Moderating:
This is MPSIMP, not the pit. You can disagree with a post, but please don’t make it personal. And this is about Bosda’s plans, not about Paul.
True story. I knew a man who was a VP at CN Rail. At some point, he found out that, on average, retirees from CN died less than two years after they retired. He was determined to do something about that. So he convinced the board of CN to institute a program whereby every one who was getting to retirement age be given one day off every week to pursue some other activity. It could be remunerative, but could also be just something that interested them, some avocation like bird-watching. But they had to do it and report on it. After the policy was instituted, the average life span after retirement increased dramatically.
For me, what I did after retirement was to continue do research in mathematics, publish, and help edit a journal. It is hard to believe but when the ball drops in Times Square in three days, I will be able to look back on 22 years of retirement.
I retired a year and a half ago at 56. I still wake up every morning thankful that I am so blessed and privileged. I didn’t hate my job and there was much about it that I enjoyed but it was very time consuming and stressful. I miss a few of my co-worker friends but I don’t miss working at all. Ever.
My love and passion is live music. It’s also what I have in common with most of my friends. Since things started opening back up in April, I have been to nearly 80 concerts so I have a very active social life and am perfectly fine screwing around on the internet, taking Pilates classes and riding my bike (mostly the internet thing) between shows.
No kids, no spouse (anymore), a couple of casual girlfriends. I don’t get bored.
Dismissal = NO PENSION in TN State Government.
so, no.
Too soon for SS.
And it really is time to go.
Not a dismissal/firing but a buyout for leaving early. Some places do this since a long tenured employee can sometimes be replaced with a cheaper new employee. This probably isn’t available for Tennessee State employees but it’s possible.
You can start taking SS at 62. For some situations it’s best to take it right away and in some you should wait a few years to get the max payout. This depends on your spending rate and how much you have in savings among other things.
Have you looked at the state websites for other government jobs that you might want to do for a few years? It might be easier to transfer to another government job than find a job in the commercial sector. (On the other hand, right now, many, many companies are really short handed, so you might just find that you get a better-paying job fairly quickly.)
I hear you. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. Like I said, good luck…and wish it was my time! I still have a few more years before I can throw in the towel and hopefully never do anything remotely technical again!
I loved teaching (college), but damn, was it emotionally taxing.
Like having a hostile student (tweaking on meth) that told the class that he hated every one of them. Oh, and the Dean said I couldn’t kick him out of class, and that the school wouldn’t do anything until Kid Rock Junior™ took a swing at me…
Although the interminable bureaucracy was just as bad.
But the biggest difference is I can now turn my mind off occasionally. While teaching, I’d be taking a walk and catch myself constructing a lecture and taking pictures of stuff to show the class.
The Governor has frozen transfers for years.
That’s part of why I am retiring.
Say “nice try boss” and don’t use him as a reference. Ask a coworker or a different manager to give you a reference, in writing. All HR can do is confirm you were employed there for __ years.
Boss may be trying to keep you in your position at your pay level so s/he doesn’t have to train a new person. But no one needs that kind of abuse. Still, think on the job you have done over the years and write down accomplishments now, before you go. They are harder to remember once you are gone and you may need these examples for job interviews.
I did the same.
I do not know what your field of expertise is, but generally, there are lots of opportunities to consult for ex-Government officials. I am making now twice what I did.
Hit LinkedIn, ask your bosses for recs, network like crazy.
It is nice having the check to fall back on, even if (like mine) not quite big enough.
Do you qualify for UC?
Good luck.
That depends - there are an awful lot of government employees ( possibly most) who will not have any opportunities to consult. Like the person at DMV who issues learner’s permits, or someone who determines eligibility for unemployment benefits or mail clerks.
@bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor , are you certain that all transfers are shut down? I’m a government employee ( in a different state) and while there have been various hiring policies imposed from on high, it’s hard for me to imagine the governor’s office caring whether someone transfers from one work location to another or one bureau/unit/department to another within the same agency.
Got no network.
27 years at the same job, in a tiny, isolated office & many of them in a photo dark room.
Transfers–all are indeed shut down.
It’s a common budget tool in Tennessee State Gov, & many Administrations use it.
One good option would be if you could get a job that qualified you for a different/additional pension. Maybe the federal gov’t. Or a municipal entity that didn’t pay into the same state program. VERY common among gov’t employees in these parts.
Does your pension entitle you to continued health bens?
Sounds like you really dislike your current job, but what makes you think you will dislike any other job you can get less? I don’t know what your job security/protections are, but at your age, it might be worth just sticking in with the devil you know for a few more years. Might make enough of an emotional difference if you simply viewed it as a paycheck, rather than something that provided you any satisfaction, etc.
Does your pension entitle you to continued health bens?
Yes!
You have no friends? Club members? Church members?
Start one.
Wow, now THAT is a good benefit. Mine doesn’t (you can opt-in, but it costs a good chunk to do so if you stay on the state’s health plan).