After reading all the input, I’m going to wait until after 3/1. I expect I won’t get walked. I’ve never given them a reason to do that. And I’ve seen several folks retire over the years. Usually their groups give them a lunch or something before they depart. Plus apparently policy is giving some small bonus (like $500) for some reason.
Anyway, I’ll wait a little longer before saying anything.
1poorguy (weird retiring as my portfolio diminishes, but I knew the market could/would fluctuate…hopefully this isn’t a long bear like in the 70s)
I’m dealing with the same question, but I work in the nonprofit sector and stock options aren’t a consideration.
For me, it’s a matter of advancing a retirement planned for June 2023 to June of this year or perhaps sooner. I was 70 on my last birthday so no one will question retirement, and if the MRD age hadn’t been increased I would already have planned to retire this year.
It’s normal in my field to give about six months of notice, because hiring is usually from a national pool of applicants who are tied to contracts. In this case, I’m pretty sure, however, that they will try to hire someone local, with no particular qualifications (I have a graduate degree in the field). The work environment has turned toxic and dangerous to me, and I’m not sure that I can survive until June, so I’m looking at February 28.
"For me, it’s a matter of advancing a retirement planned for June 2023 to June of this year or perhaps sooner. I was 70 on my last birthday so no one will question retirement, and if the MRD age hadn’t been increased I would already have planned to retire this year.
It’s normal in my field to give about six months of notice, because hiring is usually from a national pool of applicants who are tied to contracts. In this case, I’m pretty sure, however, that they will try to hire someone local, with no particular qualifications (I have a graduate degree in the field). The work environment has turned toxic and dangerous to me, and I’m not sure that I can survive until June, so I’m looking at February 28. "
Couple of points -
Normal to give 6 months notice. What would the employer give you as far as notice of layoffs?
You are 70 - you are OK to retire whenever you please
Hiring a replacement. You can always tell the powers that be that you are willing to come
back to help train a replacement - for a suitable fee or stipend.
Toxic or dangerous work environment - enough said even if the view is not shared by anyone else
suffering through the problems.
February is an absolutely wonderful time to retire. January is OK too. March is known for making
transitions to retired life a good process. April works well for stopping work. May is known to be
truly a growing time for retired folks. June allows you to enter retirement in a warming time.
July - well what can be wrong about retiring in mid-summer? August is especially heart-warming for
retiring. September gets the fall-off from work-a-day life off to a rousing start. October lets
you take a good close look at just how colorful retirement can be. November is pretty snazzy
across the board. And December lets you fully appreciate winter in all it’s glory without
worrying about getting called into work on icy or snow-covered streets.
Howie52
I heartily recommend retired life - just in case you had any doubts
Normal to give 6 months notice. What would the employer give you as far as notice of layoffs?
A layoff is the one thing that would never happen. It didn’t happen during the pandemic cashflow crunch in 2020, even though I recommended it.
Might as well make it January 28.
You have a point. I would certainly give a full pay period (half a month) of notice, but I have that much vacation time to use during the period of notice.
The work environment has turned toxic and dangerous to me, and I’m not sure that I can survive until June, so I’m looking at February 28.
I’m always curious just exactly what this means when I read such comments. What is toxic? What is dangerous?
I’m sure there are reasons behind such comments and understand everyone has a hurt button that can get pushed, but I’m always curious just how dramatic words such as dangerous and toxic get used to describe a situation.
I’m sure there are reasons behind such comments and understand everyone has a hurt button that can get pushed, but I’m always curious just how dramatic words such as dangerous and toxic get used to describe a situation.
To be precise, the bad behavior of the volunteer leaders is triggering PTSD from a worse job 20+ years ago.
To be precise, the bad behavior of the volunteer leaders is triggering PTSD from a worse job 20+ years ago.
Sounds like time to take some paid sick leave. When that runs out, you can decide to take vacation, or just quit. The accrued vacation time should be paid out in $.
I don’t know much about etiquette, but I have always felt like I should give my employer all the respect and consideration that they give me regarding retirement timing and notice. If they have a history of being ruthless and walking people out as soon as notice is given, then don’t give them a second’s notice until you are ready to walk out. If they always work with employees to allow them to train replacements and transition to retirement, then work with them to accomplish that.
I suppose if the details of how you leave impact co-workers that you care about, you need to consider that too. But it isn’t your job to protect your co-workers.
I’m always curious just exactly what this means when I read such comments. What is toxic? What is dangerous?
The temporary office location we had at Motorola was across the hall from one of the semiconductor operations. That operation used cyanide (!!) and it had an alarm system in case any cyanide gas was detected. They tested that system once a week. Very loud with flashing red lights and sirens.
The first time they tested it, we all ran outside.
After awhile people started ignoring the alarm, and stayed at their desk working.
Not me. I always scooted outside and stayed there until the alarms stopped.
I’m sure there are reasons behind such comments and understand everyone has a hurt button that can get pushed, but I’m always curious just how dramatic words such as dangerous and toxic get used to describe a situation.
To be precise, the bad behavior of the volunteer leaders is triggering PTSD from a worse job 20+ years ago.
Thanks for clarifying. Sounds like you have options to remove yourself from the triggers that includes what you mentioned in your previous post about regarding moving up your retirement date.
In the meantime…
Have these volunteer leaders that are involved in bad behavior been reported for their bad behavior and the triggers it is causing? Is there an HR department at your nonprofit?
The accrued vacation time should be paid out in $.
Depends on the rules about vacation time for both the employer and the state. Not all states require that vacation time be paid, and in those states that don’t, not all employers do so.
It might drive you to drink. It might have you returning home after work ready to tear your spouses head off and scream at the kids. It might require therapy to get over it.
How can it be dangerous?
Along with all the ways that OSHA might imagine, it might lead to you getting arrested.
As a manager, I’d appreciate a heads up in the manner of: “Hey, just so you know, I’m seriously thinking about retiring sometime this year.” That at least puts it on my radar. I don’t care about the actual date until we’re ready to lock it in with HR, but some advance notice so I can plan projects without getting blindsided by unexpected attrition. That said, I like to think of myself as an easygoing manager. The relationship with my employees is that we could discuss plans for someone’s planned departure without anyone’s feelings getting hurt or asking security to escort someone out of the building.
+1
As a manager, most of the people who have retired from my team have let me know their general intention at least 18 months in advance. The actual date is typically planned ~60 days out. It seems to work well for both sides. No one gets walked out and I can plan/hire a replacement without being a time crunch. Everyone has left on good terms with the door being open both ways to coming back part-time and/or as a contractor.
"How can work, or a work place, be toxic? … How can it be dangerous? "
Quite a few industrial facilities handle dangerous materials routinely - and you see adverts
from lawyers concerning different long-term exposure issues fairly frequently. Handling
insulation, mercury compounds, poisons, and so on literally can make an environment toxic and
dangerous. A portion of my career was spent in haz-op reviews - and there was never a shortage
of potential problems
In other cases, the location of a business or charity can be in dangerous areas. There was a
“hospital” for the criminally insane, as well as two prisons nearby one facility and the
“alarm tests” for “escapes” were a routine upset - competing between the three for
grabbing the most attention.
And there is also the potential for co-workers to be quite alarming as well - sometimes
because of history or attitude or whatever. Bosses can make a position untenable - sometimes
without trying.
Sounds familiar, I was one of the first employees of a new semiconductor foundry being brought online, the first 6 months evacuation alarms went off regularly. We were supposed to exit and run upwind which was almost always impossible because we were fenced in. On the Apollo program we had a fire with caustic chemicals on the craft. Same rules, run up wind but somehow the two wind socks were pointing different directions, two streams of people running different directions all yelling at the others “wrong way”. Engineering can be interesting but not always perfectly safe. Another time a group of coworkers were accidently overexposed to radiation.
Back to the original “how much notice should I give”? I’ll go with 38Packerds -it all depends on your individual situation. I’ve been in toxic situations where they would arbitrarily walk someone out the door with no notice and aware of a place where everyone worked together to the point of sharing the workload of a dying coworker.
My company doesn’t pay it out. Use it or lose it. They’ll refund any ESPP or other funds that have not been used yet (e.g. we have two ESPP purchases per year), but sick leave and vacation time are forfeit for exempt employees. Hourly time-card workers do get the pay-out, however.
I have worked in semiconductors for 28 years. We had a fab on-site (since closed due to age). Yes, we had drills (required by the fire department), and also actual alarms. When that alarm tripped, you left. Nasty, nasty stuff in that fab. I very quickly got in the habit of having my wallet and car keys with me at all times, because if I was in the lab and the alarm tripped, I couldn’t go back to my desk. It was straight out the nearest exit. But if I had my keys and wallet, after being “counted” (to make sure everyone got out), I could go grab something to eat. In one case, I just went home because the FD said we weren’t going back inside for many hours.