No Fuss Retirement Day in Rocket City

[PercMan]

Hi, I am 54 yrs old, married with two daughters.

This is my first post ever. Like many of you, I have been
lurking for quite some time and do appreciate all of those
that do post. It's been very helpful in my effort to close
the deal with early retirement.

I just wanted to share with everyone my retirement day experience:

Friday morning started like so many mornings during this pandemic.
I fixed my coffee, read my daily Bible readings, read my favorite blogs,
etc... However, this day was different in that I actually had to drive
to the office. So, I gathered my company laptop, badges, papers and
headed to Huntsville for my 9am meeting with my Manager.

I arrived about 15 minutes early. As I was walking into the conference room,
my Manager noticed that I didn't have a mask on. He mentioned that the
new rules required everyone to have a mask. So, I said, "...well let's have
this meeting outside." It made for a quick meeting. We were done
by 9am. Sweet!

But, I had a 10am meeting scheduled with HR for a final exit/debrief.
I called the HR lady to see if I could do it earlier. I actually thought it
was going to be a face-to-face meeting. Nope. We talked for exactly 7 minutes on the phone.

At 9:29 am, I walked into the lobby of HQ and simply said ... "My name is ____ and today is my last day". I showed my badge and she handed me
an envelope full of paperwork to sign. Due to the mask policy, I stepped
outside of the building so I could sign all of the paperwork and then I returned it to her. I smiled at her and wished her a great day.


So here's my question:
For those of you that retired during this pandemic, what was your last day like?

 

[Golden sunsets]

Were you trying to make a statement by not wearing a mask, or did you forget uours?

 

[RxMan]

I would have had a special song playing in the car as I left. Congrats! It must feel good to know you are finally done.

 

[PercMan]

I wasn't necessarily trying to make a statement, but maybe it came off that way.
Anyway, my Manager fully understood and was more than willing to meet outside.

I guess my main point in my post was the lack of any "Retirement Party Farewell".
I had actually participated in a few retirement parties for fellow coworkers who
retired prior to the start of the pandemic. These were fun farewells. I was simply curious as to how others' retirement day experiences went.

 

[PercMan]

Yes it does. Thanks so much.

 

[Koolau]

About 8:45AM, said goodbye to my w*rk group. Then I talked to our plant manager for maybe 25 minutes - what are you going to do, where are you going to live, etc. etc. Handed in my employee ID to HR and walked out for the last time. No fuss, no muss, no mask (this was 15 years ago.) YMMV

 

[Souschef]

At about 2 PM I went into the conference room for my retirement party. My old boss actually came to the party. After the usual speeches and such, I filed my final papers with HR.
I packed up the remaining cake to share with DW, picked up my briefcase, and caught the train home for the last time.
Two days later DW and I were on a plane for a 2 week tour of South America

 

[braumeister]

I would have loved a no-fuss retirement day, but in the military it's just not possible. They insist on having a little ceremony where they bring in a couple of high rankers to say what a fine fellow you are, pin another medal on you, and make jokes about how much you'll miss military life.

Then I had to go back in the next morning to get photographed for my retired ID card. That was actually kind of fun, because the photographer talked about how much he enjoyed doing it.
"Guys getting their gray card always have enormous smiles on their face, and I just love seeing them."

And you know, he was absolutely right!

 

[Dtail]

Were you trying to make a statement by not wearing a mask, or did you forget uours?

Hate to say that I thought the same thing, but nevertheless congrats on your retirement.

 

[pb4uski]

Hate to say that I thought the same thing, but nevertheless congrats on your retirement.

+1. It seems pretty clear that the OP didn't forget a mask but was trying to make a statement by not wearing a mask.

I wonder if he even had a mask on his person or in his car? If so, then why not just go to the car and get it?

To me, wearing a mask isn't a political statement, but rather just a common social courtesy. Click it or ticket. Mask it or casket.

 

[cat4ever]

My last day was last Wednesday and was pretty much a carbon copy of yours. Quick in and out and a few formalities. Fine with me, I've never been big on the retirement "parties" at work so was glad to avoid that. I'm sure at some point there will be a get together of some old work mates outside of work, but in the meantime, every day is mine

 

[Vacation4us]

I gave notice my first night of an 8 day stretch after day 3 I developed a fever of 102.2 and spent half the night in the ER getting Covid tested. I am a nurse. Covid was negative but CT scan was suspicious. ER doc said quarantine for 10 days. That’s how I ended my career. Not the way I planned.

Out sick my last 5 nights.

 

[pb4uski]

I had a very extended exit. Last day of work was just before Christmas and last day on payroll was Feb 15. During that time I was "on vacation" and I was only expected to take calls and emails on past projects and quick one-offs but not start anything new. They flew me and DW to NY and my practice hosted a nice retirement party of open bar and appetizers at a local watering hole with my work colleagues that went well into the night. Over the course of the night about 100 people came and went.

On the day before my last day I sent a good-bye email to my colleagues and thanked a handful of people that were key to my great experience with the firm. The next day I drove into the local office and left off my laptop and firm ids and that was it.

 

[38Chevy454]

Congratulations on your last work day. Enjoy the new retirement stage in life.

My last day was pretty quick, out of work by 11:00. No big retirement party, but prior week had a nice lunch with coworkers and couple mgrs. Received a gift card, paid by donations from coworkers. Megacorp didn't give anything.

Funny add-on, I left the state as well on that last work day. Moved and never looked back.

 

[RobbieB]

No party for me. No badges, no id. No papers to sign.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

I had a nice party on my last w*rk day, to which my dear wife was invited (as a surprise). She is a poet and so read a poem she wrote especially for the occasion about how we would spend our retirement years together. It was beautiful and touching.

Here is the poem, if you care to read it. We spent some part of each summer on a Dutch island in the North Sea, just off the mainland. She envisioned more of these days in retirement:

The North Sea

We will walk
on a beach
by the North
Sea

wrapped in wool
and reflection

baring ourselves
to the chilly
sand

sharing
one voice

singing
with the sea
of other
incarnations.

We will not mind
the whipping
wind
for it will be
behind us

and we will only
stop
to marvel
as the sun
sinks
on the horizon.

(From her book, which I won't identify here.)

-BB

 

[The Cosmic Avenger]

At my company, people who have had more than a few years of tenure and then leave are usually given a party in the big conference room, but it's a small company with well under 500 employees, maybe even half that now, so you usually recognize more people than you don't. It also just depends on the company culture. Some companies are social/party environments, and some aren't.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I guess my main point in my post was the lack of any "Retirement Party Farewell".
I had actually participated in a few retirement parties for fellow coworkers who
retired prior to the start of the pandemic. These were fun farewells. I was simply curious as to how others' retirement day experiences went.

As you might know, retirement from the military almost ALWAYS means a big deal. Lunches, ceremony, etc. I personally wasn't interested in any of that, and decided there would be no ceremony. My boss (who I rarely dealt with since he was a non-flier and was a few miles away) wasn't too thrilled and tried very hard to convince me otherwise. Nonetheless, I was able to avoid putting on a ceremony and made my last day @ w*rk such that no one really knew it was my last day except my direct supervisor, who agreed with my plan.

The timing was pretty perfect...as I walked across the aircraft ramp for the last time (you had to go across the ramp to get to the parking lot) my supervisor was walking towards me with a box 'o goodies...which happened to be my retirement flag, certificates, etc. He simply handed it to me, gave me a salute and he wished me well. It was the best ending to a great Air Force career and the ride home was exceptional.

I would have loved a no-fuss retirement day, but in the military it's just not possible.

Oh, it is possible...but it's a pain. It doesn't hurt that the regulation clearly states that the retirement ceremony is in accordance with the RETIREES wishes, not his/her blowhard commander.

 

[Bamaman]

In 2008, MegaCorp overreacted the economic conditions and "retired" everyone over 55 years of age.

I was out of town on company business and got a phone call saying tomorrow was my last day. Had I been working in the office, two security officers would have simply have shown up to escort me out the door with 10 minutes to empty my desk.

No thank you for 36 years of service. No gold watch. No good bye lunch.

But I could have bought a few gold Rolex watches with what that termination package cost them.

It was nothing personal. Just their way of doing impersonal business. But today, the good bye package is no where as good as what it was 12 years ago.

 

[Bamaman]

Hi, I am 54 yrs old, married with two daughters.

I just wanted to share with everyone my retirement day experience:

Friday morning started like so many mornings during this pandemic.
I fixed my coffee, read my daily Bible readings, read my favorite blogs,
etc... However, this day was different in that I actually had to drive
to the office. So, I gathered my company laptop, badges, papers and
headed to Huntsville for my 9am meeting with my Manager.

I arrived about 15 minutes early. As I was walking into the conference room,
my Manager noticed that I didn't have a mask on. He mentioned that the
new rules required everyone to have a mask. So, I said, "...well let's have
this meeting outside." It made for a quick meeting. We were done
by 9am. Sweet!

But, I had a 10am meeting scheduled with HR for a final exit/debrief.
I called the HR lady to see if I could do it earlier. I actually thought it
was going to be a face-to-face meeting. Nope. We talked for exactly 7 minutes on the phone.

At 9:29 am, I walked into the lobby of HQ and simply said ... "My name is ____ and today is my last day". I showed my badge and she handed me
an envelope full of paperwork to sign. Due to the mask policy, I stepped
outside of the building so I could sign all of the paperwork and then I returned it to her. I smiled at her and wished her a great day.

So here's my question:
For those of you that retired during this pandemic, what was your last day like?

I live about 20 miles NE of you, and go through Athens just about every day. It's an especially beautiful town, and somewhat of a secret to those out of the area.

I too am very thankful to live in an ultra low cost of living area that's allowed me to maintain the same quality of life as when working. Hope you're in the same position in your Early Retirement.

Congratulations on your retirement. With the snow today, tomorrow looks like a good day to sleep in.

 

[pacergal]

Had a small luncheon a week before I left. Day of retirement, I walked around saying
my goodbyes to close associates, left at noon, drove to HR, turned in my badge and picked up last check.

 

[Boose]

DH and I just retired on the 5th! My immediate colleagues and our substitutes and student workers gathered in the children's area of the library at 4 p.m., when we closed the doors to the public. Little Caesar's pizza, salt & pepper green beans from the local Chinese restaurant, and arroz con leche made by a colleague's MIL. Said colleague went home and picked up her 6 m.o. boy so we could be charmed by his big smile. The asst. manager asked me to talk about my best memories from the different library locations I've worked at, and the group gave me a set of marble bookends for all the library books I have checked-out. For an introvert like myself, it was a perfect send-off and will remain among my fondest memories. I think it induced a kind of amnesia for the most irritating customer/administration moments of my career! Poor DH, working in from home at Megacorp, had to make do with MS Teams goodbyes and sent his laptop back via UPS.

 

[statsman]

Fuss or no fuss, just be grateful you get to leave on the day of your choosing. My company (defense contractor) had been in perpetual WARN mode since late 2005 by the time they got around to laying me off in late 2012. They continued with the WARN state for a few more years afterward before tapering off (with 80% less employees in the area).

While I am happy that our financial situation is quite stable for us in retirement, I did not have a going away luncheon. Most who were laid off without volunteering didn't either. I also cannot forget the feeling of when my rear tires hit the company parking lot exit at 9am on a Wednesday after my 30 minutes with HR, dumping me right into the remainder of the morning commute. Surreal doesn't even begin to describe it.

 

[Ready2Go]

My last day is about 4 weeks away and will be no fuss. I expect to chat with my direct reports and a handful of close friends but that's about it. This suits me fine.

 

[Nords]

I would have loved a no-fuss retirement day, but in the military it's just not possible. They insist on having a little ceremony where they bring in a couple of high rankers to say what a fine fellow you are, pin another medal on you, and make jokes about how much you'll miss military life.

What are they going to do if you refuse to show up for your retirement ceremony-- yell at you and then force you to retire?

As you might know, retirement from the military almost ALWAYS means a big deal. Lunches, ceremony, etc. I personally wasn't interested in any of that, and decided there would be no ceremony. My boss (who I rarely dealt with since he was a non-flier and was a few miles away) wasn't too thrilled and tried very hard to convince me otherwise. Nonetheless, I was able to avoid putting on a ceremony and made my last day @ w*rk such that no one really knew it was my last day except my direct supervisor, who agreed with my plan.

Oh, it is possible...but it's a pain. It doesn't hurt that the regulation clearly states that the retirement ceremony is in accordance with the RETIREES wishes, not his/her blowhard commander.

We must have worked for the same blowhard commander.

I was told many times that I "needed the closure of a retirement ceremony", and I kept politely declining... from the retirement coordinator (who was secretly relieved about it) up to the CO. We did about three rounds of that during the nine months before I started terminal leave, just so, you know, in case I suddenly changed my mind they still had time to order the sheet cake.

I had worked with that particular CO before, and I knew that he'd been the subject of a Congressional inquiry for not giving one of his people an appropriate award or a retirement ceremony. He was motivated to host my retirement for his personal reasons, not for my closure.

I spent the intervening months writing all of the awards packages and recommendations that I could. There were plenty of volunteers, and I hounded a couple people who I thought should have one from me. I told everyone in our department that my opinion mattered a lot more to their career aspirations while I was on active duty, not when I had to put "RET" after my name.

The week before I started terminal leave, our department had a picnic lunch behind our building. Just us, nobody else from the rest of the command, we ran our own grills with potluck, people were free to stay or leave. There was minimal fuss and we simply discussed what we'd do all day when we retired.

The day before I started terminal leave, my XO called me up and said "Please stop by the CO's office for your surprise retirement award. Did I mention that it's a surprise? Please try to act surprised." The XO and I got along well and I played my part of the script.

I started my terminal leave on the afternoon before the date that had been officially announced. (My chair-warming relief knew that, but we didn't want an awkward final day for either of us.) I left one of my old garrison caps and my old coffee cup sitting around the office so that people would think that they had just missed me. Later my relief mentioned that it took a week before people realized the cap & cup were decoys.

And that was the end of that. On the morning of my official retirement date, 1 June 2002, my spouse, our daughter, and I had family surfing lessons at White Plains Beach. (I still surf that same spot 2-3 times per week.) That afternoon I went to the ID card facility and finished the paperwork.

A month later I met up with some of the civil-service employees for a lunch. They had an excuse to get out of the building for a couple hours, and they wanted to confirm that I'd figured out what I'd do all day.

Postscript: 11 months later I got a call from a submariner who said he was in my old billet. The two-year classified nuclear-training inspection was coming up and I was the last guy he could think of who knew how to do that. (Everyone else at my level or above had already left the command.) He wanted to talk through the process with me. He recognized, of course, that I'd forgotten all of that classified information the moment I signed my security debrief.

Me: "Sure, did you already read the inspection file in the safe?"
Him: "What safe?"

A few days later...
Him: "Oh, that safe. We can't find the combination envelope-- did you happen to turn it in?"
Me: "Yes, I sure did. Did you talk to the other guy who relieved me, the one who had the job before you?"
Him: "No, he transferred before I got here and *his* relief didn't know about the safe. I guess I'm going to have to drill out the safe."
Me: "Sorry to hear that. Gee, here's a random thought, why don't you try this hypothetical combination that I might have memorized and re-used over the years before I retired and forgot all about it."
Him: "Um, ok...<spinspinspin> Ha! It's open!!"
Me: "Is the inspection file in there? The one labeled 'Nuclear Training Inspection'?"
Him: "Yeah, it sure is! How about I read it and then you can help me-- <click> -- hello? Hello?!?"