Former Federal employee - just took the early retirement option

[HI Bill]

Welcome! My fear of involuntarily becoming unemployed (and homeless) was one of my reasons for wanting to be FI. This is probably one of the least political and most positive and helpful forum out there.

 

[pb4uski]

Back in the early 1990s, my employer was striving to reduce headcount without really thinking it through and did a similar program... leave voluntarily and collect 6 to 9 months pay depending on how long you had been there. My employer was a major employer in that rural area.

While it did indeed reduce headcount, it was a fricking disaster. The good people tied to the area stayed and that was fine. For the more employees willing and able to relocate, the good employees took the money and ran knowing they could find good jobs elsewhere and the deadwood who were taking up space and adding weight stayed. The brain drain was really hard.

 

[NomDeER]

Hello everyone.

I am a former Federal employee who just retired. Age 56, almost 57. There was no number crunching for the decision. The treatment of Federal employees under the new administration was destroying my physical and mental health.

My husband and I had been saving for retirement at a pretty good level, so we should be okay financially.

I am not really interested in talking about politics. (If there is hate here for government employees, I would rather know now than later.) I think in many ways, I am not that different from people who left a toxic work environment in the private sector.

I am happy I got the opportunity to participate in the voluntary early retirement option. But it felt more like I was being pushed out than it being a voluntary choice.

Right now I am working through my feelings and recovering. Sometimes I feel tense and tired. Sometimes I feel incredibly relaxed. It all happened so very quickly it is hard to process.

I'm a former federal employee. I was working long hours, had difficult managment, was dealing with a lot of stress, and it was affecting my health. So, I made the decision to retire early. That was a few years ago. I don't regret it.

But, I realize that the situation you're dealing with is not the same, and there are additional experiences and emotions to process. I know people in a similar position, but they are in their early fifties (and getting early early retirements without a choice). They are trying to process similar emotions. Making the transition from working to retirement can be a challenge to anyone, but I think it's harder when you weren't planning for it and under such difficult circumstances. Know that you are not alone.

 

[CO-guy]

I will steer clear of politics in the future. It was kind of hard for me to word things for my intro. The reason I choose to retire now is 100% due to politics.

I am actually relieved that there is no politics on here. And relieved there is no backlash against government workers here.

Welcome! I really enjoy the fact that this is a politics free zone and I hope you will as well.

 

[livingalmostlarge]

Thank you for your service.

Question, how long did you have to make a decision? Do you know when the unemployment/firing of people offered to leave will happen?

 

[Happy Homebody]

Thank you for your service.

Question, how long did you have to make a decision? Do you know when the unemployment/firing of people offered to leave will happen?

I think I had two or three days to make the decision. But after I made the decision, the open period was extended to the end of the year.

We were told that if we did not accept the offer, there is no guarantee that you will have a job and no guarantee your job will stay in the same city. However, if you put in for a retirement, they promised to not fire you before your retirement was processed.

At the time I left, only the probationary employees were fired. Bigger cuts are expected in the future.

 

[Happy Homebody]

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "living your best life." Of course it sounds wonderful. And everyone wants to get as much happiness out of there retirement life as possible.

But when I read about it, it seems to focus on traveling, having adventures, doing exciting things, etc.

And that isn't what I want. I want a nice calm, restful life. I want to enjoy my homebody hobbies like reading, crochet, jigsaw puzzles and board games. With a few trips to local events and attractions and an some walks outside.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I hope you enjoy your retirement - see it in the positive light, if you were not given the option, you might not have thought of retiring early.

Not to get political, but layoffs and voluntary separation packages/incentives are the norm in private sector. The last megacorp which I worked for was laying off 5 to 10% of the staff in the last 3 years that I was there and I was so tired of laying off my staff year after year that when I was offered the senior management early separate package, I took it.

 

[target2019]

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "living your best life." Of course it sounds wonderful. And everyone wants to get as much happiness out of there retirement life as possible.

But when I read about it, it seems to focus on traveling, having adventures, doing exciting things, etc.

And that isn't what I want. I want a nice calm, restful life. I want to enjoy my homebody hobbies like reading, crochet, jigsaw puzzles and board games. With a few trips to local events and attractions and an some walks outside.

The phenomenon is a humble-brag. I'm guilty! But for every Vacation thread there is another for introverts.

My preferred mode is calm and restful. I took a 2-hour nap. I needed that after the 2-mile drive to GP for a followup over something or other.

When we venture very far, the purpose is shared experience with my family. Something that helps me is having a friend or family member in the far-flung destination.

Shorter trips revolve around family too. Those are usually one-day down and back. When we go to DC or further, then a stay of one or two nights is in the plan.

Did you travel a lot for work? Some of the Feds I worked with were travelling for extended periods to far-away locations. The Fed boss once asked me how many trips I'd like, and I told her none. I was really not in such good health, so it wasn't an issue.

 

[RetiredAndLovingIt]

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "living your best life." Of course it sounds wonderful. And everyone wants to get as much happiness out of there retirement life as possible.

But when I read about it, it seems to focus on traveling, having adventures, doing exciting things, etc.

And that isn't what I want. I want a nice calm, restful life. I want to enjoy my homebody hobbies like reading, crochet, jigsaw puzzles and board games. With a few trips to local events and attractions and an some walks outside.

Nothing wrong with what you want, it's your retirement to spend as you please. It may not feel like it right now but one day you will wake up and suddenly realize that the day you retired was the best day of your life and they actually did you a favor. MY company closed our office and we were all let go with no notice whatsoever and I had been with them for over 40 years. Some people were very bitter and had made no plans for retirement and would need to find a new job ASAP just to pay the rent. Others like me had been saving and planning to get out early and we were very happy with our settlements and the ability to file unemployment for a few months before finally officially deciding to retire.

 

[iloveyoga]

Hello everyone.

I am a former Federal employee who just retired. Age 56, almost 57. There was no number crunching for the decision. The treatment of Federal employees under the new administration was destroying my physical and mental health.

My husband and I had been saving for retirement at a pretty good level, so we should be okay financially.

I am not really interested in talking about politics. (If there is hate here for government employees, I would rather know now than later.) I think in many ways, I am not that different from people who left a toxic work environment in the private sector.

I am happy I got the opportunity to participate in the voluntary early retirement option. But it felt more like I was being pushed out than it being a voluntary choice.

Right now I am working through my feelings and recovering. Sometimes I feel tense and tired. Sometimes I feel incredibly relaxed. It all happened so very quickly it is hard to process.

Welcome to the forum and congrats on retiring.

 

[Koolau]

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "living your best life." Of course it sounds wonderful. And everyone wants to get as much happiness out of there retirement life as possible.

But when I read about it, it seems to focus on traveling, having adventures, doing exciting things, etc.

And that isn't what I want. I want a nice calm, restful life. I want to enjoy my homebody hobbies like reading, crochet, jigsaw puzzles and board games. With a few trips to local events and attractions and an some walks outside.

I have to agree with you at least somewhat about what constitutes "living your best life." Partly because I did a lot of that "other stuff" while I was still w*rking and also early in my 20 year retirement (heh, heh, so far.)

NO one can tell you what you should like or what you should do to make your retirement the best that it can be.

Good for you!

 

[reneeh63]

Welcome! I agree that being a government employee shouldn't be political in the slightest - so sorry that this happened to you and you felt quitting was the best option. Be kind to yourself and start enjoying your retirement!

 

[NomDeER]

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "living your best life." Of course it sounds wonderful. And everyone wants to get as much happiness out of there retirement life as possible.

But when I read about it, it seems to focus on traveling, having adventures, doing exciting things, etc.

And that isn't what I want. I want a nice calm, restful life. I want to enjoy my homebody hobbies like reading, crochet, jigsaw puzzles and board games. With a few trips to local events and attractions and an some walks outside.

Different things make different people happy. And what you want can change over time, too. Do what makes you happy, and give yourself time to figure out what that is. It can be difficult for some people to make that transition even if they've planned for it. Be open to new things that might make you happy. Right now, I'm spending my time doing things I did not plan to do in retirement but turn out to be good for me at this moment in time.

 

[SJhawkins]

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "living your best life." Of course it sounds wonderful. And everyone wants to get as much happiness out of there retirement life as possible.

But when I read about it, it seems to focus on traveling, having adventures, doing exciting things, etc.

And that isn't what I want. I want a nice calm, restful life. I want to enjoy my homebody hobbies like reading, crochet, jigsaw puzzles and board games. With a few trips to local events and attractions and an some walks outside.

When I was in my 40s thinking about my retirement I had visions of travel and doing all kinds of exciting things as you put it, even thought about getting the band back to together.

Fast forward to my mid 50s (very close to retirement) and I have no desire for grand trips, nothing crazy exciting sounds like fun, basically lot of the stuff that I thought would be fun later down the road is meh, don't really care. I don't find airports fun and enjoyable, not really a fan of hotels anymore either.

Things I do enjoy today, playing in the yard and gardens, taking our little rv out on slow trips to wherever, wood working, reading, amateur radio, tinkering in the shop, long walks, star gazing, puzzles, tying to learn to draw lately, lots of family and friend dinners. We live in agate rock country, always been kind of a rock hound, I can see doing that in the near future.

Guess what I'm trying to say things and people change, who knows what you will be doing in the next 5-10 years. Think I have a vauge idea, probably will turn out much different, the spice of life.

 

[Amethyst]

Hello everyone.

I am a former Federal employee who just retired. Age 56, almost 57. There was no number crunching for the decision. The treatment of Federal employees under the new administration was destroying my physical and mental health.

My husband and I had been saving for retirement at a pretty good level, so we should be okay financially.

I am not really interested in talking about politics. (If there is hate here for government employees, I would rather know now than later.) I think in many ways, I am not that different from people who left a toxic work environment in the private sector.

I am happy I got the opportunity to participate in the voluntary early retirement option. But it felt more like I was being pushed out than it being a voluntary choice.

Right now I am working through my feelings and recovering. Sometimes I feel tense and tired. Sometimes I feel incredibly relaxed. It all happened so very quickly it is hard to process.

I retired from Federal service 11 years ago, in part to spend more time with my husband, who was in declining health. At my old employer's invitation, I served 5 more years, part-time, as a rehired annuitant. Thus, I took the sacred oath to defend the Constitution twice - and meant it, both times.

I'm disgusted at how the current drawdowns are being handled (they are far from the first or only drawdowns you and I have survived, but at least the employees were treated like humans during those) and I'm very glad you were able to escape via early retirement. If there is any hate for Govt employees on this forum, too bad. I don't think there is much, to tell the truth.

Edit to add: From the former employees' grapevine, I have learned that (not to my surprise) my agency's senior management and HR are being as fair and humane about these unplanned force reductions as possible. The great fear is that desperately needed young talent is being scared away for good.

 

[TDub]

Thank you for your service! Glad you happened upon this community. I've mostly lurked for many years and I've always found it incredibly helpful, positive, and motivating.

 

[TickTock]

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "living your best life." Of course it sounds wonderful. And everyone wants to get as much happiness out of there retirement life as possible.

But when I read about it, it seems to focus on traveling, having adventures, doing exciting things, etc.

And that isn't what I want. I want a nice calm, restful life. I want to enjoy my homebody hobbies like reading, crochet, jigsaw puzzles and board games. With a few trips to local events and attractions and an some walks outside.

So for you, living your best life is calm, restful, enjoying your hobbies. Your best life may look very different than someone else's. And that's okay. Embrace yours!

 

[audreyh1]

I have mixed feelings about the phrase "living your best life." Of course it sounds wonderful. And everyone wants to get as much happiness out of there retirement life as possible.

But when I read about it, it seems to focus on traveling, having adventures, doing exciting things, etc.

And that isn't what I want. I want a nice calm, restful life. I want to enjoy my homebody hobbies like reading, crochet, jigsaw puzzles and board games. With a few trips to local events and attractions and an some walks outside.

Sounds like you need to decompress, destress. In 6 months you may see things differently.

 

[FedRetired50]

Welcome. Former fed here.

 

[Cassius King]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with your retirement plans. I get angry at the mere thought of being herded through an airport for travel, only to be stuck in a tight plane seat. I prefer to travel by car, on my own path and schedule.

I am much like you in that I want to spend retirement in my yard/garden, fishing/golfing every now and again. And on beautiful days like today, it could be as simple as sitting on the patio, sun on my face, listening to some Dead. Retirement is whatever you want it to be and what makes you happy. It's yours, you earned it.

 

[Tadpole]

Welcome. Many ex-Feds here. I'm retired DOD.

 

[wrigley]

I retired from Federal service 11 years ago, in part to spend more time with my husband, who was in declining health. At my old employer's invitation, I served 5 more years, part-time, as a rehired annuitant. Thus, I took the sacred oath to defend the Constitution twice - and meant it, both times.

I'm disgusted at how the current drawdowns are being handled (they are far from the first or only drawdowns you and I have survived, but at least the employees were treated like humans during those) and I'm very glad you were able to escape via early retirement. If there is any hate for Govt employees on this forum, too bad. I don't think there is much, to tell the truth.

Edit to add: From the former employees' grapevine, I have learned that (not to my surprise) my agency's senior management and HR are being as fair and humane about these unplanned force reductions as possible. The great fear is that desperately needed young talent is being scared away for good.

When that talent is needed the government will offer huge sign on bonuses and other perks to fill the positions. Remember some years back when the airlines had a massive pilot hiring push in place and the military was in panic mode over losing a lot of their senior pilots? The military offered package deals to those pilots that they couldn't refuse and a lot of them stayed. Where there's a will, there's a way and everything has a price!

 

[GBcycling]

Congratulations on your retirement. The circumstances are not as important as the fact that you made the right choice and you are here. That you for your contributions and enjoy!

 

[NeilDH]

There's absolutely nothing wrong with your retirement plans. I get angry at the mere thought of being herded through an airport for travel, only to be stuck in a tight plane seat. I prefer to travel by car, on my own path and schedule.

I am much like you in that I want to spend retirement in my yard/garden, fishing/golfing every now and again. And on beautiful days like today, it could be as simple as sitting on the patio, sun on my face, listening to some Dead. Retirement is whatever you want it to be and what makes you happy. It's yours, you earned it.

DW and I are much like this and Target2019 above. In our year and a half of FIRE so far, we’ve done a lot of little trips based on family and friends, mostly driving. The beauty is having the time and flexibility to do it. We just finished a three-week road trip that included national parks; I liked it a lot, DW maybe not that long. Meanwhile, we have liked just hanging at home and sitting on the deck on nice days. It looks like we’re heading toward one big trip a year, maybe even every two years, while we have more of the shorter trips. As others say, it’s whatever you want — that’s the great thing about it.