Advanced notice ..

[Clone]

Care to share your thoughts and experiences about when you gave or plan on giving notice? Maybe anything you'd do different or things to consider. How about did you have a retirement checklist?

I had a very good relationship with my chain of command. They new that I was considering early retirement. An opportunity for a second career came up, and I let them know I was going to throw my hat in the ring for that.

I had been cleaning out my desk over a period of time, so there was nothing personal left in the office, outside of a coffee mug and a few pictures. I was prepared to never return to my desk in the event that they would walk me out. That did not happen, but I think folks should be ready to go when they give notice.

When I did receive the job offer from second career place, I let them know my plans. It was about 4 weeks until the next job started. I offered that my last day in the office would be in 4 weeks. If they would prefer, I was willing to work an additional 4 weeks with 2 days per week in the office, and 3 days vacation each week. That would give them additional time to bring in a replacement and make a more scheduled transition plan. The 2 days per week was acceptable to my new place, and it had a slight increase in pension benefits for me.

They were glad to take the extra time for a transition plan. As expected, they still didn't have anything lined up until about 10 days before my final day in the office. I had made a recommendation for my replacement, and corporate needed a month to figure out how to do it. In the end, everything worked out fine.

As far as a checklist- corporate had a folder of forms and documentation to go through. They wanted new copies of social security card, marriage certificate, bank information for pension direct deposit, verify updated beneficiaries, reviews of retirement health care insurance, updated contact information including non-corporate email address, documentation for 401k in retirement info (options for the account), process to create a retirement announcement, retirement picture, how to use retirement party funds, etc. Most of the information was redundant to what they already had somewhere, but this really pulled it all together.

tl;dr
I proposed 4 weeks, but was willing to work 8 weeks with the last 4 weeks being 2 days per week. Was ready to be shown the door if that was how they wanted to play it.

 

[pacergal]

Everyone in my office knew my date a year out, but formal notice to HR had to be 90 days. They still did not hire my replacement until one week before I left. Orientation was not my problem at that point. Would have gladly helped before then.

 

[Fedup]

I thought about this thread today after my sister texted me that one of her best friends died at the operating room for breast cancer. She is only 60. I'm too in a shock. Too young to die. My sister already had another best friend who died 5 years ago at age 63 from breast cancer.

 

[rayinpenn]

My plan was to retire in July for some time now. I think the bad news from next door helped with some slightly cold feet. It reminded me there sometimes isn't any 'advanced notice' of all too common devastating illness. The stories of spouses sometimes gone in the bat of an eye are hard to hear.

I don't need to tell you if you work for 40 years it becomes as familiar as shaving. I think I won't feel settled until the deed is done.

 

[pb4uski]

....That said, I know of companies that will, once you've submitted or even hinted at resignation, will call security and escort you to your car, even when you are trying to be cooperative and help with the transition. A buddy of mine recently experienced that. ....

While I know this ^^^ is common... my experience in my last two jobs was just the opposite.

In my next to last job I told them in April that I planned to leave... unfortunately, our chief actuary had just retired and our CFO has just resigned (I was chief accounting officer) and my then current employer was a client of the Big 4 firm that I was joining. The firm had a policy of not making an offer to an employee of a client without the client's permission... so I stayed on for 5 more months until the new CFO had been onboarded. I later found out that unbeknownst to me the CFO knew that I was leaving when I was interviewing him for the CFO job... funny.

In my last job I was having breakfast with my boss shortly after I turned 50 and we were chatting (we were friends as well as boss/subordinate) and he casually asked what I was planning... I told him between 0 and 5 years... I think he was prepared for the 5 years but not for the 0 years! Anyway, the great recession intervened and I ended up retiring at 56. When I had made my decision I notified my boss and other key constituents of our practice... they were all happy for me but sad to see me leave... and we worked our a wind-down that was very seamless... I left about 8 weeks later.

However, it is very situational so go with your gut as the best way that works for you, minimizes adverse impact on your employer and colleagues and preserves relationships as much as possible.

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

I gave a full year's notice, knowing that it takes time to fill my particular role. Everyone was fine with that and things were going smoothly until some board types started exhibiting more nasty behavior than I normally could withstand. So, as soon as my replacement was hired, I asked the president if I could leave a few months earlier than my original plan and he understood completely. My replacement lasted less than a year; she was asked to leave because she was a lazy, compulsive liar, who let a whole lot of things I carefully built over the years fall to pieces. That was hard to watch happen; but now I am in another place.

Having just read Fedup's account of his sister's best friend dying on the operating table, I went into the bedroom and kissed my sleeping wife on the forehead. Truly scary stuff to contemplate. Take the time and run with it -- it's irreplaceable.

-BB

 

[DrRoy]

I worked for a Megacorp and gave 8 mo notice. My position was very specialized and slow to train. I was busy right up to the last week, and still did not have face to face turnover to the new person at most of my accounts, since they did not want the duplicate pay or travel expense.

 

[EastWest Gal]

The first medical practice I joined after residency had a six month notice policy which makes sense for physicians. It takes about three months to get a state license, hospital privileges, and get the 20 page insurance contracts signed. That gives time to find a candidate and make an offer too. Ever since then, everything has been three months notice. That is not enough time and it has caused problems with every practice doing this. In fact, when I was fired 13 years ago, it was without cause, and I worked 3 months after being fired, which caused my colleagues to gain huge respect for me because of my, well, behaving normally. Of course I was job hunting but I did not discuss it. I saw patients, took call, and taught students. BTW I was fired because the chairman knew that I knew he was lazy, did not know how to run a department, and had caused our department to hemorrhage money. He was fired many years later.

 

[Jack_Pine]

They came to me about 6 months ago. they knew my general plan was late 17 or early 18. Knowing we are just going to be starting a couple of huge projects they wanted to get new leadership involved at the beginning. (some are multi year projects)

I could have refused but decided to go along (date is July 1/17). To your point. one more year is not going to make a huge difference to my portfolio and is not going to be make or break. We have had a few friends/neighbors get sick out of the blue.

Find a way to enjoy it now it at all possible.