Retirement party

[dm]

I officially retired at 50 Oct. 1st. My old boss gave me a retirement party last night. It was held at a nice place and it was nice to see some of the guys. But I don't miss the work at all.

I was expecting to get a watch or a set of golf clubs but instead the boss gave me a check for $10,000. So I'm going to have my set regripped and invest the rest. Old habits are hard to break.

 

[Darryl]

Wow, that would cover a pretty nice watch and a custom set of clubs quite nicely. But hey might as well stick with the program that got you here.

 

[travelover]

.......I was expecting to get a watch or a set of golf clubs but instead the boss gave me a check for $10,000. .........

I'll trade you retirement gifts.......

 

[Dawg52]

Very nice! Hard to beat cash. My boss gave me money to go buy a new cart. I honored his request.

 

[REWahoo]

And all this time I thought you were too old for a two-seater rag top...

 

[Dawg52]

And all this time I thought you were too old for a two-seater rag top...

Pedal to the metal baby! 8)

 

[W2R]

I was expecting to get a watch or a set of golf clubs but instead the boss gave me a check for $10,000.

Wow, that's fantastic!! What a great send-off.

 

[Mudd]

Doesn't Nords suggest people skip the reitrement party?

Wow. That's a heckuva goodbye . . . I guess they really don't want you back !

 

[Goonie]

I was expecting to get a watch or a set of golf clubs but instead the boss gave me a check for $10,000.

If you REALLY had your heart set on a watch, I'll trade you even up. It's even still in the box!

I had my heart set on a gift certificate at the butcher shop, thought it was 'in the bag'.......then they give me a stinkin' watch instead! I don't need no stinkin' watch! I'm not sure who yet, but somebody is going to be getting a watch for Christmas this year!

 

[travelover]

.......... I'm not sure who yet, but somebody is going to be getting a watch for Christmas this year!

A little sandpaper takes the engraving right off the back.

 

[Goonie]

A little sandpaper takes the engraving right off the back.

They were to #%@& cheap to have it engraved! Cheap Ba$tards!

They told me if I wanted to have engraved myself, they would "consider" paying part of the bill! $crew them!

Heck, I didn't even tear the freaking UGLY wrapping paper when I open it, so all it'll take to "re-gift" it is one small piece of tape. It even has an UGLY bow intact!

 

[W2R]

They were to #%@& cheap to have it engraved! Cheap Ba$tards!

They told me if I wanted to have engraved myself, they would "consider" paying part of the bill! $crew them!

Heck, I didn't even tear the freaking UGLY wrapping paper when I open it, so all it'll take to "re-gift" it is one small piece of tape. It even has an UGLY bow intact!

Gee!! That's awful!! As another gov't employee, I am sure I won't get $10K as a retirement gift. I probably won't get a watch, either, but if I do then I hope it's engraved.

 

[Moemg]

If you REALLY had your heart set on a watch, I'll trade you even up. It's even still in the box!

I had my heart set on a gift certificate at the butcher shop, thought it was 'in the bag'.......then they give me a stinkin' watch instead! I don't need no stinkin' watch! I'm not sure who yet, but somebody is going to be getting a watch for Christmas this year!

or you can always sell it on ebay !

 

[TexasGal]

I was expecting to get a watch or a set of golf clubs but instead the boss gave me a check for $10,000.

Now that is the kind of retirement gift I wish I had received! Congrats!

TG

 

[Achiever51]

Hey! At least a watch is useful.

At my retirement lunch, I was presented with THE UGLIEST molded glass vase I have ever seen. Really. It's not tall enough to be used as a flower vase, yet it's too tall to use as a pencil holder. The shape is strange; the color is splotchy white and it has streaky speckles through it.

I collect blown and slumped glass vases and bowls from a small group of artists and had two prized pieces in my office for years. So, when he gave me this gift my boss noted that they were happy to be able to add to my collection. Afterwards, my secretary told me how much my boss spent for this abomination -- geez!!

I know I should be appreciative of the gesture, but I wish someone would have done a little more homework before making this decision.

Worse of all, as my boss doesn't know the market, he got an awful deal when he bought it. This piece is worth maybe $100 (I'm being generous here), but apparently the boss paid many, many times that for this "artwork." And I can't even get rid of it because the boss had my name and retirement date laser engraved on the bottom. (Sandpaper doesn't work too well on glass.)

I was gracious when I accepted it -- did the appropriate "oooh and ahhhh, oh you shouldn't have" etc., but I woulda prefered to have the $$ -- or even a watch.

OK, enough of this rant...the vase will stay in a box in the basement...sigh.

 

[Goonie]

Hey! At least a watch is useful.

I already have a watch that works, don't really need two. And besides, I'm retired so most of the time I don't even care what time it is.

It's really a [-]piece of crap[/-] fine time piece, so I shouldn't belittle [-]the schmuck[/-] my former employer for giving me that [-]worthless piece of crap[/-] token of their appreciation. Heck, I bet they spent at least $30 on it! That's almost $1 per year of service....Oh Joy! How Generous! (I would have preferred a $30 gift certificate at the butcher shop....."Hey Bill, gimme 30 bucks worth of dead cow to throw over the charcoal!")

The best part of it was the actual presentation. About 2 weeks after I pulled the plug, I had to go back to the main office to check on some paperwork. Just before I left, one of the office girls said, "Wait a second, somebody left something here for you, in case you came in." She came back with a box with UGLY wrapping paper and an even UGLIER bow, and handed it to me then turned to walk away. I asked what it was and who it was from and she said, "I don't know who left it, but I guess it's a retirement present or something."

That was it!

 

[RetireeRobert]

I officially retired at 50 Oct. 1st. My old boss gave me a retirement party last night. It was held at a nice place and it was nice to see some of the guys. But I don't miss the work at all.

I was expecting to get a watch or a set of golf clubs but instead the boss gave me a check for $10,000. So I'm going to have my set regripped and invest the rest. Old habits are hard to break.

Wow! Nice boss and firm to work for!!

The place I worked, state government agency, they gave me a $25 certificate to Olive Garden , a cake (which was eaten mostly by them), and a card. Woopee.

Sounds like you are off to a good start on ER, and that $10k is a very nice sendoff.

 

[Nords]

Doesn't Nords suggest people skip the reitrement party?

Yep. I've never ever heard of a story like this before. Impressive.

I did get a little money in my pocket from selling back leave. I was sorely punished for doing so by the Defense Finance & Accounting Service as they attempted to decide what W-2 I would get the following year by sending four of them. And, heck, they were just returning my earnings to me in the first place.

When I think of the boss I had at the time of my retirement, and the signal that a $10K check would send to the attendees...

 

[REWahoo]

... the boss gave me a check for $10,000.

Wow. Your boss was four times as happy to get rid of you as mine was...

 

[Sarah in SC]

I once got a $500 "exit bonus"--for keeping my mouth shut on the way out the door! I hated my boss and knew he'd paid another employee for her unused leave (a no-no) so I held out for a little something for myself, rather than go to the next level up with that tidbit.

 

[mountaintosea]

Wow $10,000. I announced on Wednesday I was leaving that Friday. The only thing that happened is that my boss tried to get me to reconsider after I had already signed the papers on Thursday. I few people offered lunch but I had plans.

 

[tryan]

Wow 10k! I got a coffee mug and a boot in the @ss. Anything more and mega corp would have a mass exitous.

p.s. banked vacation was several k ... that was nice.

 

[SteveR]

$10k is quite a retirement present!!!

I got zip, nada, zero, nothing when I left. Not even a "thank you" for filling two major positions for over six months. My stock options expired underwater and there was no pension or retirement medical benefits. Good thing I was already FI before I left.

$10k sounds more like a bribe to keep working than a retirement gift.

 

[dm]

Well I bought a couple of hybrid clubs and had my clubs regripped. I may buy a new set of irons, but will probably wait till spring.

I do think that maybe they want to keep on my good side as they hope I may come back and work part-time. They also know that I have gotten calls from their competition.

The owner of the company believes I'll be back. While I don't want to burn any bridges it sure isn't in my plans. Ive been gone now for 1-1/2 months and retirement beats the hell out of working.

 

[Dawg52]

I do think that maybe they want to keep on my good side as they hope I may come back and work part-time.

Same with my gift. They want me to come back and work with my replacement during this years audit/year end process. I agreed as I had no ill feelings for the company. I've got one more bonus check(partial) coming to me early next year anyway, so I want to make sure the new guy computes everything properly.

I hope my replacement doesn't fly the coupe anytime soon. I know who they will be calling for a short term fix.