Bold leap into retirement

Pat38493

Smudgeismydog said:

Hello everyone 

My partner put in a request last month to move to 4 days from the end of June, to tie in with my early retirement. He was asked to complete a business case to do this (?), and after chasing, his manager told him she has ‘pencilled’ in a meeting with him to discuss this at the end of next month. He’s not happy.

The usual shambolic diary management, and lack of care shown to him and fellow employees has now left him thinking he would also like to be able to step away. We have gone over and over the figures and it would be feasible. 

I am a little surprised that he is seriously considering fully retiring, as there are still many aspects of his job he likes. Honestly, I think they have just ground him down, and he is exhausted by it all.

I also suspect that he can see that with my early retirement looming, I have a light at the end of my tunnel, and this has made him reconsider what he really wants to do.

We also have 2 members of our immediate family (aged 25 and 41) with a terminal cancer diagnosis, and it really puts everything into perspective.

I’m sorry if this is a downbeat post, I don’t intend it to be. It’s an overused phrase, but life is too short, we enjoy each others company, but we are also very open to finding new things to explore, adventures to embark on and hobbies to try (individually and jointly), to fill our time and I’m excited about this next phase of our life.

Please keep posting and sharing

The request for a business case to moving on 4 days is because the employer is viewing the request under the flexible working time legislation, and therefore think that they have the right to refuse if they want to by concocting a valid reason.  I suspect that if he makes it clear that he is going to leave completely if they say no, they will then see that the boot is not on the foot that they think it is, and they will change their tune quite quickly if they value him as an employee.

Smudgeismydog

Thanks Pat38493, that’s very helpful 

mrs_slapshot

@Smudgeismydog I’m so sorry to hear about your family members. That’s just awful news and I can understand how it’s making your OH reevaluate things. 

He’s not being treated very well. I am sure the law in flexible working is changing next month and employees don’t have to say how the company are expected to cover their work if they reduce their hours. Worth looking into? But I think if you can manage him going, then go for it! It’s hard working for a company that treats you like that. 

mrs_slapshot

@MallyGirl I’m so sorry to hear your news too. It’s making me appreciate how lucky I am ❤️

spaniel101

MallyGirl said:

Sorry to hear about your family members with cancer - such sad things really do focus the mind. We went to friend's funeral last month (just 59 but her inoperable brain tumour didn't care) and saw our dear friend (best man at our wedding) who has frontotemporal dementia. So sad to see him at 56 very confused about what was going on and wearing a nappy as he no longer notices the need to go  

My Mum's best friend (of many many years from the mending trade), they were thick as thieves during their initial 5 years of retirement and spent hours on end eating, drinking, socializing, chatting and laughing the days away....suddenly reduced eating sufficiently in December 2018.  They'd go out for a pub lunch and she would just pick at a couple of items and then be 'not hungry' (most unusual).   Few weeks later she was telling my Mum she'd put a Batchelor's cup-a-soup in the 'microwave' and then 'forgot' what to do with it.   As you do, they laughed off these little 'nuances' of their latter years!   After Christmas, she came to pick Mum up and I was aghast at her new found slender figure, so much so I mentioned it to Mum when they returned from their day out.   Mum agreed and told me these few stories of her not eating a lot lately.   

Mid February 2019, yet another stone in weight gone, her family so concerned (they had been popping round to make sandwiches for lunch, casseroles for tea, etc...all disappeared), she was taken to the GP's and immediately admitted to the local hospital.  It took 8 weeks or so for them to diagnose frontotemporal dementia.  Devastating for all and for all to see.  We visited and encouraged her to eat lunch.  One day when we were there, she was in a 2 bed room with 1 other lady, she proceeded to empty the other ladies handbag from the other side of her bed, gathered some garments and said to my Mum "are you ready, lets go, where's your suitcase?".    We were rendered totally useless.   May time came around, still in hospital on IV's and soft food, her family were surveying local care homes and luckily found one within a suitable distance.   She never got there, gone by early June.


My Mum and I talk about her almost daily, we still can't believe she's not here laughing and joking with us 5 years on!  She'd only been on holiday to Australia to see her other Son for a month all by herself, the year before!  All so shocking... and undignifying.   I am just very glad she didnt seem to know what was happening, that it was very quick and 'short-term', but of course this is completely the opposite experience for those who unfortunately have to watch on, helplessly, in stunned silence. 

We live by her, for her and in memory of her every single day, very very grateful for all our blessings.   

You have one life, go live it.
   

Sarahspangles

Smudgeismydog said:

Hello everyone 

My partner put in a request last month to move to 4 days from the end of June, to tie in with my early retirement. He was asked to complete a business case to do this (?), and after chasing, his manager told him she has ‘pencilled’ in a meeting with him to discuss this at the end of next month. He’s not happy.

I wouldn’t read too much into the fact he’s been asked to produce a business case. Managers have to follow whatever process the business has agreed, and apply it consistently, otherwise they’re wide open to claims of discrimination.

But I also think it’s worth him having a proposal ready for a staged retirement!

barnstar2077

I too think it is worth giving some thought to how the business might cover his absence should he drop down in days.  Having an ailment that would benefit from reduced hours would also be useful.

When I dropped down to four days I told them it was to reduce my stress and anxiety, as well as to help me with a couple of physical ailments.  I also said that as I work alongside agency workers, my absence could be covered by offering an agency worker more hours.  It was approved on the day I put the request in. 

Rich1976

It does seem unfair that an employer should expect an employee to put together a business case as to why they want to reduce their hours. We have exactly the same written into our contracts and explains that before they would consider it the business case should include things like the tasks that the employee does and how it would impact their department if they did reduce their hours.

surely that is the problem for the department manager/company to sort out and shouldn’t be on the head of the employee. 

Sarahspangles

Rich1976 said:

It does seem unfair that an employer should expect an employee to put together a business case as to why they want to reduce their hours. We have exactly the same written into our contracts and explains that before they would consider it the business case should include things like the tasks that the employee does and how it would impact their department if they did reduce their hours.

surely that is the problem for the department manager/company to sort out and shouldn’t be on the head of the employee. 

Actually it’s a statutory requirement, and I see some of the process is about to change.

https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/applying-for-flexible-working

Rich1976

Sarahspangles said:

Rich1976 said:

It does seem unfair that an employer should expect an employee to put together a business case as to why they want to reduce their hours. We have exactly the same written into our contracts and explains that before they would consider it the business case should include things like the tasks that the employee does and how it would impact their department if they did reduce their hours.

surely that is the problem for the department manager/company to sort out and shouldn’t be on the head of the employee. 

Actually it’s a statutory requirement, and I see some of the process is about to change.

https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/applying-for-flexible-working

It still puts it back on the employee though to justify how it will impact the business. The fact that people on here talk about wanting to do reduce their hours in the rundown to full retirement doesn’t seem to be justified from an employer point of view as that person still needs to consider how the workload will be impacted.
at my place for example I doubt anyone would be granted part time hours especially in my department as we struggle as it is when someone is on holiday for a week or two, let alone potentially having some of their work redistributed to the rest of us permanently .