Appreciate your ER

[Shabby]

As I sit here at work and am getting closer to my ER (2015) I often think about all of you out there enjoying your lives. I am off to answer 15 emails before I get called into 2 meetings, so I can get out of here before 6PM.

Please enjoy your days to the fullest and give a little thought to those of us still fighting the fight. Looking forward to my future.

 

[ERhoosier]

As I sit here at work and am getting closer to my ER (2015) I often think about all of you out there enjoying your lives. I am off to answer 15 emails before I get called into 2 meetings, so I can get out of here before 6PM.

Please enjoy your days to the fullest and give a little thought to those of us still fighting the fight. Looking forward to my future.

Your day will come, too. And when it does you will KNOW you've earned it.

Hang in there!

 

[Nodak]

+1

 

[38Chevy454]

I hear you, I am also sitting at work and taking a break to log on here for a change of thought and attitude!

 

[martyp]

You think you won't have emails and meetings when you ER?

 

[JoeWras]

A lot of megacorps do so called "performance reviews" in the summer. We're doing ours right now. What a load of BS.

Appreciate that you do not have to go through this song and dance now that you are ER'd!

Assuming I stick to my plan, I now have only 3 of these left.

 

[Lcountz]

What's a "meeting"?!?

Just kidding!!! WHen the day comes that YOU can ask that question and smile, you'll know you've made it!

Hang in there!

 

[imoldernu]

Please enjoy your days to the fullest and give a little thought to those of us still fighting the fight. Looking forward to my future.

DS is a little older than you, but has the same ER date... Ends all of our phone conversations with "__ months__ days"....

Almost 25 years of it so far, and enjoyed every minute.

Definitely worth the sacrifices along the way.

 

[MRG]

A lot of megacorps do so called "performance reviews" in the summer. We're doing ours right now. What a load of BS.

Appreciate that you do not have to go through this song and dance now that you are ER'd!

Assuming I stick to my plan, I now have only 3 of these left.

Ours did them a few weeks after raises were set in stone. As a manager it sucked to attemt explaining a review had anything to do with performance and compensation. It didn't. So glad for those already RE'd, and the folks counting down time.

 

[W2R]

As I sit here at work and am getting closer to my ER (2015) I often think about all of you out there enjoying your lives. I am off to answer 15 emails before I get called into 2 meetings, so I can get out of here before 6PM.

Please enjoy your days to the fullest and give a little thought to those of us still fighting the fight. Looking forward to my future.

Believe me, I do. Now that I am retired, I love watching the traffic reports on the morning news, if/when I am up early enough to see them. I think of my former co-workers, highly qualified professional scientists who are battling the traffic at that very moment and who will get docked for 15 minutes if they are 3 minutes late for work.

To me, retirement is heaven. I have finally found my niche in life.

My suggestion is to use your dissatisfaction with the working world, to fuel your motivation to save even more than you think you can. At some point you will have enough to be able to retire. It sounds like for you, the sooner the better. As for deferred gratification, it is so much more fun to spend money now that I have the leisure time to enjoy whatever-it-is.

 

[Theseus]

A lot of megacorps do so called "performance reviews" in the summer. We're doing ours right now. What a load of BS.

Appreciate that you do not have to go through this song and dance now that you are ER'd!

Assuming I stick to my plan, I now have only 3 of these left.

Yup, fired up the ol' BS generator the other day and spewed off my final self review. While the process leaves a void of knowing it is meaningless, it was a liberating feeling knowing -- never again!

Same old "stuff" every year:
1) email from HR proclaiming the wonderful time of year will be here soon
2) email from HR with attachments and ridiculously short deadline to complete
3) email from HR "oops, sent the wrong attachments; here are the correct ones"
4) email from HR publicly browbeating everyone who has not yet completed the process
5) email from HR "oh, we forgot to include instructions on how to fill out the forms"
6) repeat steps 3, 4, & 5 in no particular sense of order

... already appreciating a fast approaching ER

 

[unclemick]

Meetings and emails. Church committee's, Volunteer org.'s stuff - neighborhood assn., etc.

Time to get back down with grumpy and unvolunteer.

heh heh heh - get out the playbook and re - earn my Curmudgeon Certificate. Things can drift over time in ER if you don't stay on your toes.

Still beats WORK!

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Yup, fired up the ol' BS generator the other day and spewed off my final self review. While the process leaves a void of knowing it is meaningless, it was a liberating feeling knowing -- never again!

Same old "stuff" every year:
1) email from HR proclaiming the wonderful time of year will be here soon
2) email from HR with attachments and ridiculously short deadline to complete
3) email from HR "oops, sent the wrong attachments; here are the correct ones"
4) email from HR publicly browbeating everyone who has not yet completed the process
5) email from HR "oh, we forgot to include instructions on how to fill out the forms"
6) repeat steps 3, 4, & 5 in no particular sense of order

... already appreciating a fast approaching ER

At my first megacorp job HR sent me an "anonymous" survey asking question about the company and how I liked working there. I was suspicious and didn't return it, and a few weeks later I got another memo asking why I had not returned my "anonymous" survey. So much for anonymity!

 

[Alan]

At my first megacorp job HR sent me an "anonymous" survey asking question about the company and how I liked working there. I was suspicious and didn't return it, and a few weeks later I got another memo asking why I had not returned my "anonymous" survey. So much for anonymity!

My Megacorp put up an anonymous Q&A site which really was anonymous and when someone put up a politically sensitive question which, from the content, obviously came from our site, I was asked by site management to find out which computer the message came from. I was honestly able to tell them it was not possible to tell because the software removed all identification from the messages including IP address, MAC address etc. (note that MAC address has nothing to do with Macintoshes, but is a network card identifier).

A few years later, prior to a Global IT series of meetings the CIO had an anonymous site put up with instructions inviting those of us attending to put up questions and suggestions on the Global IT organization, saying that he would address them in the upcoming meetings. At the 'conference' the CIO came by one evening after dinner with a printout of the questions and asked me which of the questions were mine and when I said "none" he asked why. I told him that all suggestions and criticisms from me were made to my Director, not some anonymous forum. Next day he took the podium to answer the questions and he named each author and in most cases humiliated them in public. I knew him to be a real sh!t, but this was as low as you could get in my estimation.

ETA

Yes, I really appreciate my ER

 

[daylatedollarshort]

My Megacorp put up an anonymous Q&A site which really was anonymous and when someone put up a politically sensitive question which, from the content, obviously came from our site, I was asked by site management to find out which computer the message came from. I was honestly able to tell them it was not possible to tell because the software removed all identification from the messages including IP address, MAC address etc. (note that MAC address has nothing to do with Macintoshes, but is a network card identifier).

A few years later, prior to a Global IT series of meetings the CIO had an anonymous site put up with instructions inviting those of us attending to put up questions and suggestions on the Global IT organization, saying that he would address them in the upcoming meetings. At the 'conference' the CIO came by one evening after dinner with a printout of the questions and asked me which of the questions were mine and when I said "none" he asked why. I told him that all suggestions and criticisms from me were made to my Director, not some anonymous forum. Next day he took the podium to answer the questions and he named each author and in most cases humiliated them in public. I knew him to be a real sh!t, but this was as low as you could get in my estimation.

ETA

Yes, I really appreciate my ER

Wow, that is exceptionally low.

At another company I worked at we had confidential interviews with a management consulting company that had been brought in to try to improve the department low morale issues. I was pretty candid about some serious issues, especially with my boss. I was young and believed the confidential part. Of course you probably can tell where this is going - the consulting company read my responses word for word in a department townhall meeting of about 100 people with me, my boss, his boss, etc. all present. For emphasis, they even made slides out of some of my most critical comments.

 

[MRG]

We had anonymous surveys that actully were. I will never forget the one in '85 the COO was addressing the entire IT staff in any organization that's business was IT. The first couple questions were pretty standard. Then someone had submitted a 'when did you stop beating your wife' type question. Poor benefits, extreme hours, lower than industry pay...... The COO totally lost it, granted the question should have been worded different, but the COOs a big boy. Started yelling at the entire staff 'there's the door, don't let it hit your a$$ on the way out', proceeded to walk away from the podium.

Not too much later, things started changing for the better. So I guess management did realize there was an issue.

 

[M Paquette]

As I sit here at work and am getting closer to my ER (2015) I often think about all of you out there enjoying your lives. I am off to answer 15 emails before I get called into 2 meetings, so I can get out of here before 6PM.

Ah, the good old days. 360 degree reviews in which managers solicited input from each of us about everyone we may or may not have come in contact with over the previous 12 months, with emphasis on skill at interactively developing high-quality collaboration and idea-sharing, timeliness, ability to seamlessly matrix team building bandwidth, communications, core competencies, teamwork, empowerment, and similar HR buzzword bloviation, while seamlessly evolving superior best practices.

Tools I found useful:
Corporate B.S. Generator
Performance Appraisal Generator

Performance Appraisal on Dilbert.com

 

[Finder]

Ah, the good old days. 360 degree reviews in which managers solicited input from each of us about everyone we may or may not have come in contact with over the previous 12 months, with emphasis on skill at interactively developing high-quality collaboration and idea-sharing, timeliness, ability to seamlessly matrix team building bandwidth, communications, core competencies, teamwork, empowerment, and similar HR buzzword bloviation, while seamlessly evolving superior best practices.

Tools I found useful:
Corporate B.S. Generator
Performance Appraisal Generator

Performance Appraisal on Dilbert.com

LOL with the Performance Appraisal Generator!
thanks for posting!

 

[Bryan Barnfellow]

LOL with the Performance Appraisal Generator!
thanks for posting!

Thought I would have some fun with the Performance Appraisal Generator, which asks for a last name as input:

Performance Appraisal for Mr. Hitler:
His full capabilities have only been recently discovered. Mr. Hitler has name recognition throughout the divisions. I find that his work sets Mr. Hitler apart from his peers. He appears ever productive and has been seen dropping in at off hours. He never appears stressed about his work. His worth to the company can only be imagined and he is not afraid to ask questions that check the assumptions of others. Of course, no one has caught Mr. Hitler sleeping on the job. He makes decisions with minimal direction.

* In Strict Confidence *

 

[Moscyn]

I hated performance appraisals esp those called 360. At the end of each cycle, you have to be ready to identify prospective reviewers for the next process. Some may have gone through the process for > 20 times. A waste of time, energy and money. After ER, I report to no one and no one reports to me.

 

[dtbach]

Yup, fired up the ol' BS generator the other day and spewed off my final self review. While the process leaves a void of knowing it is meaningless, it was a liberating feeling knowing -- never again!

Same old "stuff" every year:
1) email from HR proclaiming the wonderful time of year will be here soon
2) email from HR with attachments and ridiculously short deadline to complete
3) email from HR "oops, sent the wrong attachments; here are the correct ones"
4) email from HR publicly browbeating everyone who has not yet completed the process
5) email from HR "oh, we forgot to include instructions on how to fill out the forms"
6) repeat steps 3, 4, & 5 in no particular sense of order

... already appreciating a fast approaching ER

I almost spewed my coffee reading this You nailed it. I always noted that the HR department was gone when I was leaving (and empty when I arrived) HR is nothing but a massive time waster for those of us trying to actually make the company work.

 

[dtbach]

Here is my appraisal:

Performance Appraisal for Mr. duechbag: A thorough analysis of his performance will surprise you and one can not say enough good things about him. He frequently thinks "outside the box". It's tough for management to keep up with him. Mr. duechbag makes decisions with minimal direction and he shows an interest in related tasks not assigned to him. It would be accurate to say that a reevaluation of his salary is long overdue and any division would be lucky to get him to work for them. He never appears stressed about his work.

 

[Donzo]

don't miss the appraisals one bit! I had a solid team - all were meeting expectations and yet I HAD to give at least one of them a 2 rating. That means they go on a performance improvement plan and do not get a raise that year. It was tough to do that....
HR always had requests that were a waste of time IMO. They brought team building and training about how you are perceived to new heights

 

[H2ODude]

OP's title could not have nailed this thread better. The two things of the annual cycle I hated were appraisals and budget prep and defense. I liked the one year my boss had ME write my own appraisal!

This morning called former coworker who now has my position; ugh. I really did like my job (really, I did) until last couple of years. The things that ran me off continue to get worse; either that or me contemplating them magnifies their horror. I really do believe that if assets, pension, and SS disappeared I'd just simply explode before I'd ever go back. I really believe that as we age our tolerance level for BS drops; either that or as you achieve FI tolerating BS just isn't...necessary.

 

[dtbach]

I really believe that as we age our tolerance level for BS drops; either that or as you achieve FI tolerating BS just isn't...necessary.

That's the truth. Had to take a job beneath my skills after getting laid off by Mega-Corp in the 2008 blood letting. The boss was a martinet who wanted to instill fear, not respect. I sat while he yelled, insulted and degraded with as much detachment from emotion that I could. After 90 days he fired me. I asked if it was an age related thing.

Perhaps that is why they granted me Unemployment Compensation that I milked for 92 months (thank you Obama) and was the last job I had. Not sure if ER started at UC or after it ended.