Sorry for Old Work Friends

[SALTedOut]

So I texted with two of my old work friends today (10/14). I was (and they still are) in the tax field so 10/15 is a big deadline. They were telling me all the busy season problems including a lost UPS packages full of tax returns being sent to a client, clients throwing in last minute (and very important) facts that totally changed their returns, staff promises of when they will finish drafting returns only to have that occur days later, and it goes on and on.

My response to them was "Well, I played golf today, sorry, not sorry."

LIFE IS GOOD!

 

[Stormy Kromer]

I have two classes of old work friends.


One that made as much or more than me and spent it all and have to work.


The other that salted away and invested as much as me and could RE, but won't because they don't know what else to do.


I used to feel bad for both, but not anymore.

 

[SALTedOut]

HAHA, pretty sure both of these fall into category 1. They live large.

 

[Sunset]

I have two classes of old work friends.

One that made as much or more than me and spent it all and have to work.
......

I don't feel sorry for the ones that spent it all, they had their fun, took great trips or bought nice big stuff while I made do.

If I die next week, they were right to blow it all while alive.

 

[Dtail]

I am not in contact with any former colleagues from work. Different life now and don't wish to hear all the office politics and complaints.

 

[Amethyst]

My former colleagues (that I am in touch with on social media) are either doing well, or have retired and are enjoying it. I haven't noticed any cause for schadenfreude.

It's amazing how people have adapted to having fun during a pandemic.

 

[street]

The few that still are working that I know, are just piling it on. They don't have to work but do and making lots of money. Lol

I'm jealous they may have more money then me, NOT!! I hope if they are happy, they will need a armored truck to haul their stash away when they leave.

I wish them well each day, in what ever they do. I don't have contact with any of them any more unless I would run into them up town etc..

 

[Car-Guy]

When I first retired, I would get emails about once a month from "someone" at work.... Usually complaining about working in general or management stunts. After ~10 years, those emails have dropped off to "zero"... I still hear from a few of the retirees occasionally but even those have trickled to one or two a year.

 

[Toocold]

After I left, there has been continued layoffs at megacorp, causing consternation across those that I talked with. I knew this was coming because I saw the future numbers and the growing gap to hit them. I'm so glad I took the package, especially with the winter coming soon. No more commute in the snow.

 

[Markola]

I guess it figures that most communications with former coworkers whom one liked are about workplace topics, since that’s what one has most in common with them.

 

[pacergal]

FB friends with several former co workers, both retired and those still working.
First few years, I would have lunch out frequently with some, not so much now. Even before Covid, they had dwindled down.
Those who are still working, mention the same complaints that were around when I was there.......glad I am not anymore.

 

[O2Bfree]

My old workplace has had many layoffs and restructures since I left last year. An entire software team that was supposedly leading the company's movement into the SaaS (software as a service) business got let go and product development was outsourced. Numerous engineers in another group who had been signalling their unhappiness over the push to launch new products regardless of quality left the company or ERed. The amazing manager I had ERed, and my replacement is working under a manager in another group, physically removed from the great team she supports.

Lots of changes I'm glad I wasn't there to see happen to a lot of great people; however, if I'd known the Covid thing was coming I might have kept working another year and slogged through them, somewhat insulated by working at home.

 

[W2R]

I retired in 2009 and haven't kept in contact with any of my old work friends. I do occasionally check the website to see what they are up to, though. So many of them (even those older than me!) are still w*rking. I feel so fortunate.

 

[Finance Dave]

We have a hard time finding people to do things with...they only want to do things on Saturdays! We can do things almost any night, but they have to w*rk the next day lol.

But seriously, we try hard not to rub it in their face. We were in that situation years ago and would not have liked that.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I am not in contact with any former colleagues from work. Different life now and don't wish to hear all the office politics and complaints.

+1. I made the mistake of visiting the office one day shortly after ER and almost had a panic attack. One friend wants to talk about FIRE some time and I’ll be glad to, but if he never reaches out to set it up that’s okay too.

 

[Koolau]

Only have one 'friend' left back at Megacorp after 15 years FIRE'd. He's happy to still have his j*b as many folks were put on the musical chairs of 'bidding for their j*bs.' He's hoping for one or two more years. He'll be at least 67. Bummer. But he had to start over a couple of times due to divorce and "new" kids. YMMV

 

[moneyequalstime]

I talk to some. Funny thing is the they asked me how to invest way back when and i just told them to read up on bogle investing (Golden Advice back in 2008) and its all they need. Needless to say they're still working, losing money on shitty rental condos etc.

The only thing I occasionally miss is the commadre but hated the politicking and cringe at the though of ever having to go back.

 

[Markola]

I left voluntarily this July just as a lot of downsizing-related staff turmoil peaked. Lately, it’s been front page in the local paper as a succession of executives have left, starting with the CEO. Management got themselves into their own echo chamber bubble and lost staff support. I don’t miss it and don’t care to belly-ache with those who are still there. Nothing I can do.

 

[doneat54]

I have small circle of maybe 6-10 friends that we met through work (DW and I both worked at the same megacorp) and we make an effort to see them often. Wonderful people, we a lot in common and enjoy each other's company immensely. 4 in particular are probably our best friends on the planet. 2 still work there, but respect limiting work talk and no complaining.

 

[RobbieB]

I tried to contact one old friend but got no response. Maybe not there anymore? A victim of covid economy?

Who knows. And who cares.

 

[street]

Most of the people I worked with live just blocks away from me or less then a half mile. A few text once in a while but never have any face to face with any of them unless we meet in crossing.
New life and new acquaintances now so different paths of life.

 

[Rambler]

In my last role, I was the regional executive for Japan and Asia, and was on the global executive committee. Out of the 8 or 9 people that were on the exec committee while I was, two are deceased, one ascended to the CEO role a couple years after I left, and one more is still with the company. All the rest have moved on. Some of those have retired early like me. Others are FI but chose to work in smaller roles to reduce their stress levels. Of my local execs in Japan, all have moved on. I have helped several of them get new jobs after they’d left the company. I speak or text with several of them a couple times a year. But chances are pretty good that Ill never see any of them again. The EC was Europe based, and my day to day Japan and Asia team were mostly in Japan with a few scattered about Asia and AU/NZ. Its just too far to go visit them for lunch.

 

[Music Lover]

I have small circle of maybe 6-10 friends that we met through work (DW and I both worked at the same megacorp) and we make an effort to see them often. Wonderful people, we a lot in common and enjoy each other's company immensely. 4 in particular are probably our best friends on the planet. 2 still work there, but respect limiting work talk and no complaining.

I've been retired almost 5 years now and still see a small group of former work colleagues on a regular basis. Some are retired and some still work. When we get together work talk is limited to who has retired, moved, divorced, etc. Actual talk about work is almost non-existent.

 

[statsman]

Nearly all of the people I worked with over the course of my 30 years working with the same company were kicked out the door like I was at some point. Older, high-cost employees in a business-hostile state (California).

A few planned well and have very comfortable retirements. Some planned well but ended up divorcing, with assets split up. Others lived paycheck to paycheck, and most of them lived off of their modest pensions until SS kicked in.

We were roughly in the same salary ranges, a few a bit higher during periods of time when they were managers. But the net result in retirement is all over the map.

 

[Blue531]

I still drop by work frequently because I work(ed). in a grocery store and shop there. I just retired this year on September 1st. In doing so, I left one toe in the door as in I told them I would work one day a month until i work out my decision on my 401k. The managers make way more than I do, but to my knowledge invest almost nothing. The others who work there don't invest much either or don't make a whole lot to do so. When I drop in, I'm constantly reminded of what I don't miss and am eternally grateful for having started my investment journey 25 years ago. No one at work ever asks me how I did it or for advice. At first, I was surprised by that but after reading Robert Kyosaki, he said that he had rich, middle and poor friends and the ones struggling never asked him about investing. Pretty much only the wealthy ones discussed it. The last time I read on it, 78% of people are living paycheck to paycheck. I do feel bad to some extent that people don't do better investing-wise, but I can't help anyone who doesn't want any help. And I have tried to help a few friends or coworkers but they are not interested.