Early-retirement wannabe

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  • kidmugsy
    kidmugsy Posts: 12,709
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    We have a statutory right in Germany to ask for 4 days

    Why do you need a statutory right? Why can't you just ask anyway?
    Free the dunston one next time too.
  • gadgetmind
    gadgetmind Posts: 11,130
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    You also have the legal right to request flexible working in the UK, and there is a process to go through for an employer to accept/refuse. I drafted a formal letter and included a few extras specific to my case.

    https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/overview

    I understand that cats were among the pigeons when my letter arrived!
    I am not a financial adviser and neither do I play one on television. I might occasionally give bad advice but at least it's free.

    Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them.
  • Marine_life
    Marine_life Posts: 1,059
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    kidmugsy wrote: »
    Why do you need a statutory right? Why can't you just ask anyway?

    Because if you ask they can say no, if its the law they can't ;-)
    Money won't buy you happiness....but I have never been in a situation where more money made things worse!
  • Marine_life
    Marine_life Posts: 1,059
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    gadgetmind wrote: »

    I understand that cats were among the pigeons when my letter arrived!

    I am sure they were ;)

    I've thought about asking for a 4 day week, and a three day week. I've also thought about asking for different permutations of holiday / work, work / holiday and all points in between. I've always held back as I've always thought it was a sign of weakness. Until I found out that a distant colleague who I have a lot of respect for is actually working three days a week.

    But I don't think I can do it. I've thought about no longer working for so long that actually working a shorter week might make me think that I have to go on for a few more years and I'm not sure I can deal with that.

    1 October next year seems a long way off at the moment but I have a project ongoing which runs until end of February and we will see where we are from there.
    Money won't buy you happiness....but I have never been in a situation where more money made things worse!
  • Meadows
    Meadows Posts: 4,530
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    I retired in my early 50's (about 6 years ago) after being fed up with job and a great hubby that said stop working.


    Hubby retire a few years ago now at 58 being frustrated with his job, he could not decide what to do as he felt it a large step (but had a pension from a previous job), I told him you will know when the time is right and sure enough he emailed me one day to say he had handed his notice in.


    Best thing we both did and now have the freedom of time to do what we want and when we want, It did not change our standard of living thanks to the pension he received (okay maybe not the great holidays we used have and as often as we did any longer but we do still have some), and although we are a long way off state pensions we are both happy to be off the work treadmill.
    Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.
  • gadgetmind
    gadgetmind Posts: 11,130
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    I've always held back as I've always thought it was a sign of weakness.

    And what difference to anything would that make?
    I am not a financial adviser and neither do I play one on television. I might occasionally give bad advice but at least it's free.

    Like all religions, the Faith of the Invisible Pink Unicorns is based upon both logic and faith. We have faith that they are pink; we logically know that they are invisible because we can't see them.
  • Linton
    Linton Posts: 17,061
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    kidmugsy wrote: »
    Why do you need a statutory right? Why can't you just ask anyway?


    You can but having it as a statutory could make it more likely that the employer would take the request seriously and provide a serious response. In other words, the employer would ask themselves whether it would be possible rather than simply dismissing the request with no further thought.
  • Goldiegirl
    Goldiegirl Posts: 8,805
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    I am sure they were ;)

    I've thought about asking for a 4 day week, and a three day week. I've also thought about asking for different permutations of holiday / work, work / holiday and all points in between. I've always held back as I've always thought it was a sign of weakness. Until I found out that a distant colleague who I have a lot of respect for is actually working three days a week.

    But I don't think I can do it. I've thought about no longer working for so long that actually working a shorter week might make me think that I have to go on for a few more years and I'm not sure I can deal with that.

    1 October next year seems a long way off at the moment but I have a project ongoing which runs until end of February and we will see where we are from there.


    If you can't steel yourself to drop to a 4 day week, how on earth will you ever gird yourself up to stop work completely?
    Early retired - 18th December 2014
    If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough
  • wotsthat
    wotsthat Posts: 11,325 Forumite
    I've thought about asking for a 4 day week, and a three day week. I've also thought about asking for different permutations of holiday / work, work / holiday and all points in between. I've always held back as I've always thought it was a sign of weakness. Until I found out that a distant colleague who I have a lot of respect for is actually working three days a week.

    You're retiring 1st October 2016 (I'm saying nothing). You'll work 40 or so fewer days if you go to 4 days - who cares if it's seen as weakness?
    But I don't think I can do it. I've thought about no longer working for so long that actually working a shorter week might make me think that I have to go on for a few more years and I'm not sure I can deal with that.

    If going 4 days made you realise that you'd rather work than retire or vice versa that sounds like a good investment

    Perhaps you don't really want to retire but don't want to keep doing what you're doing either? Perhaps it's time to get a new job?
  • Marine_life
    Marine_life Posts: 1,059
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    gadgetmind wrote: »
    And what difference to anything would that make?

    I think it depends on the level of seniority and exactly what your role is. It may have no impact at all however, In our organization, I can say that whilst it seen as "acceptable" for a woman there's an expectation for men that this is done by "people on their way out". So from a practical perspective it probably results in loss of status (and the accompanying reduction in bonus).
    Money won't buy you happiness....but I have never been in a situation where more money made things worse!
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