Progress not Perfection

Cherryfudge

I do wonder about employers continuing to insist on as much office work as they do. I assume some people got less done at home - but those could be the same who don't get as much done regardless of where they are. In DH's work, they've lost staff who started work during the WFH era and have difficulties with travelling to the office - which has to be counter-productive as they now have to find and train more staff and doesn't help wealth distribution to rural communities or for people with disabilities for whom a home environment is sustainable but an office one is a stress too many.

SuzeQStan

Many congrats on mortgage free SA 🎉

would your work allow you to reduce your days/hours at all to sort of ease into retirement?  Although I have heard this can have an effect on pension etc but seems a popular option at OH’s place of work.  Usually they drop to 3 days a week from 60 onward.  

Sun_Addict

Cherryfudge said:

I do wonder about employers continuing to insist on as much office work as they do. I assume some people got less done at home - but those could be the same who don't get as much done regardless of where they are. In DH's work, they've lost staff who started work during the WFH era and have difficulties with travelling to the office - which has to be counter-productive as they now have to find and train more staff and doesn't help wealth distribution to rural communities or for people with disabilities for whom a home environment is sustainable but an office one is a stress too many.

It's supposed to be so you can collaborate with your team, which is all very well if your team are in the same days as you or if you actually have a team in your location (which I don't). So, apart from the odd good morning, I often don't speak to anyone the whole time I'm in the office. We do have homeworkers but I don't think I'd like to be WFH full time as I like getting out of the house (and away from Mr SA) for a few hours.

Sun_Addict

SuzeQStan said:

Many congrats on mortgage free SA 🎉

would your work allow you to reduce your days/hours at all to sort of ease into retirement?  Although I have heard this can have an effect on pension etc but seems a popular option at OH’s place of work.  Usually they drop to 3 days a week from 60 onward.  

Yes they would allow me to do this and it's something I've thought about. Lots of people do it where I work. However they mostly have a double income household. If I'm going to carry on working past retirement age I'd like to put away as much money as I can. At the end of the day I'll still be retiring next year at some point. I know quite a few people who stayed until they were 70 but went part time, I really don't want to still be working at that age.

beanielou

Happy mortgage free to you. 

joeyjimbles

Congratulations on finishing off paying your mortgage - it's a great achievement, and I'm sure you already have plans for where the funds will go but I hope it includes a few treats for you. 

Sun_Addict

I've rounded up my retirement pot and emergency fund to the next thousand with some of the proceeds of the matured savings account as well as put the money aside for Mr SA's chair. This created an oddment of £1.01 so that went to the Christmas pot. There's still some left so I might send that to my retirement pot. 

satchmo1

My SIL was able to reduce her days worked. Down to 4 for a year, then 3 for a year, then 2 for a year, then 1. There wasn't the option to WFH then (pre-COVID). It worked for her, but they did have a dual income household.

I'd tell Mr SA that you have to continue working part time in the office

Will you have to train your successor?

Sun_Addict

satchmo1 said:

My SIL was able to reduce her days worked. Down to 4 for a year, then 3 for a year, then 2 for a year, then 1. There wasn't the option to WFH then (pre-COVID). It worked for her, but they did have a dual income household.

I'd tell Mr SA that you have to continue working part time in the office

Will you have to train your successor?

If I told Mr SA I’m part time when I wasn’t I wouldn’t want to have to go out when I didn’t want to. He’s been forewarned I want to go out without him occasionally. 

We usually just do a handover note but there are a few random jobs that only I know how to do that my successor would need to be trained on. 

One of the directors I work for is convinced he won’t be able to cope without me - he’ll be fine I’m sure, he’ll get someone young and keen to replace me or maybe AI 🤣

amber03

What a lovely start to the year for you SA, mortgage free, congratulations.