FIRE - How did your Boss/Colleagues take the news?

Wenlock

lisyloo wrote: »

I agree, but I am suprised people stay in jobs they hate for so long although I appreciate it’s not always easy.

A few years ago I took a career diversion.
I had to take a 25% pay cut to go in at a more junior level, but I enjoy my new role a lot more.

Can anyone throw some light on why more people who hate their jobs don’t consider alternatives, or do they try and fail?
I understand making a compromise for example for a nice commute, but I’m struggling to understand staying in a job you hate without trying to change things.

Many companies do (albeit sometimes slowly and reluctantly) allow people to change roles and stay with the same firm.

In my case I am not sure what options I had. I was 50 years old, had worked at the same place for over 30 years and didn’t really have many transferable skills. Taking a demotion wouldn’t have reduced my stress levels at all - I would still be dealing with the same idiot managers etc.

In addition I never wanted a job in the first place! I didn’t have anything I wanted to do when I left school. I hated school, didn’t want to continue in education etc. But I couldn’t sponge off others so I had to get a job.

In all honesty I am not a people person. All face to face or telephone contact is deeply stressful. The relief of not having to have contact with people beyond the odd “hello” to the neighbour or a tradesman is immense.

If I was 18 again I suppose I would look for some type of outdoor work that has as little contact with the public as possible.

fred246

I am not sure anyone likes to be called a tradesman anymore. I think the army started it off. Everyone wants to be called a professional. I know it's hilarious but even garage mechanics and IFAs call themselves "professional".

Paul_Herring

fred246 wrote: »

I am not sure anyone likes to be called a tradesman anymore. I think the army started it off. Everyone wants to be called a professional. I know it's hilarious but even garage mechanics and IFAs call themselves "professional".

Sanitation engineer? (Alternatively Waste management and disposal technician.)
Wet leisure assistant?
Interpretive teaching coordinator?
Modality manager?
Vertical transport engineer?

Thrugelmir

crv1963 wrote: »

My wife feels that she is such a case, unwilling to take a large drop in standard of living, so feeling trapped at current income level with only the plan/ savings being made for an early retirement as her motivation for going to work.

Contentment is a state of mind. Some people may never reach a state of harmony.

zagubov

This thread seems a bit too binary/either-or.
There are benefits to staying in work, and you may find you can tolerate working longer if you work less. You may keep the social benefits, while freeing up time to develop your hobbies activities and outside contacts so your final full retirement is more fulfilling.
I'll try and track down where I came across those findings. It basically claimed part-time work during retirement was better for wellbeing. It also warned that changing your line of work was more stressful than continuing in a familiar type of job.

This article is well worth a read and this one refers to the benefits of retiring in a structured way.
It obviously depends on how much your work stress decreases with decreasing workload, plus the benefits of keeping social interactions with workmates, having more time for hobbies, having enough income to live comfortably on and so on.

fred246

I had a very well paid job and retired very early. After 6 months of no work at all I decided to do a bit but only when I wanted. I thought I would like to have a way of boosting my income if needed. I have done a few minimum wage jobs. I like the social interactions and learning new tasks. I went to an induction recently that was full of people who had been sent by the job centre and they had no intention of working. Quite entertaining. After you have taken tax off the minimum wage I get about £7 per hour. A fraction of my previous earnings and when I get paid I really think it's not worth it. I'll carry on but if I ever get fed up I'll stop.

Sea_Shell

It was not so much the pros/cons of retirement I am concerned with, mainly the fallout from having made the decision to do so. Has anyone got any experiences they can share with regards this element...

Sea_Shell wrote: »

One other, more personal, element to my original question....more controversially...

How have you all managed your family's expectations of your "availability" since retiring?

Do they see you as being "on hand" to help with lots of things now?
Do you feel guilty for wanting your retirement for "you"?
Have you kept it "hush hush", at least for a little while, to give yourself some breathing space?

lisyloo

Doglegger wrote: »

I think I've responded to the self same question posted by you before!? Not sure what industry or service you work in but there's actually a big bad world out there that can be harsh, sometimes brutal but financially rewarding.
My family's financial security comes way and above my own personal comfort in my employment. I've said it before in posts that I dislike my job intensely but it gives us a standard of living we could never have otherwise and, more importantly, a far shorter working life than would be possible elsewhere. I make the most of my time away from work which keeps the balance reasonably bearable.
Slightly insulted that you see those who do work they don't like as failures. I don't think my IFA would agree with you at all.

I don’t recall a previous response but it’s possible I’ve forgotten.
I work in IT and DH was out of work for 12 months and we had to move to find work or we would have lost our home so I’m well aware of the big bad world.

Right so you’ve made a compromise, ok I get that.

I don’t see people who do work they don’t like as failures at all and I’m sorry if it came across that way (I honestly can’t see it). I way just trying to understand something that wasn’t clear to me. Thanks for explaining.

I’ve experienced both hating my job everyday and also loving it everyday and with that position of hindsight I would choose the lower pay/longer road, but of course I appreciate it’s not always that black and white.

lisyloo

davidscot wrote: »

I think personally the most telling part is your quote of 'I had to take a 25% pay cut'
Not many people could afford to take that much of a hit, although I am glad it worked out for you. Sometimes the need for money outweighs the desire to look for alternatives which may be out there.

Well many are saying they are doing a job they hate to retire 10 years early. So in those cases I think they could actually afford to IF they wanted to.
Whether they want to is of course another matter and I can see why they wouldn’t.
After 3 years I’m back to where I was before salary wise as I always intended it to be temporary and to work my way back up from a junior level.

Having actually done it and with th benefit of hindsight and it working out, I think I definitely did the right thing for me. Yes, It worked out but many of the succesful people on here would succeed at most things they put their mind to.

lisyloo

zagubov wrote: »

This thread seems a bit too binary/either-or.
There are benefits to staying in work, and you may find you can tolerate working longer if you work less. You may keep the social benefits, while freeing up time to develop your hobbies activities and outside contacts so your final full retirement is more fulfilling.
I'll try and track down where I came across those findings. It basically claimed part-time work during retirement was better for wellbeing. It also warned that changing your line of work was more stressful than continuing in a familiar type of job.

This article is well worth a read and this one refers to the benefits of retiring in a structured way.
It obviously depends on how much your work stress decreases with decreasing workload, plus the benefits of keeping social interactions with workmates, having more time for hobbies, having enough income to live comfortably on and so on.

It’s nigh on impossible to work less than full time in IT.
The only people I know who’ve done it are women with caring commitments (generally babies) and always in an existing position.

It’s all or nothing in our industry I’m afraid, but I do agree about part-time work and winding down.

If we want to do it we need to find alternative careers or have career breaks (which doesn’t always look great on the Cv).