me that he was going to give them a year notice. I told him that was a bad move but he did it anyway. His reward was to be moved down a notch (same pay, far less responsibility) and his new replacement was put on shift with him. He has pretty much spent his final year with the company taking it easy. I figured that was a pretty good deal so I waited six months and told them. My punishment was to be moved to another shift (again, this has NEVER been done before) at the end of the year where I had to work Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and three straight months of night shift with a group of guys who were opposite from me and I had never worked with them before. This also meant that all my vacation for the last three months of the year was cancelled. Christmas party at my house - cancelled. Trip to see my parents at Thanksgiving - cancelled. New Years with friends - cancelled. There was absolutely no reason to do this. Shift changes for the past 32 years since I have been there are ALWAYS done at the beginning of the year, never in October. There was also a guy who was let go a week after I got to the shift. So no only was I on a shift with a bunch of strangers but it was also severely undermanned.

Needless to say, I got the last laugh (I think)...

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Congrats on gaining your FREEDOM!!! It's an awesome place to be.

 

[ERD50]

It would come across better if you were sitting here having a beer with me but here is the short version. It might come out confusing.

I am a shift supervisor. We rotate from days to nights every six weeks. If you are a supervisor you always stay on your shift and never move, only the people who work for you move to other shifts and that is rare. ...

I'm not following. You say " We rotate from days to nights every six weeks.",

but then say " If you are a supervisor you always stay on your shift and never move"

So I guess the "We" was your team, not including you?

But then, "only the people who work for you move to other shifts and that is rare."



You say it is rare, but earlier you said they rotate every six weeks?

What did I miss?

-ERD50

 

[rmcelwee]

I'm not following. What did I miss?

-ERD50

I told you it was long and confusing...

Shift #1 - Me (supervisor) and seven other guys.
Shift #2 - You (supervisor) and seven other guys.

I and my seven guys will work all night and give turnover to you and your seven guys when you arrive in the morning. You will work all day and give turnover to me when I arrive that night. We will work nights like this for six grueling soul crushing weeks. 12 hour night shifts are not fun.

Normally, six weeks later, I move to dayshift with my seven guys and you move to nightshift with your seven guys. EXCEPT, my boss calls me in and says I am staying on night shift with your seven guys and you get to stay on dayshift with my seven guys. No reason, no explanation, nothing. This means I lose all scheduled vacation (because my work days have changed) and work three months straight night shift.

Occasionally at the end of the year one of the seven guys from Shift #1 (definitely not the supervisor) will change places with a guy from Shift #2. This might be due to a personality conflict or something. It is rare.

 

[Golden sunsets]

Just another example that providing more notice is not in your interests.

 

[rmcelwee]

Just another example that providing more notice is not in your interests.

Actually, were two positive things that came from my six month notice.

1) I was getting bitched at on a regular basis. They pretty much ignored me alone after I told them.

2) Being on nights meant that I saw my bosses much less than I regularly would. Always a good thing.

But yes, I knew it was a really dumb idea but it worked out great for the other guy so I mistakenly thought it would for me.

 

[Masquernom]

One of my job moves was from project engineering to production. A senior production engineer got mad one Friday and just walked out. I ended up back filling him.

We had an engineering supervisor that married a local doctor. The doctor had a job interview out of state. The doctor accepted the new job. Our engineering supervisor just called back and asked HR to mail him his paperwork and box up his office for him. Never saw him again.

As someone else mentioned in an earlier post, they don't give you two weeks notice when they work force reduce you, so why do you give the company notice?

 

[athena53]

What a great exit- congratulations!

 

[kgtest]

Ole man got crapped on a year before his retirement. Started sticking him with all the new guys, giving him extra duty etc. So, in retaliation he decided to get both his knee's replaced. Was out on short term disability twice, then light duty right up to his exit. Boss also passed him up for submission to an ER package that was being offered. It floored me, but the final dump was watching his ESOP shrink by 50% about 3 months into retirement.

Don't work a day longer than you need to, exit swiftly and quietly. That's my plan. Only 9.5 yrs to go.

 

[pjm-7]

Can we cue the Johnny Paycheck . . . take this job and shove it!

 

[sunnysideup]

I am so happy for you. I know the feeling. In my last job before retiring, I was only there for 12 months when the company was bought out. Things started to change for the worse as people worried about their jobs…..then my boss, who was out of state, started transferring many of my responsibilities to someone in his office. Most likely to make sure they had a job.

So I enjoyed having less work for 3 months, and I cleaned out my office (for the most part unseen) as I planned my departure. I held out until my annual bonus and the stay bonus hit the bank. I gave notice on a Thursday at 3 pm and left Friday after the exit interview with HR at 2 pm.

Boy did that feel good. They were surprised. They were probably relieved that I left, but still surprised.

So good for you!!

 

[street]

I wish you the best.

 

[RobbieB]

I left before the end of the year bonus. See ya, bye!

 

[rk911]

I want to read the long story!

moi aussi!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

The freedom of not having a schedule, day or night, not being on call, and not having to travel for work but going on vacation whenever you want is great. Enjoy your retirement!

 

[Dtail]

Good job leaving the job.

 

[steveark]

I wouldn't have even thought about slipping away incognito. Instead they threw me a couple of parties and a dinner. I got gag gifts and got to hug a lot of necks. It even made the front page of the newspaper. It was a great 38 year career. I even consulted for them for a few years after. My practice has always been to burn no bridges regardless of how the other side has acted.

 

[marko]

Just another example that providing more notice is not in your interests.

It's often not in the company's interest either.

I used to tell people giving their notice "two hours should be enough to clean out your desk". We didn't want any 'dead men walking' or martyrs trashing the company for weeks on end. Everyone got a hefty severance: one month for short timers--up to two years for long termers.

Having said that, if the OP was financially able when they demoted his job, I'd have walked out right there and then. Why hang around to put up with that crap?

 

[Stormy Kromer]

Can we cue the Johnny Paycheck . . . take this job and shove it!

The first thing that entered my mind also.

 

[donheff]

Yes, they got what they deserved! I thought I did the right thing by telling them a few months ago that I was going to leave in March after 32 years and they took revenge on me (long story).

So, two days ago I went to w*rk just like normal. At the end of the day I cleaned out my desk and walked out without saying a word. I'm burning all my vacation to get to my real retirement date of March 1st. I sent an email to the HR department this morning and notified them but my boss and subordinates don't know yet. I already had vacation scheduled for the next 13 days so they won't expect anything when I don't show up next week.

I will still have to go in for 4 hours in a month and another 4 hours on my last day to tie up loose ends but other than that I am done. I'll do it after hours when no one is around. I'll submit my team's timesheets and year end reviews from home.

Not sure I get this. It sounds like March is still your retirement date. Did you originally plan to work until March and then take leave as a lump sum? Is there anything the company can do to screw you over and deny you benefits that won't accrue until March?