It's Official, but different

[NotBudule2]

You're gonna need a bigger hose. ?

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[MountainGoat]

It's sad how the contractor thing has evolved and I watched it happen in my younger years. When I started working the temp thing was in full swing. You get hired as a temp, but the legal limit was 1 year. So you'd get layed off after a year. Then they changed it to two years, then they changed it to forever as in "contractor".

They also changed the language to muddy the waters. So "employee" and "temp" all became "team members" and since temps aren't actually hired they combined "hired" and "contracted" into "onboarded". 4 words become 2...reminds me how the dictionary always got smaller instead of bigger in 1984.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

You bet we are and enjoying every minute. Now that you bring it up, I think I'll go out and mow my lawn. ?

I break up the lawn mowing into a couple of days, front gets done on monday, back gets done on wednesday.

Can't be getting to much sun . . . plus it annoys the neighbors that I don't do it all at once. . .

 

[Friday yet?]

Thanks all for the well wishes. I will be fine financially, but still a bit apprehensive about it. I've got a decent sum in 401k, a small pension from an old company and will sign up for SS probably starting in 2024.

Here is a corporate FU story for you, I'll keep it short, but it's so much longer than there is space to type it. A friend started with a big company right out of high school when he was 18 yo. Worked there 30 years. Promises of a full pension, blah blah blah. At the age of 48, the company was sold and they cut off pension payouts at age 50. He was less than 2 years away to qualify. He worked at the new company for several years until they showed him the door, probably because he made too much money.

Think about your friends story. This is a perfect example of why people started "going postal" at work. Sad, but true. Sure we can say they have issues or need help or whatever that caused them to blow back on the employer. But at the end of the day how about we try having a company NOT treat employees, and their related financial well being, like a complete worthless piece of shit?

 

[Jhbryaniv]

Think about your friends story. This is a perfect example of why people started "going postal" at work. Sad, but true. Sure we can say they have issues or need help or whatever that caused them to blow back on the employer. But at the end of the day how about we try having a company NOT treat employees, and their related financial well being, like a complete worthless piece of shit?

It is also why there is no loyalty to employers anymore.

I have friends I graduated with that have tripled their salary in ~ 5 years just by hopping company to company.

They would get hired at a startup, get some connections and move to a larger company. eventually they were working for the big names (tesla, spacex, apple, google etc).

I do not think we will ever go back to a time when employers valued employees as anything other than task doers.

The horror stories you read on LinkedIn about employees working their asses off for companies, sacrificing for the company only to be let go due to "cost savings" are heart breaking many times. One of the stories (Y'all may have heard it before this is a brief summary) the guy was working at tesla, was a floor manager or something worked so many hours he would just sleep in his car in the parking lot because it didn't make sense for him to drive home because he needed that extra little bit of sleep. left shift one night, when he arrived a few hours later his badge no longer worked and the security guard is the one who told him he was laid off.

My next job will be for the benefits, not the pay. . . I need a company that gets good discounts on outdoor gear and allows me access to their machine shop and welding equipment. . . LOL

 

[vanapagan]

My company recently made a change. They 'sold' nearly the entire IT group to what I call a Body Shop. Meaning, they made a deal with the devil to move 500 people, give or take, to a 3rd party, and we all now work as contractors for the original company. The new company is in the biz to provide 'bodies' for hire, and the old company decided it was best to expense the cost of the employees instead of have them (us) as overhead.

I just turned 62, so I said F that noise. I needed to stay on for 6 weeks with the new company to get my insurance for some 'stuff'. But, today, I officially told my manager (from the old company) in a private call, of my intention to tender my resignation in 2 weeks. I gave her the heads up as a courtesy, because she's been awesome.

So, this is it. In a month, (2 weeks, plus my 2 week notice) then I'll be retired.

Wow.

I think I am fast approaching your predicament. I'm 62 years old too.

I work for a joint venture (JV) inside of a larger company, which just got bought by another company. Our JV made over $260 million in revenue last year. We are a 275 person JV. We cleared approximately $500k per employee after taxes. New overlords took all the profits. We wanted to keep back $1.2 million to retool and fortify our systems. New masters said No! New company wanted that money for the planned IPO next year to look good.

We were lucky if we got a 2% raise, most of us got 1.6% too. The bonuses were humiliating. The kick in the balls now is that raises and bonuses go into a pool that is paid out semi-annually. Basically they are using the investment banker model for compensation. We're not in the financial services realm. It's just another gimmick for the new company to use the interest float on the employees money. Best part, if you quit or get laid off you don't get what is in the raise and bonus pool!

Add to the fact that the new company is also deep into the DEI stuff and my department has been called "the three old men who keep the lights on."

Motivation here has gone to zero. We're all practicing what the Chinese call: Laying Flat. We're mailing it in, doing the minimal required. Why bust a gut for a raise that you probably will never see.

The lousy job market is keeping most of us at my company stationary. Besides, who wants to hire a 62 year old, in my case?

My favorite saying at work is: Keep giving me yet another reason to retire.

I figure I am safe for about a year since the technology I specialize in, I am the only one in the company who knows it and to get a contractor or new hire will cost them more than to keep me around.

I figure by 63 I will be done and ready for retirement. I'm on my wife's medical and she's 18 months older than I am. She's going to retire as soon as her employer forces her on the Medicare and then I will need to dole out money for my own plan until I can qualify for Medicare.

I might try the contracting route once things here are done and over but I've been there and done that in my career. I don't relish being the equivalent of a high tech day laborer that most companies seem to think consulting is.

To quote the Jim Coffey character from the Green Mile: I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. I'm tired of never having me a buddy to be with, to tell me where we's going to or coming from, or why. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it - it's like pieces of glass in my head, all the time. Can you understand?

 

[Sardog]

I still have a few years. On our river cruise we were the youngest couple. We kept getting asked if we were retired or what we did for a living. We had a great conversation with an older couple and the guy gave us some sage advice. Don't retire from something, retire to something. Meaning plan for what you want to do in retirement. And then told us about a friend who spends his retirement doing practically nothing but a lot of TV watching. That won't be me.

I would say that they gave you great advice. I retired from the military and had the initial plan of just being a house dad. That lasted about 6 months before I was going stir crazy and had to go back and get a new job for my mental sanity. I will say that the new job is nice in that I don't need it, so the mental aspect of being able to leave whenever I want is a nice change.

 

[Chris M]

I think I am fast approaching your predicament. I'm 62 years old too.

I work for a joint venture (JV) inside of a larger company, which just got bought by another company. Our JV made over $260 million in revenue last year. We are a 275 person JV. We cleared approximately $500k per employee after taxes. New overlords took all the profits. We wanted to keep back $1.2 million to retool and fortify our systems. New masters said No! New company wanted that money for the planned IPO next year to look good.

We were lucky if we got a 2% raise, most of us got 1.6% too. The bonuses were humiliating. The kick in the balls now is that raises and bonuses go into a pool that is paid out semi-annually. Basically they are using the investment banker model for compensation. We're not in the financial services realm. It's just another gimmick for the new company to use the interest float on the employees money. Best part, if you quit or get laid off you don't get what is in the raise and bonus pool!

Add to the fact that the new company is also deep into the DEI stuff and my department has been called "the three old men who keep the lights on."

Motivation here has gone to zero. We're all practicing what the Chinese call: Laying Flat. We're mailing it in, doing the minimal required. Why bust a gut for a raise that you probably will never see.

The lousy job market is keeping most of us at my company stationary. Besides, who wants to hire a 62 year old, in my case?

My favorite saying at work is: Keep giving me yet another reason to retire.

I figure I am safe for about a year since the technology I specialize in, I am the only one in the company who knows it and to get a contractor or new hire will cost them more than to keep me around.

I figure by 63 I will be done and ready for retirement. I'm on my wife's medical and she's 18 months older than I am. She's going to retire as soon as her employer forces her on the Medicare and then I will need to dole out money for my own plan until I can qualify for Medicare.

I might try the contracting route once things here are done and over but I've been there and done that in my career. I don't relish being the equivalent of a high tech day laborer that most companies seem to think consulting is.

To quote the Jim Coffey character from the Green Mile: I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. I'm tired of never having me a buddy to be with, to tell me where we's going to or coming from, or why. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it - it's like pieces of glass in my head, all the time. Can you understand?

I understand being tired in my head all too well. I'm ready to go now.

Green Mile was an excellent movie, I thought.

 

[Friday yet?]

there is no loyalty to employers anymore.

+1!!!!!

As to "job hopping," totally agree.. Hands down the best raises that I have ever had in my entire career were due to changing employers. My motto is, "Don't hate the player. Hate the game."

I would tell any young person in the working world today, "NLT 5 years from now you'd better have found something at another company offering more money. If not you'd better do some serious self evaluation as to what you are doing wrong."

30 years and a gold watch to go with your pension is in the history books.
We drones may not make the rules, but we can damn sure use them to our advantage.

At my age I've been riding this one out for a while. And enduring the non-stop corporate boondoggle. When you reach a certain point, you've got to balance job shifts with potential age discrimination very carefully. If I was 15 years younger? My ass would have been gone from my current gig. Greased lightning gone.

 

[got3fords]

It is also why there is no loyalty to employers anymore.

I have friends I graduated with that have tripled their salary in ~ 5 years just by hopping company to company.

They would get hired at a startup, get some connections and move to a larger company. eventually they were working for the big names (tesla, spacex, apple, google etc).

I do not think we will ever go back to a time when employers valued employees as anything other than task doers.

Well I must be an exception. I am working for the best employer I have ever worked for. Yearly bonuses have typically been awesome. We have a very flat management system, very little micro-managing. The phd's always keep their doors open so you can walk right in if you have questions. You are given your goals and expected to complete them on time, without being bugged about them every hour.
We have weekly catered breakfast, catered lunch every other week, company parties every few months.
Employees are very involved in hiring, which helps root out people who may not fit in. We have very little turn over. We have probably the best health care plan in the state.
You don't need approval when you need time off, you just put it on the company calendar. Shit, sounds like I am bragging! But I do hope to retire here.

 

[bobobama]

I had the early retirement surprise a little while ago - different circumstances but the timing was against the original plan. All worked out and I sure hope it does for you Tom.

Pretty soon, you’ll be wondering what the heck day of the week it is. All the best in retirement!

Everyday is Saturday!

 

[Friday yet?]

I think I am fast approaching your predicament. I'm 62 years old too.

I work for a joint venture (JV) inside of a larger company, which just got bought by another company. Our JV made over $260 million in revenue last year. We are a 275 person JV. We cleared approximately $500k per employee after taxes. New overlords took all the profits. We wanted to keep back $1.2 million to retool and fortify our systems. New masters said No! New company wanted that money for the planned IPO next year to look good.

We were lucky if we got a 2% raise, most of us got 1.6% too. The bonuses were humiliating. The kick in the balls now is that raises and bonuses go into a pool that is paid out semi-annually. Basically they are using the investment banker model for compensation. We're not in the financial services realm. It's just another gimmick for the new company to use the interest float on the employees money. Best part, if you quit or get laid off you don't get what is in the raise and bonus pool!

Add to the fact that the new company is also deep into the DEI stuff and my department has been called "the three old men who keep the lights on."

Motivation here has gone to zero. We're all practicing what the Chinese call: Laying Flat. We're mailing it in, doing the minimal required. Why bust a gut for a raise that you probably will never see.

The lousy job market is keeping most of us at my company stationary. Besides, who wants to hire a 62 year old, in my case?

My favorite saying at work is: Keep giving me yet another reason to retire.

I figure I am safe for about a year since the technology I specialize in, I am the only one in the company who knows it and to get a contractor or new hire will cost them more than to keep me around.

I figure by 63 I will be done and ready for retirement. I'm on my wife's medical and she's 18 months older than I am. She's going to retire as soon as her employer forces her on the Medicare and then I will need to dole out money for my own plan until I can qualify for Medicare.

I might try the contracting route once things here are done and over but I've been there and done that in my career. I don't relish being the equivalent of a high tech day laborer that most companies seem to think consulting is.

To quote the Jim Coffey character from the Green Mile: I'm tired, boss. Tired of bein' on the road, lonely as a sparrow in the rain. I'm tired of never having me a buddy to be with, to tell me where we's going to or coming from, or why. Mostly, I'm tired of people being ugly to each other. I'm tired of all the pain I feel and hear in the world every day. There's too much of it - it's like pieces of glass in my head, all the time. Can you understand?

While the details vary between all of us, well said for so many of us in our individual situations. So very well said.

 

[Friday yet?]

Everyday is Saturday!

You suck.

 

[Jhbryaniv]

Well I must be an exception. I am working for the best employer I have ever worked for. Yearly bonuses have typically been awesome. We have a very flat management system, very little micro-managing. The phd's always keep their doors open so you can walk right in if you have questions. You are given your goals and expected to complete them on time, without being bugged about them every hour.
We have weekly catered breakfast, catered lunch every other week, company parties every few months.
Employees are very involved in hiring, which helps root out people who may not fit in. We have very little turn over. We have probably the best health care plan in the state.
You don't need approval when you need time off, you just put it on the company calendar. Shit, sounds like I am bragging! But I do hope to retire here.

I would guess so.

It sounds like you work in a professional environment that cares about it's employees, not job that values share holder returns over employee satisfaction . . .

 

[MXGOLF]

Congratulations Tom! I am jealous! I am 67+ and need the extra SS to make ends meet when I do retire at 70 . I have been under paid and over worked the last 30 years with the same company but do like what I do. Not very many people work for the same company that long anymore. I sure can't wait until September 16, 2026 when I can finally say every day is Saturday!!! I have younger friends who are retired and am sure jealous. Enjoy your retirement!

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