What made you 'pull the trigger'?

handful

Leigh-Anne_60 said:

sgx2000 said:

Leigh-Anne_60 said:

katejo  I have dropped to working 4 days a week. I knew I would lose 20% of my flexible  leave but further deductions are made from my bank holiday allowance.

Which day is your non working day? I’m currently considering dropping one day, but a Monday and by my calcs I’ll actually ‘profit’ on BH?

I have just done this....

You don't actually profit from having mondays.
But, you do the get to have the (monday)  bank holidays when you would like....

Yes, that’s what I meant. Profit in terms of more flexible leave, rather than having to take it on set BH days. There is at least 4 BH Mondays, I think that would equate to around 3 extra leave days after taking into account making up the extra on non Monday BH

Lots of employees have their bank holidays wrapped up in their total holiday allowance. They then just pro-rata holidays down. So if you have eg 28 days holiday you would reduce to 22.4 days and take them whether it's a BH or not. This applies mainly to industries that have a requirement to work bank holidays. 

Sarahspangles

handful said:

Lots of employees have their bank holidays wrapped up in their total holiday allowance. They then just pro-rata holidays down. So if you have eg 28 days holiday you would reduce to 22.4 days and take them whether it's a BH or not. This applies mainly to industries that have a requirement to work bank holidays. 

Mine works like this, I have an allowance in hours for bank holidays and annual leave. I am on call over bank holiday weekends at certain times of year.  If the time I’m logged on over those days adds up to a day, then I don’t book the bank holiday. And yes it is inconvenient to be working small blocks at the beginning, middle and end of each day over a long weekend! But the team takes turns.

From April I’m working a four day week and Monday will be my non-working day. I won’t need to book most of the bank holidays, but the pro rata reduction evens this out, I don’t gain apart from in convenience that I don’t need to book them.

Glitterface

What made me pull the trigger? I was only working 3 days a week, office was 10 minutes away and I liked the people I worked with mostly. But, I hated working from  home as a result of the lockdown,  and the boss didn't renew the lease on one of the buildings so there wasn't the space for us all to return to work. After covid we were only required to go in a couple of times a month and it was 'hot desking'. That and the usual BS of 'new systems' that were always going wrong and constant monitoring from above, online courses taking up my time better spent on doing actual work (in my opinion).I got totally demoralised and made up my mind to go at 60. Its been 2 years now and no regrets. 

Albermarle

A bit the opposite of many people. They got used to working from home and the thought of a long commute back to the office, brought on early retirement.
I did not have a commute, but I was a regular traveller around the UK and Europe. It all stopped with Covid of course and the thought of going back to all those traffic jams, hotels and hanging around airports, sealed the deal for me. 

green.lander_2

Well its done!. At 63 I wanted to fully resign but the company offered me 3 days a week working until projects are handed over. So formally agreed its semi retirement, this could be 6 months or more but i have put I have put a hard stop at 12 months (April 2025). It was not just one thing but a combination:

1) wife has had cancer surgery for the 4th time - so more time together with some money
2) woke culture at work with endless compliance - totally waste of energy 
3)  close friend has a heart problem 
4) my number being met (hopefully)
5) April onwards is a good time to get outside with cycling, walking or motorbike

I sit here today with my first day off in semi retirement  not knowing what to do with my long weekend - nice problem

Smudgeismydog

Huge congratulations @green.lander-2, enjoy this new time off. Hopefully the weather will now improve for you