How did you do it?

Nuiloa

Nuiloa

Recycles dryer sheets
Joined
May 12, 2011
Messages
496
Tell the boss you were retiring, that is?

Did you go the "take this job and shove it" route or give lots of notice?
Another thing....when you made the decision to get out, did you find it was harder and harder coming to work every day? I'm dragging myself to work lately and I love my job!

Did any of you feel like a traitor for wanting to leave?

I just want to be FREE! (although, I don't know how free I'll be on an income of $55K a year :crazy:

Nui
 
I signed my retirement papers 7 years ago to keep my pension and began a DROP program 5 years ago. Ive got 5 months left and am totally SHOCKED how fast the last year is going! As Im getting closer, I see people that work for me take a "wait til the new boss comes in" attitude about any decisions I make, as they may be changed as soon as my replacement hits. I have of late become less dedicated to my job, and I also in the back of my head have begun to think "whew! thank God Im going to be gone to avoid having to deal with THAT problem!! I do at times feel like Im abandoning my people :( 28 years in and will be retiring at 50.
 
I didn't have to tell my boss I was leaving. HE told me I was leaving!:)
 
My supervisor already knew. Before she was supervisor, a major ongoing work project had been split between the two of us. So, we had been working together for years and had became best friends. I confided in her about my plans to retire years before I actually did it, back when we were working together so closely. How was I to know that the previous witch of a supervisor would be promoted out of my chain of command, and replaced by my best friend? :LOL:

Six months before I retired I filed the paperwork and then went to her office and formally told her, following up with an email for documentation. She offered me several attractive options if I would just stay, but I declined. She was very nice about it. I did my best to make the transition of my various duties to others as seamless as possible.

And no - - it was not any harder to go to work after I gave notice. In fact, it was easier because I knew it wasn't permanent. Also I used a lot of my accumulated annual leave (vacation time) near the end, so that I was off two weeks, then working a week, and repeat, for the last three months. That helped me, and helped those who were taking on my tasks. They could work independently while I was gone, and if they had any questions, they knew I would show up to help in a week or two.

I did NOT feel like a traitor. Why would I? I had given more than enough notice, trained my successors, and did everything by the book.
 
I gave 4 months notice to the small company I worked with. Big mistake in my case--the owners spent the time trying to get me to stay, I spent the time checking out psychologically. They told me they didn't consider my leaving to be permanent, and after I left they kept my office available for me for six months (even though they knew I had no plans to return). I should have given two weeks.

DH volunteered to be laid off at a time to be determined by megacorp, and got an hour notice when it finally happened ("Put your stuff in a box and get out of here!"). Fun times.
 
I worked in a car dealership as the F&I manager for 35 years. I was at the last gig for 20+ years and was planning to retire and didn't tell the dealership owner yet. Turns out that the owner was planning on selling the franchise and renting the dealer and didn't plan on telling anyone so everyone didn't take off on him. A buddy of mine was buying the franchise from my boss and told me about it. So my retirement plans got pushed up just a bit. When I confronted my boss about him selling he denied it and kept everyone in the dark, or so he thought.

I was able to sell my house and beat him to the punch. I also made sure everyone in the dealership knew about his plans. In his mind it was OK that everyone was going to be left without a job as long as it went smooth for him. He got his million + for the franchise and collects 88K a month in rent. Everyone else was on the street.
 
I told my boss the first week of May and ordered the "retirement paperwork" which came in 3 weeks later. Boss did not much care since they were intending to transfer/demote me anyway. They gave me busy work until I retired at the end of July.

Edit: I gave a verbal intention, a written, signed letter and a followup email.
 
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We were having a round of buy outs and I implored my boss to make sure that I got an offer. :dance:
 
I made the decision a few months ago that I would end my corporate career next Spring. While I haven't told my organization, I did share with family and closest friends. Since my mind was made up, not much has changed with my work habits. I haven't worked less hours but have been distracted more easily especially when I have to complete tasks/projects that I am not fond of (like dreaded weekly status updates!)

Part of me wants to tell my boss with a few months to go because he's good to me. But, the few friends I have told advise me to give just a month's notice. I will take their advice and try not to feel guilty.

I just started a countdown (113 more workdays!) and am so ready to leave to be a stay at home dad. Some of my friends will say I am nuts for leaving a nice, fairly stressless job with a six figure salary nine years before I can retire with full benefits. But, you only live once and by that time, my kids will be in college. I'd rather enjoy them now, pursue another passion of being an elementary school teacher and work a bit longer later in life.
 
I gave about 3 1/2 months notice and personally talked to my boss, peers, and direct reports before letting word get out. I felt a little bad about leaving because we were just beginning discussions about a major reorganization and other changes that had employees worried. They trusted me to make sure they were done right by so I was leaving them more uncertain than would normally be the case. But when you gotta go, you gotta go.
 
I gave nearly four months notice to my management on my departure. Because of my relatively young age, I dont think they believed that I was leaving. I too was about 10 years from full retirement benefits. I was offered an extended vacation period "to think about it", and also when that didnt work, a promotion at a location closer to my family. I did feel like a "traitor" -- and in many ways felt guilty for a few months after I left. However, I would have felt far more guilty if I gave less notice as my organization and leadership was good to me, and I loved my job. However, with recent deaths and other major health issues with family members, we came to the conclusion that life was too short and needed to lead our lives consistent with our priorities. I have never regretted my decision.
 
RoccoPacco-- I wholeheartedly agree that the smart life decision is to embrace that life can be too short and to take action to follow what makes sense while we can.
In regards to the amount of time to announce a surprising retirement decision (no one will believe me at first either!), I'll continue to give it thought. Reading others' opinions and experiences here helps a lot.
 
Here's my story: http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f27/a-slight-delay-in-er-16095.html#msg35714

And no guilt whatsoever. When I gave notice I told my boss the reason I was retiring was due to an acute medical condition known as "Anal Glaucoma" - - I could no longer see my *ss showing up for work.
cheesy.gif
 
I gave 6 weeks notice, in order to train my replacement (programming) on the parts of the code I took care of - 2 weeks full time, then 4 weeks with 2-3 days vacation per week to support him on meetings with vendors, coding and support issues, etc.

Up until that day, I gave no hint to anyone that I would be retiring soon.
 
I told my boss last Dec that I wanted to retire end of Jan or Feb. He begged me to stay longer, we agreed on end of June. I supported his decision to find a replacement well in advance (3 months) and keep him in our confidence, but asked him to delay announcing my retirement company wide until about 3 weeks before my date. It wasn't really harder coming to work after our agreement.

But he then decided it was in his best interest to announce 3 months in advance. Against my wishes, he announced in early April. That made it awkward for me, my 80 local coworkers and many others, and it THEN became harder to come to work in Apr, May and June. Days became longer and longer until about the last week which was (thankfully) a blur.

I did the right thing by giving him all the notice he wanted, but he made me regret doing so by ignoring my wishes re: announcing early. And it made no difference for him after all. All he cared about was how it made him look, he didn't care what was best for me and my immediate coworkers at all.

I did not feel like a traitor, certainly not after his actions. I retired at 57, without ever giving any prior indications, so the reaction of coworkers and superiors was mostly SURPRISE and envy in various forms.

I had a great 35 year first career, but I was tired of it and ready to try something else. If I get bored with retirement (as I expect), I'll go back to work doing something entirely different.

Best of luck Nuiloa...
 
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My company had a handbook that detailed everything. I just sent an email to my boss and copied it to human resources sixty days before I wanted to leave. Feel like a traitor? Heck no, I felt like superman when I walked out the gate.
 
I think a "take this job and shove it" approach is really short-sighted. Even if you are totally fed up with your job, it seems to me always best to leave with a little (or a lot of) class.

I was lucky: I gave three months notice and was treated very graciously by management and co-workers. And I made sure things were in place to pick up after my departure without too much disturbance. That made the final walk out the door very pleasant!
 
73ss454 said:
I worked in a car dealership as the F&I manager for 35 years. I was at the last gig for 20+ years and was planning to retire and didn't tell the dealership owner yet. Turns out that the owner was planning on selling the franchise and renting the dealer and didn't plan on telling anyone so everyone didn't take off on him. A buddy of mine was buying the franchise from my boss and told me about it. So my retirement plans got pushed up just a bit. When I confronted my boss about him selling he denied it and kept everyone in the dark, or so he thought.

I was able to sell my house and beat him to the punch. I also made sure everyone in the dealership knew about his plans. In his mind it was OK that everyone was going to be left without a job as long as it went smooth for him. He got his million + for the franchise and collects 88K a month in rent. Everyone else was on the street.
Click to expand...

And we wonder why nobody trusts car salesmen or car dealers!!! :facepalm::facepalm:
 
I gave 3 months notice in an email to my boss. I sent another email to my friends and co-workers with a photo (my avatar) attached and something about going over the wall on X-date. For those who don't know, my avatar is from the movie "The great escape" with my head on top of Steve McQueen's body.;)
 
I'm still working 3-4 days a week, and I have an employment contract that has a 6 month notice for termination clause(either way). The new boss and I have discussed my leaving on several occasions, and he says that I can't retire yet because he doesn't have an answer for replacing me. I've told him that my retirement date is not up to him - it's up to me. He's interested in re-doing my contract. My first objective is to delete the 6 month notice clause. I too have some company stock to sell before pulling the plug which makes things a little more difficult
 
I typed up a short note to my divisionhead and wanted to hand it to him personally in a short meeting with him and his two immediate subordinates, my two immediate supervisors. But divisionhead was not back at his desk and it was already after 3 PM and I was getting antsy so I met with only my two immediate supervisors and handed each of them a copy of the note.

I was working only 2 days a week at the time so at day's end I would have only 9 more working days left. I was working on one big project which I thought I would be able to finish in that time, and I did (barely, with 45 minutes left on my last day). In those 4 weeks I was able to organize the stuff I would be handing off to tohers, something I had actually been doing for the last several months.

I also had to carefully complete the 9 page form to properly receive all the proceeds in my 401(k) and company stock plan, the latter of which I am living off the dividends from. It was a complicated process requiring a special stamp from a bank manager of my local bank along with a notarized signature and some special instructions which were followed properly.

I had to request an exit interview which took about 90 minutes. I held no malice toward my division's management, as my main complaint was the commute, one made worse from the companys relocation in 2001. I had some other lesser complaints about other corporate policies butthe HR guy told me this was not the typical exit interview.

On my last day, I did not want any special party of luncheon, as I always despised those things and almost never attended them. Instead, they gave me some cash they raised that they would have spent at a party.
 
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