VERY long story made short: In early 2012, I had a job that was literally killing me (trip to the ER with a panic attack, 15-pound weight loss in less than a month, etc.) and realized that my chosen career had rapidly mutated into something completely unrecognizable. I was 2 weeks shy of my 48th birthday.
I proceeded to move to the city I consider my REAL hometown and started a home-based business, in addition to putting myself on a budget WRT my investment income, and I have no regrets. I have also had 100% support from colleagues who know about it, which speaks volumes.
The worst part about it? I quit that job without notice, something that really wasn’t an option (yes, things were really that bad) and it wasn’t until the end of 2013 that, as I was going to bed, I realized that I hadn’t thought about walking away from that job once that day. I’ve been through cancer treatment in the meantime, and the emotional recovery from that was less traumatic than this was. (Other people have told me that they noticed the same thing for me.)
I have a little over three years to go to get to my SS retirement age. Rutgers doesn’t really have a retirement age, and I generally love most aspects of my job. But two years ago I ended up with septic shock and a subsequent heart attack. As a diabetic, my health is not what it used to be and I have even had to give up my federal banding master permit. I just do not have the strength to catch birds anymore.
My dad died at the age of 59. I have always felt so very bad for him that his “retirement” was due to the devastating effects of cancer and that he was not able to enjoy it. He should have been able to golf his heart away after a lifetime of working hard. I want to enjoy at least a little bit before I kick the bucket.
Honestly? I was about to turn 60 and my GF said, “You know, if we get married after you turn 60, my State retirement medical plan will cover you for $20 a month.” My previous wife had died several years before and I was also able to start drawing her benefits when I turned 60. Finally, my employer started telling me to ignore safety citations from the local Fire Marshal because they had contacts with the city and could “take care of it.”
I said, “Screw this.” I resigned, got married two days after I turned 60, and started a small company where I take on little bits of work when it interests me and pays well enough…but not so much that my SS payments are penalized.
I retired in December of 2014 at 55 years and 2 months age. I had 33 years and 2 months with the organization. I had a year and a half of sick leave I could apply. I had 4 years in the Marine Corp I could apply. So I went out with approximately 38 years 8 months towards CSRS. When I took away the gas money I spent and the lunches and breakfasts I bought, fast food of course I was almost break even.
I had a couple reasons to go. My wife that used to drive could no longer drive due to lowered vision. Both sons were out of the house so she was basically stuck home all day every day. That was a big reason. But one of the main reasons I retired at an early (relatively) age was because of all the freaking telecons I had to be on with upper management. We were so micro-managed it defies explanation. And every bit of the job by the craft was pretty much measurable. So even more micro-management. Emails from the District Office wanting to know why so and so was here or there for 8 minutes. This was a union workplace where short of theft, violence, or threats of violence nobody was ever fired.
We were supposed to confront (my word) these workers that in actuality were pretty good workers and ask why they were wherever for whatever amount of time. There was usually a legitimate reason. They knew they were being measured and tracked by gps. Our regional manager was a tyrant. Former jarhead like me but with a capital USMC.
To be honest our place was in pretty good shape and our numbers were almost always within budget. But we still had to dial in and listen to ranting and raving for hours of a day on a daily basis. I told both of my sons I felt sorry for them because they will be the most measured generation of a workforce ever. But it’s all they know so maybe it doesn’t grind them the way it did me.
Everything has become a number and a measure. I honestly get why they do what they do. But they never accept any human factor and as long as we’re still humans there will always be that factor. Once we become semi-androids maybe it won’t be so bad.
Sorry so long on first post but this question really interested me. I’ve been retired over 4 and a half years now and I stay unbelievably busy. I’m still in pretty good shape for a 59 year old and do a ton of outside work now. Help out my mother and stepdad quite a bit. Do pretty much everything for my 89 year old mother in law. We were watching my first granddaughter two days a week until this week when she started 3 year old preschool. We’ll start watching her new 2 month old brother two days a week in the middle of September. I wouldn’t have it any other way and consider myself so lucky to be retired at an age where I can help instead of needing help.
If he started in 1981 they should have been CSRS. I started in October of 81 and am under CSRS. When FERS rolled out in 1984 they offered it to us. One of my friends did all the math and told me he was sticking with CSRS. I told him I did ZERO math and was sticking with CSRS. My totally cynical viewpoint was they weren’t in the giving us something better ‘for us’ business. Lol.
I retired a couple of years ago at 63 from the Canadian Federal government, after 42 years. I could have retired on full pension after 35 years, but I enjoyed my work, had good co-workers and bosses and senior management who appreciated both what I was doing and my institutional knowledge, and I was deeply involved in a major long-term project that I wanted to see through to the end.
A couple of months after I pulled the plug, I was asked to come back as a consultant to work on another project at a different department, but one I had worked with a lot on the first project. I thought about it, but decided I didn’t need the money and was really enjoying not waking up to an alarm clock 5 days a week. Now all I work on are my hobbies and my wife’s projects.
I never thought we’d get to retire in our 60’s, but back in the day we got a financial planner, she cracked the whip for a decade or so, and here we are. One day we walked into her office and she said “I called you in because you should retire now.”
As an engineer, I’ve always had jobs that were both challenging, well-paying, and enjoyable. My last one was one of the best, but four months before my 65th birthday they decided to shut down the company - so I took my retirement at that time, immediately going on Social Security. Starting before my 65th birthday there was a small penalty, something like 2%, but the amount was so trivial that it had no bearing on my decision. And it didn’t affect my pension in the slightest.
I still remember that glorious day, way back in 1994. The processing of the employees (about 150 of us) was scheduled to begin alphabetically at 10:00 AM, but my standing at the company was such (not bragging here, honest!) that HR let me go first thru the process. I was out of there about 10:30. (Well, maybe bragging just a bit.)
Last year, 40 years to the date after walking in the door, I walked out. Between my pension and SS, I would be money ahead by leaving. Not to mention I had nearly a year’s pay in unused sick and vacation time as a parting gift. As a bonus, a former boss hired me to work part time from home for a consulting firm and I’m getting triple what SS would give me plus I can defer drawing it until I retire again. So it came down to losing money by staying or taking a hike. Easy call.
A confluence of the finances being good enough – and in four years I’ll have a monthly income about 50% more than my current take home – and new eldercare demands on my time. I think I’ve got things organized to let (make?) me keep working until March 20.
Oh, and I am so weary of my commute. A job just consumes so many goddam hours of doing stuff that I don’t really want to do.
Yeah, there’s nothing like being called into an unscheduled meeting in the middle of a project, handed a box, told to pack your personal belongings, and escorted out of the building to convince you it’s the right time to leave your job.
Thank Og I was lucky enough to marry a public school teacher with a guaranteed benefit pension 25 years earlier.
