Bold leap into retirement

katejo

Pat38493 said:

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.

I successfully moved to 4 days last September. I first raised it with my line manager a year ago. I got a better reception than I had expected. She already works just 4 days a week despite being much younger (due to living quite a way from London). i suspect that my previous manager would have been more difficult about it. I think my current one knew that I would leave completely at a much earlier date if I couldn't reduce my hours now.

katejo

barnstar2077 said:

Anyone considering dropping down in days should put their request in writing!  Otherwise your employer will just delay telling you the outcome.

If I was going to retire if they said I couldn't reduce my hours, and then they didn't bother bother to tell me after a couple of months that my request was denied and I had to ask them again about it, I would just walk, no notice given.

Respect goes both ways. 

I first brought it up in my appraisal in February last year.

captain_jep

Have just read through the entire thread and wanted to wish you @Smudgeismydog all the best for the next few months. You’re smashing it! Like @handle I am fast approaching my last day at work - retire (at least from my career job) on Tuesday next week. It’ll be a bit scary but then will be straight into Easter holidays. Am very much looking forward to not having to go back in afterwards!

Smudgeismydog

Many thanks @JonnieF, and best of luck to you. You mentioned retiring from your ‘career’ job, so what are your plans? Are you happy to share?

After the disappointing bonus announcement last week, (I’ll never prove it as the bonus structure is so opaque, but I believe they have redistributed some of my bonus to a colleague who has threatened to leave), I’m working towards completing all my handovers by the end of April, so I can just log on to check emails a couple of times a day through May & June.

I’m not going to pursue or get drawn into the negativity that I initially felt on hearing the bonus announcements, but instead keep my conscience clear and just complete all outstanding work to the best of my ability, then leave with my head held high!

MallyGirl

Smudgeismydog said:

I’m not going to pursue or get drawn into the negativity that I initially felt on hearing the bonus announcements, but instead keep my conscience clear and just complete all outstanding work to the best of my ability, then leave with my head held high!

I am sure this is exactly what you are retiring away from. All that BS. I had been told for the last few years that I am 'right at the top of the pay band' which limits pay rises. After a discussion about a change of job title with my latest line manager he asked HR and it turns out that was a complete lie and there is plenty of headroom. Just one more nail in that coffin. 

Congratulations on your imminent escape

Smudgeismydog

Thanks @MallyGirl, I’ve sacrificed my whole bonus into my pension, so with some employer NI uplift it still represents a huge tax saving.
As you say, one step closer 

pensionpawn

It's down to the company to prove that your request to reduce hours would damage profits etc, not for you to demonstrate that it will not, however it's in the requester's interest to show (as much as they can) that it will not, and thus agreeing to the request is a win / win. My manager was not opposed to my request, just officious, however his boss (who until this point in my career I considered a waste of space) was very positive, explaining to my boss that this has kept quite a few good people at the company. So I suppose it also depends on how "accommodating / switched on" your line management are.
I was also over 55 so I knew that I had the option to fully retire if they refused, however I wanted to avoid the "nuclear option" if at all possible for a number of reasons. So I put my request in writing and made it perfectly clear to them, without coming over as intimidating, that they had the option to retain me 4 days a week and that this isn't about them agreeing to a 1 day a week reduction. When that penny dropped with my boss (his boss knew this from experience) then it was effectively plain sailing. I am also fortunate that my line of work better supports reduced hours than most others, however just get your game plan in order and go for it. It took away the dross, neutralised most of the office politics for me and set a precedent for a subsequent reduction to 3 days a week. Also, my 4 week notice period is now effectively half that so management know that if they "give me a reason" they are shooting themselves in both feet, so they just leave me to do my job, wish is what most of us would like from their employers.
As others have said, tomorrow is never promised, so if you can afford to call their bluff if they say no or drag their heels, go. Making more money is always possible, getting back days gone by isn't. Both sides can agree to subsequently tear up the envelope if they come to their senses.

barnstar2077

MallyGirl said:

Smudgeismydog said:

I’m not going to pursue or get drawn into the negativity that I initially felt on hearing the bonus announcements, but instead keep my conscience clear and just complete all outstanding work to the best of my ability, then leave with my head held high!

I am sure this is exactly what you are retiring away from. All that BS. I had been told for the last few years that I am 'right at the top of the pay band' which limits pay rises. After a discussion about a change of job title with my latest line manager he asked HR and it turns out that was a complete lie and there is plenty of headroom. Just one more nail in that coffin. 

Congratulations on your imminent escape

I actually think that company BS is the worst thing about work.  They will turn anything into a stick to hit you with, and then tell you how great it is working for them, lol!

"Thank you for coming to this meeting, I just wanted to let you know that the new manager has reimplemented the previously failed new way of working that we have already tried twice before and then abandoned.

Also, your performance isn't as high as people that are half your age, which I think you will agree is unacceptable as everyone has to do their best for the company to succeed.  Aren't you a team player?

By the time we have our next meeting you will need to have come up with three new ideas to improve productivity in your department.  To help you out, cutting back on toilet breaks would shave off a few minutes every day, so that's one free idea for you, so now you only need two more.  You're welcome!

Thank you again for coming, lot's to work on for your next one to one.  On your way out please take this leaflet with you and read it thoroughly, it has all of the latest guidance and what you should and should not say, and how you should think in the workplace.  Did you just raise an eyebrow?  That is considered a micro aggression now, page four, section three.

Lastly, sorry we can't allow you that holiday request you asked for as we currently have 4.25% of the workforce off that day.  Yes, I understand you will be the only person off from your department, but the rules are the rules."

AliBee16

'Thank you again for coming, lot's to work on for your next one to one.  On your way out please take this leaflet with you and read it thoroughly, it has all of the latest guidance and what you should and should not say, and how you should think in the workplace.  Did you just raise an eyebrow?  That is considered a micro aggression now, page four, section three.'

@barnstar2077 this is all spot on. And for those of us who have worked through times when the management leash was not quite so tight, this is all much more transparent than for our younger colleagues. I remember fondly the times we would all head off down the pub on a Friday afternoon when working in London. No wonder the Govt cant get us older people back to work. No incentive.

I only work in retail now (divorce and life circumstances) but it is still the same there. When asked to explain why the delivery wasnt being put away by a certain time like it was previously, the answer ' you have reduced the workforce by half, doubled the amount of delivery and reduced the hours to complete the task' wasnt considered sufficient! You feel like you are going mad. No wonder people regularly were going off sick with stress

LHW99

AliBee16 said:

'Thank you again for coming, lot's to work on for your next one to one.  On your way out please take this leaflet with you and read it thoroughly, it has all of the latest guidance and what you should and should not say, and how you should think in the workplace.  Did you just raise an eyebrow?  That is considered a micro aggression now, page four, section three.'

@barnstar2077 this is all spot on. And for those of us who have worked through times when the management leash was not quite so tight, this is all much more transparent than for our younger colleagues. I remember fondly the times we would all head off down the pub on a Friday afternoon when working in London. No wonder the Govt cant get us older people back to work. No incentive.

I only work in retail now (divorce and life circumstances) but it is still the same there. When asked to explain why the delivery wasnt being put away by a certain time like it was previously, the answer ' you have reduced the workforce by half, doubled the amount of delivery and reduced the hours to complete the task' wasnt considered sufficient! You feel like you are going mad. No wonder people regularly were going off sick with stress

This, and the increasing level of Office politics is why the Government won't get older people back into the workplace by tinkering round the edges. Once upon a time a degree of over staffing was regarded as useful - it allowed sudden increases in work to be catered for without expecting peopleto wreck their health, it allowed those with problems to be treated flexibly and it allowed the keeping on of older, very experienced personnel with much reduced hours so that if a question of "what do we do if / when" arose, it could be referred to them (well I remember last time we ........).

Now its a computer (if you're lucky!) where the data isn't complete, doesn't go back much before the last slave that had it added to their work load, and possibly was never entered correctly in the first place.