Pulled the trigger and notified the benefits department

QuietByNature

QuietByNature

New Member
Location
Ontario, Canada
I have been with the company 25+ years and have decided to retire early at 61, Jan. 2nd 2026 will be my last day. I will take a hit on my pension, that has added stress and anxiety.
I want to get out while I still have my health (well most of it) ;)

Our benefits department needs 3 months advanced notice to start the process of my pension.
I have a meeting setup next Tuesday to drop the bomb on my boss, not sure how she will take it. But I have thought long and hard about this and it is the time for me to get out.

Since my former boss retired 16 months ago, things have not been the same and I feel that the environment is no longer a happy one.
Work has become more stressful, something I do not need in my life, Got enough already.
 

QuietByNature said:
I have been with the company 25+ years and have decided to retire early
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QuietByNature said:
Since my former boss retired 16 months ago, things have not been the same and I feel that the environment is no longer a happy one.
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Much of what you wrote sounds like a post I could have written, since I went through the same thing. I left and never looked back. Wishing you well.
 
QuietByNature said:
I have been with the company 25+ years and have decided to retire early at 61, Jan. 2nd 2026 will be my last day. I will take a hit on my pension, that has added stress and anxiety.
I want to get out while I still have my health (well most of it) ;)

Our benefits department needs 3 months advanced notice to start the process of my pension.
I have a meeting setup next Tuesday to drop the bomb on my boss, not sure how she will take it. But I have thought long and hard about this and it is the time for me to get out.

Since my former boss retired 16 months ago, things have not been the same and I feel that the environment is no longer a happy one.
Work has become more stressful, something I do not need in my life, Got enough already.
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Go for it !! I retired at 58 and, if I last, I'll be 92 in December. Nothing much we can do about our health. It is what it is. My advice, (if you can handle it financially) - - - take the money and run!

Good luck to you, whatever your choice.
 
DaveA said:
Go for it !! I retired at 58 and, if I last, I'll be 92 in December. Nothing much we can do about our health. It is what it is. My advice, (if you can handle it financially) - - - take the money and run!

Good luck to you, whatever your choice.
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92, nice. Neither of my parents lived past 80 so if I've got their genes. 😜
I look at like this, when money runs out, I've 2 choices.
Sell my home and move further from the big city where homes are half the price and have some cash. Or reverse mortgage.
 
Retire. The following day, all the BS, all the seemingly critically important tasks, the office drama, will be somebody else's problem.

I found after 2 weeks that I retired, I was ready to go back to work only because I would take 2 weeks off, and it was time to go back. Did that for 30 some years. Then I told myself, "Wait you're retired! You don't have to do that anymore.

Retire, you know when you're ready and if this is the time, do it.
 
robordon said:
Retire. The following day, all the BS, all the seemingly critically important tasks, the office drama, will be somebody else's problem.

I found after 2 weeks that I retired, I was ready to go back to work only because I would take 2 weeks off, and it was time to go back. Did that for 30 some years. Then I told myself, "Wait you're retired! You don't have to do that anymore.

Retire, you know when you're ready and if this is the time, do it.
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Thanks for the pep. :) Exactly the way I look at it, once I walk out the door, I will not be looking back.

My wife has my time planned out :rolleyes: One of her friends (73 yr old) has me lined up for most of February to paint and fix odds and ends in her home and she has other friends that need things done.

The joys of being a Jack of most trades, master of none :D

One thing my POPs taught me was to swing a hammer LOL, he taught me a lot to do with home repair and maintenance. I have been doing my own for the past 40+ yrs
 
QuietByNature said:
Thank you, I will move forward and never look back. I just have to get through telling my boss next week. 🥺
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I can't resist answering this, then I'll leave things alone.
Telling my "boss" I was leaving was one of the most pleasurable experiences of my career. But, in contrast to her usual rudeness, she was very gracious. Before I left, she organized a retirement luncheon for the whole department and presented me with a very nice wrist watch which I still wear today. So, hopefully you may likewise be pleasantlly surprised.
 
MACKTEXAS said:
I can't resist answering this, then I'll leave things alone.
Telling my "boss" I was leaving was one of the most pleasurable experiences of my career. But, in contrast to her usual rudeness, she was very gracious. Before I left, she organized a retirement luncheon for the whole department and presented me with a very nice wrist watch which I still wear today. So, hopefully you may likewise be pleasantlly surprised.
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They will be in a deep hole once I'm gone, no one else is as knowledgeable as I (manager of IT Operation for the past 23 years). But won't be my problem.
They gave me a brochure to go through for my 25 years of service, I picked out a nice Garmin health tracker watch and took me out for lunch. This was just 3 weeks ago.
I will be asking her to keep it quiet, I don't want or need a big send off, If I can, I will give them the good ole Irish Goodbye :sneaky:. I truly would hate that and not show up if they did. Just my social anxiety will not allow me to go out to a restaurant :D
 
MACKTEXAS said:
I can't resist answering this, then I'll leave things alone.
Telling my "boss" I was leaving was one of the most pleasurable experiences of my career. But, in contrast to her usual rudeness, she was very gracious. Before I left, she organized a retirement luncheon for the whole department and presented me with a very nice wrist watch which I still wear today. So, hopefully you may likewise be pleasantlly surprised.
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My husband had the same experience. They gave him a very welcoming farewell . He got $75 per year of service and he was there 28 years ( $2,025 ) so he purchased a new bandsaw. The one I bought him way back in 1990 was falling apart so he bought a much superior brand which is what he wanted.
They had food catered to the plant cafeteria which included a big white cake. They had a huge card with everyone’s name on it which totalled hundreds of people. Everyone was very kind to him. He quit close to his 56TH birthday.
 
PeppermintPatty said:
My husband had the same experience. They gave him a very welcoming farewell . He got $75 per year of service and he was there 28 years ( $2,025 ) so he purchased a new bandsaw. The one I bought him way back in 1990 was falling apart so he bought a much superior brand which is what he wanted.
They had food catered to the plant cafeteria which included a big white cake. They had a huge card with everyone’s name on it which totalled hundreds of people. Everyone was very kind to him. He quit close to his 56TH birthday.
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Such a nice story - thanks for telling us. Wow, he was really young.
 
I think many of us retirees were aprehensive to pull the trigger, even if you hate your job there's still uncertainty what retired life will be.

I was 57 when I stopped working, partly do to selling our business and partly do to some health issues. I fully intended to do something else professionally but after not working for a bit I discovered I never wanted to work again, my life suddenly had become stress free. The other thing is I was pleasantly surprised that retirement was less exspensive than I anticipated, but it helps if you go into it debt free as I did.

Don't fret about giving your notice, you'll probably be smiling as you leave your bosses office! Good luck to you!
 
C50 said:
I think many of us retirees were aprehensive to pull the trigger, even if you hate your job there's still uncertainty what retired life will be.

I was 57 when I stopped working, partly do to selling our business and partly do to some health issues. I fully intended to do something else professionally but after not working for a bit I discovered I never wanted to work again, my life suddenly had become stress free. The other thing is I was pleasantly surprised that retirement was less exspensive than I anticipated, but it helps if you go into it debt free as I did.

Don't fret about giving your notice, you'll probably be smiling as you leave your bosses office! Good luck to you!
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Thanks for the insight.
I was going to retire at 60 but the amount that gets deducted from the company pension for each year prior to 65 is 4%, that was a big hit.
So 61 it is :D , i am debt free, own my home outright, just the monthly bills. Which just seem to be rising almost monthly. If the time ever comes and I can not afford to stay. I have though to sell and move closer to my grandkids, homes are cheaper there and that would give me a bit of a nest egg.

My notice will be given over a virtual meeting, she is in another province. :)
 
The only thing that got me was that I was a podunk civilian once the door closed behind me. No more creds, the access I had to all manner of things, the position, was gone. I didn't dwell on it, got lots of memories and it was time but still you're used to certain things.
 

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