Note to self: keep mouth shut

[Nuiloa]

What a day! One of our directors just came by and asked me if I'd put together a proposal yet for my retirement plans He had heard rumours of my plans and the RV purchase sort of cemented things in his mind.

Although I'm going, I don't want to do anything formal just yet because I don't want to be marginalized or, worse, made to feel guilty for leaving. It would make the next few months unbearable.

I told him I'm not ready to make the decision yet, but I have a feeling that all 3 directors know there's something afoot and are just waiting for the shoe to drop (he's got a big mouth).

Must learn to keep mouth shut.

OTOH, if they offer me an early buy-out, I'll be spending January in AZ.

 

[obgyn65]

This is often a safe option.

Must learn to keep mouth shut.

 

[Nuiloa]

This is often a safe option.

We are too soon old, and too late smart.

 

[grasshopper]

January in Arizona is just wonderful, come on down.

 

[PaddyMac]

Yes, the old keep mouth shut bit. Years ago the company I worked for needed to downsize, and because I kept sharing my desire to someday "go freelance" they let me go and gave my assistant my job - way before I was ready to go out on my own! Best thing that every happened really, but I did learn an important lesson.

 

[Alan]

I have been guilty of forgetting to engage the brain before opening the mouth many times. However, I was happy to give over a year's notice when I was ready to retire. I worked on big projects and since the company had been very good to me I didn't want to leave them in the lurch with a short notice. It did mean I was able to walk around with a permanent smile on my face for the last few months without having to explain why

 

[HFWR]

This is often a safe option.

Usually...

 

[Nords]

I have been guilty of forgetting to engage the brain before opening the mouth many times. However, I was happy to give over a year's notice when I was ready to retire. I worked on big projects and since the company had been very good to me I didn't want to leave them in the lurch with a short notice. It did mean I was able to walk around with a permanent smile on my face for the last few months without having to explain why

It cuts both ways. We've had at least two members of this board who'd planned their ER for years yet only planned to give the minimum statutory notice. As their blessed announcement day approached, both were laid off with generous separation payments. Best ER present the company could have ever given them.

I "gave notice" about three years beforehand by framing on my office wall my BUPERS letters which "allowed" me to stay until 20 years of service and to do so at the same duty station. My actual retirement request went in about 10 minutes after the eligibility window opened... IIRC that was one year.

My "relief" still wasn't ordered in until about six months after my last day in the office.

 

[scrabbler1]

Except for one trusted coworker, I told nobody at work. I was concerned that requesting a reduction in my weekly work hours from 20 to 12 in 2007 might be a tipoff to eventually reducing those hours to zero, but the actual reasons for that reduction was spelled out in the note to my divisionhead.

I also did not join this forum or post on any blogs about my plans until I ahd actually retired. I realize I lost the chance to share with all of you my ongoing plans for ER back in 2008 but I felt being mum was important. [Another coworker did spot a post I made in an ER blog a year after I left and figured out it was me, so I felt a bit vindicated by my silence.]

At the end, I gave one month's notice which was only 9 more working days because I was working only 2 days a week. It wasn't a total shock to my bosses although one of them wanted to know if I had any serious medical issues (other than just being "sick" of the commute and working LOL!).

 

[spirit]

I did NOT keep my mouth shut

My present position had been held for nine years by people who had retired, collected pension and worked part time. (It was a specialized position and they saved the organization a lot of money). I started working at this position last year because my partner had truly retired and was leaving the building. A huge change from above required her to come back out of retirement for a year. Meanwhile I was truly 1/2 time (not retired and collecting a pension) and she was very good about protecting my part time status. Now she is gone and I find I am expected to do her job plus a lot more. I am paid part time but working more and more hours on my days off. I finally vented on my bosses, had a meeting to voice my concerns and emphasized that I was part time and not retiring in the near future and to please respect that aspect or pay me accordingly. I am documenting all my overtime hours and treating this as "information sharing".
I do respect my admin team but I respect myself more. I was always the good soldier and mostly that stood me in good stead for over 30 years. But today is a new day in the corporate and public service world and since I am staying for a few more years I am more willing to be a squeaky wheel when I feel I am being taken advantage of.

 

[kcowan]

We had a blanket downsizing through early retirement. The management said (wink-wink), we really would like you to stay. I said what is the benefit. They said more days of accumulation. I said no thanks. Stayed on 3 months past the deadline to assist with the transition.

Never regreted it.