Quitting my job

[KenECoyote]

(Long story.)

So today is my last day at work. My work history has been punctuated with many great times mixed with horrible times dealing with selfish and dishonest people.

At my previous job, the short of it is that I complained about unfair treatment and my manager then gave me a bad review afterwards (I had been doing great for years) and so I escalated and at one point my HR rep sided with me, but then they moved him and next thing I know I was fired!

Luckily, unemployment sided with me saying they couldn't find evidence that I did anything wrong and I got unemployment benefits.

It was the first time in my adult life that I've ever been unemployed. It was also THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE!

Throughout my work life I always sacrificed my utmost for work and the company. The stress at times was horrible and insane. Now I had time for myself and I managed to do some bucket list items that were EPIC!

Months before the benefits would end, I found another job that paid much better and it was with a great team!

Unfortunately within a year everyone except for the VP (who seemed to be the reason) left within a window of a few weeks, leaving me as the sole person doing the work of the whole team (3 who were at higher levels than myself)!

Because the VP only knew sales, this was a huge burden put on me, so I asked for a raise and promotion and I got it.

Then last year, during our yearly review, the VP gave me a rating of "Average" after I single handedly saved his business! I was not happy. I then said I was resigning and this was just as we were getting a massive amount of new work.

He pleaded with me to stay, offering me more money. I said it wasn't about the money, but that would be appreciated and I agreed to stay. He mentioned more money again later on. Weeks later I asked him about the money and he said "What money?" and "Oh, I can't do that!" (which was untrue... there are retention bonuses).

By now he had hired others (all at or above me and mostly sales), so he was no longer in a bind if I left. I was extremely annoyed, but I bided my time.

Next thing I know, my new company was partnering and merging with the company I was fired from! WTH LOL

So I've been saving for early retirement for many years and have managed to save plenty enough to choose when...

Currently our systems are moving over to the other company and it's been a complete nightmare.

Additionally, next month we're scheduled to have a complete redo of all our data and will need to resend years of weekly data to all our clients (absolutely massive amount of work).

So two weeks ago I gave them my two weeks notice.

As a parting shot to the jerks at both companies, I posted this on the company wide internal social media page where everyone can see it and vote on it...

Karma can be a bitch. Lol

 

[fyrwrxz]

Oh, buddy! I can only wish you the best in your endeavors and know that in the great balance of things in the Universe, you have credit at the Karma store. Peace in your head, heart, and hearth. Straight smoke and good chutes! Some day on the playa, my friend. It is good thing you never let the bastards poison your heart. Kudos to you. You've got your spine. I'm toasting you with an Orange Crush. I know you know. Peace.

 

[cavecentral]

HR has one purpose. Protecting the company from the employees. You neither want to be the reporter nor the reportee. Both are flagged to go next round of layoffs.

 

[Bill S]

It sounds like you were the sucker, bailing them out of the consequences of their bad decisions. I think I would have been out the door with the rest of the new team, leaving the VP in the lurch to face the music. Then they compounded it by showing zero loyalty to you.

Funny how employers show no loyalty, but expect it from employees.

 

[OzHybrid]

Always good when you eventually get out of a bad situation.

 

[kelltym88]

Good for you! I left my previous job of nearly 38 years for similar reasons, basically I got tired of working for an unappreciative little tyrant. While I couldn't retire, I was able to get a job in the same industry where I am able to work from home. It's truly been a blessing. And it pushed me to get my contractors license.

Enjoy your retirement!

 

[Cl(VII)]

Sorry it was as a reaction to crappy treatment/circumstances, but congrats on early retirement.

 

[K3LAG]

Congrats Ken!

 

[darrenf]

Congrats on retirement. I'm jealous.

 

[cerving]

Good luck to you!

I was "retired" from my old job after 38 years, they decided that they wanted to replace me with the IT service company that they were paying almost 1M a year for hosting and ERP support services. I saw the writing on the wall and contacted them six months earlier... they were more than happy to get me on board, working from home, and making what I was making before. So, I was never unemployed, and I got paid in advance for the rest of the year as a severance package (over 60 they do not want you coming back at them and claiming age discrimination.) Best thing that ever happened to me work-wise... working from home makes it 10x easier to keep Eggtimer Rocketry going.

 

[Rocket-Fan]

Congrats man!

 

[Art Upton]

Enjoy the Peace Ken

 

[Hobie1dog]

I worked at 2 Fortune 500 company companies that told me that my grandkids would retire there as well. I got laid off from both of them one was a corporate restructure and the other one having the Cold War end. I disliked work as life is too short to work the majority of it.

 

[KenECoyote]

Thanks everyone! Your well wishes and support is very much appreciated!

 

[OverTheTop]

Enjoy the next phase of your life Ken. More time for rockets now!

 

[Donnager]

HR has one purpose. Protecting the company from the employees. You neither want to be the reporter nor the reportee. Both are flagged to go next round of layoffs.

All of the corporate HR folks at my company (Fortune high) were attorneys.
An attorney in the HR department is not there to help you.

 

[Antares JS]

Throughout my work life I always sacrificed my utmost for work and the company.

My advice to people is to never do this unless you are COMPLETELY CERTAIN the company will reciprocate with extra pay, extra time off, and/or help when you need it. I like my job well enough, but it is not my life and has no right to encroach on my life for more than 80 hours per two-week pay period. If your employer has a problem with that, it's time to get a new employer.

That said, happy retirement and I hope it works out for you.

 

[Donnager]

I quit corporate work and bought a contracting/manufacturing business.

All the time I made money for the company I worked for, I got a few 15-30K bonuses, but that did not compare to what I did, and how much money I made for the company.

So, I left.

Job security is an illusion. If you think you have it, but you aren't in control, you don't.

 

[Pappy]

let me know if you need a fishing rig, i got plenty. i recently discovered that you can buy used fishing stuff on ebay. who knew? anyway, my magical thinking hat tells me that the universe didn't want you doin' that gig, so on to another purpose. maybe rock star? it could happen. you miss every shot you don't take. i told that to wayne gretzky once, at a bar in st. johns. he's a good listener.

 

[bjphoenix]

My advice to people is to never do this unless you are COMPLETELY CERTAIN the company will reciprocate with extra pay, extra time off, and/or help when you need it. I like my job well enough, but it is not my life and has no right to encroach on my life for more than 80 hours per two-week pay period. If your employer has a problem with that, it's time to get a new employer.

I was in a very competitive field and I wanted to get ahead so I always felt like I had to work hard and go above and beyond. I'm sure I did more than I had to, maybe I did the wrong things. There were plenty of times when I worked 80+ hours, in one week. And I'm still working, well beyond when I should have stopped.

 

[Hobie1dog]

And I'm still working, well beyond when I should have stopped.

STOP WORKING, life is way too short to work up until the day you die, and the longer you work, it can happen just like that. They will watch you fall flat on the floor and not be able to get back up and then your life will never be the same.

 

[MidOH]

Flip side of that coin, many die when they retire.

My step dad stroked out days after he retired. Barely survived. Should have kept working.

 

[RiffD]

Enjoy the retirement! Sounds like it was well earned.

 

[RiffD]

Flip side of that coin, many die when they retire.

My step dad stroked out days after he retired. Barely survived. Should have kept working.

Reminds me of once reading that Navy Chiefs tended to die within 5 years of retirement. Considering that a number of them retire around the age of 40 it was startling.

 

[RiffD]

Flip side of that coin, many die when they retire.

My step dad stroked out days after he retired. Barely survived. Should have kept working.

Reminds me of once reading that Navy Chiefs tended to die within 5 years of retirement. Considering that a number of them retire around the age of 40 it was startling.

 

[MidOH]

You have to keep your mind going. If you retire because you're tired, or hate life, you're doomed.

Get an RV and travel. At least you guys have hobbies.

But the "retired man of leisure", golf, drink, and acting classy, guys, don't stand a chance.

 

[KenECoyote]

You have to keep your mind going. If you retire because you're tired, or hate life, you're doomed.

Get an RV and travel. At least you guys have hobbies.

But the "retired man of leisure", golf, drink, and acting classy, guys, don't stand a chance.

"Couch retirement" is a dangerous thing!

I'm a crazy mix of leisure, chores, exercise and hobbies. If anything I get stressed out over not having enough time to do everything I plan to do or would like to do in a given day.

Also while I worked like a madman to always meet deadlines, as a teen I was a handball bum and played for a few years while my friends worked.

 

[NOLA_BAR]

You have to keep your mind going. If you retire because you're tired, or hate life, you're doomed.

Get an RV and travel. At least you guys have hobbies.

But the "retired man of leisure", golf, drink, and acting classy, guys, don't stand a chance.

Yes you need to stay active in life. Both my mom and in-laws are active in church stuff, grandkid events, casino trips with friends etc. The grandkid stuff is probably the most beneficial. My wife and I pretty much sacrificed any meaningful career opportunities to keep our son close to family.

 

[Pappy]

i would like to offer the idea that any person with children is never retired, as there is great purpose in being wholly available for family, and even friends. employment gets in the way of many important things. the tale that stopping work is what killed a guy is hard for me to accept. it's far more likely that it's the crazy, self-immolating dedication to the work that did the damage, not the stopping. it was just too late to heal. f* working to fulfill someone else's dream to own 6 boats or get elected or whatever else motivates the greedy and unfulfilled to work 'the small people' to death.

 

[KenECoyote]

I didn't mention it earlier, but my daughter is part of my reason for the timing of my retirement. She had been living close to her alma mater and her lease was up. She graduated last year, but couldn't find full time work in her area of study (Food Science) despite graduating from Cornell with honors.

She's also on the spectrum (socially awkward), so I told her to come home and try searching for work in our area (closer to NYC) and I would help her any way I can.

We've also been having a ton of fun doing father-daughter stuff this week such as: driving lessons, movies, shopping, rifle range (She's a sharpshooter!), helping me with some chores, etc. This is really what enjoying life is to me.