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Post by billbott on Jan 4, 2024 23:12:08 GMT 1
Is the text message I got from my pal this morning. As of the 2nd January, I have agreed a new contract which basically means less hours. So now instead of finishing at 12:45pm every Friday I finish at 12:45 on Thursday meaning a long weekend every week. In July last year while on holiday I got numerous phone calls from work mithering about various jobs and got absolutely sick of it so turned my phone off. Agreed with my wife that I’d give in my notice when we got back and take a job that’s less aggro and closer to home. So that’s what I did and ended up (after hours of meetings with the director) to stay on with reduced hours and a promise of no mither, particularly when I’m away…. So I’m hoping life is going to be a little easier. I’m usually out at 5:45am and home after 6pm most nights except Friday, so I hope I’ve now got a better work life balance. Plus a promise to ramp up recruitment to get my replacement… Let’s see how long it all lasts…
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Post by donkeychomp on Jan 4, 2024 23:23:09 GMT 1
Good. Sounds like they need you more than you need them. Always an advantage!
Alex
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Post by JonW on Jan 4, 2024 23:28:24 GMT 1
Good news Bill, I hope this works out for you mate.
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Post by veg on Jan 5, 2024 0:04:52 GMT 1
Bill a good boss is a rarity. Enjoy your new found freedom no doubt you’ll quickly fill it. 👍
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Post by Tobyjugs on Jan 5, 2024 4:24:20 GMT 1
That sounds good. Good luck with the new rules and like you mentioned, I hope they don't forget the agreement.
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Post by dusty350 on Jan 5, 2024 7:58:03 GMT 1
Sounds good, life is too short anyway, so the more you own of it the better ! I retired once - I need to do it again
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Post by urbantangleweed on Jan 5, 2024 8:29:07 GMT 1
Sounds good to me too I actually did something very similar 2 years ago. I decided to leave after being there 25 years and (long story short) following discussions with the Directors, we came to a new arrangement. Like you, I was sceptical if it was the right thing to do, but it has actually worked out very well for us both and I hope yours does too.
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Post by cb250g5 on Jan 5, 2024 8:48:45 GMT 1
Retire as soon as possible, would be my advice, did it in my early 50's, never looked back, we only get 1 go at this.
My boss was a real t**t though. Drove me on way too hard. Shouldn't really complain, I had my own company.
My brother died at 51, made me re-evaluate things.
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Post by midlifecrisisrd on Jan 5, 2024 10:16:35 GMT 1
Great news Bill
I'm in a big dilemma myself
Been with my work over 30 years now but buy outs over the years have watered down the terms and the area I cover has got bigger. It's not a high stress or pressure job but I just can't be arsed with it anymore. Sitting at home just now waiting on them coming to fit the telematics in my car the t**ts want now
55 in April so can access pensions and dare say I could earn some pocket money bike work wise but it's the thought of handing my notice in and the easy monthly pay stopping
Doubt my lot would allow hours reduction, 3 days would be nice
Good on you Bill, wish I had the balls
Steve
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Post by 4l04ever on Jan 5, 2024 11:14:11 GMT 1
Great news Bill I'm in a big dilemma myself Been with my work over 30 years now but buy outs over the years have watered down the terms and the area I cover has got bigger. It's not a high stress or pressure job but I just can't be arsed with it anymore. Sitting at home just now waiting on them coming to fit the telematics in my car the t**ts want now 55 in April so can access pensions and dare say I could earn some pocket money bike work wise but it's the thought of handing my notice in and the easy monthly pay stopping Doubt my lot would allow hours reduction, 3 days would be nice Good on you Bill, wish I had the balls Steve If you don't ask, you don't get! :-)
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Post by muttsnuts on Jan 5, 2024 11:30:37 GMT 1
make the most of it, we aren't getting any younger, we are born dying ...............I tell my kids that, they just give me a sideways look ! I retired in 2007, then it all got very odd and now I am running my own business and working silly hours, but dropped down to 5 days a week in Sept last year and slowing reducing my hours, once my wife drops another day from her work then I'll be dropping another day I am 60 next, been drawing my pension for the last 4yrs and it makes life easier, the bike business means I get to do what I love (most of the time anyway), but costs have risen massively recently and now I have to clear £29k/yr before I make any money, so I am working to pay others, so that is playing a large part in my thinking and planning........... I'll always do bikes and stuff, just depends if its as a full time business, or just going back to being a hobby..........
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red998
Drag-strip hero
Posts: 211
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Post by red998 on Jan 5, 2024 11:51:41 GMT 1
I retired in 2013 after 41 years working for a government agency. As I was a high grade, and at one time, was the highest paid member of a large area team due to working on detached duty and having all my expenses paid. In the end, I was effectively forced out as it was cheaper to recruit a new person and pay them less money and they wanted to reduce staff.
Having said all that I have never missed work or the aggravation that went with it, plus the endless travelling I had to do.
Work-life balance is very important and if you get the chance to retire take it as long as you can survive comfortably on the income you have as that makes all the difference. Luckily I got a lump sum and a decent pension which is index-linked. I view myself as one of the lucky ones as I have seen a few people over the years literally work themselves to death and get no reward whatsoever, in some cases, they never even got to draw a single penny of their hard-earned pension.
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Post by shaunthe2nd on Jan 5, 2024 12:07:24 GMT 1
I dropped to a 4 day week a year ago and was best thing I did. I hardly notice the drop in salary, and having paid off my mortgage a few years back, its not that important anyway. For a reduction of 20% on my working week I get a 50% increase in my weekend, so a great trade off.
It would be difficult to drop to a 3 day week as the projects I get involved in don't stop, and it gets difficult to control and would be more stressful constantly catching up. A 4 day work week is manageable.
I plan doing it for 1 or 2 more years, then retire fully.
I hope things work out for you Bill, but if you don't ask nor try it, you never know. Good luck. Shaun.
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Post by arrow on Jan 5, 2024 12:38:14 GMT 1
Great move, I went part-time 5 years ago with the same company. I only work two nights a week now. That's 17.5 hours a week.
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Post by billbott on Jan 5, 2024 15:43:31 GMT 1
Thanks for all the comments. Yesterday afternoon, I was home at 1:30 without having to battle the traffic. We had lunch then a walk to a friends for a brew and then I had a couple of hours in the garage after tea. This morning, I lay in until 7:45am, had a leisurely breakfast while trawling eBay for more crap I don’t need, then we have just returned from an 8 mile hike over Darwen moor and a sneaky lunch at a pub afterwards. And I still have a full weekend ahead of me. My mental well being is definitely going to improve.
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Post by billbott on Jan 5, 2024 15:44:48 GMT 1
I dropped to a 4 day week a year ago and was best thing I did. I hardly notice the drop in salary, and having paid off my mortgage a few years back, its not that important anyway. For a reduction of 20% on my working week I get a 50% increase in my weekend, so a great trade off. It would be difficult to drop to a 3 day week as the projects I get involved in don't stop, and it gets difficult to control and would be more stressful constantly catching up. A 4 day work week is manageable. I plan doing it for 1 or 2 more years, then retire fully. I hope things work out for you Bill, but if you don't ask nor try it, you never know. Good luck. Shaun. Shaun, Think this just about sums up where I am now. Again, thanks.
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Post by arrow on Jan 5, 2024 16:09:55 GMT 1
We have lots of people at work now in their early twenties. God knows how they will get on as the state pension age keeps rising. Plus of course, they'll get all the ailments that we now have.
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Post by sbscnor on Jan 5, 2024 16:35:19 GMT 1
I was 64 in Dec, and been thinking about throwing the towel in for 18 months my big worry is I like a bit of structure to my life. I was offered 4 day week but I commute a fair distance and it wouldn't be worth it. Its interesting and heart warming to see others have taken reduced hours or retired and it's making me think harder about jacking in the work thing. I just need to bite the bullet I suppose.
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Post by lcmarky on Jan 5, 2024 17:50:02 GMT 1
I am freewheeling now to retirement and have been in work for 40 years this August..
Keep meaning to register my little engineering company that'll keep me entertained!
My wife says I can retire now if I stop spending money on bikes which kind of killed the conversation..
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Post by veg on Jan 5, 2024 18:14:15 GMT 1
Can’t really afford to retire at the moment and actually don’t want to retire. I absolutely love my job. However I’m self employed so work as much as I want to and always make sure I have plenty of time off. I’m lucky in I’ve the best of both worlds.
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Post by 4l04ever on Jan 5, 2024 18:59:20 GMT 1
I work in a school for 3.5 days a week. Get to finish as 12:40 on Thursdays and have Fridays off, so 3.5 days work and 3.5 days off, and I get 13 weeks holiday. I have just been told I am being given 2 extra days holiday. :-)
This is pretty good work/life balance and get the 6 weeks holiday in summer to ride my bikes.
Luckily my mortgage is paid off and I have income from a 2nd property, so have enough to pay the bills.
Since I left my full time IT job 4 years ago, I have had more time for my bikes and have ended up with newer bikes, so no negatives really.
Another school has asked me to help them out, but I just go for an hour or two every few weeks, which is nice to have a change, and I get paid so not too bad.
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Post by chrisg on Jan 5, 2024 19:27:17 GMT 1
That sounds like a good move. Be careful not to slowly move back into more and more hours, its very easily done. Many company's take advantage of this, completely out of order.
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red998
Drag-strip hero
Posts: 211
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Post by red998 on Jan 6, 2024 9:45:46 GMT 1
I was 64 in Dec, and been thinking about throwing the towel in for 18 months my big worry is I like a bit of structure to my life. I was offered 4 day week but I commute a fair distance and it wouldn't be worth it. Its interesting and heart warming to see others have taken reduced hours or retired and it's making me think harder about jacking in the work thing. I just need to bite the bullet I suppose. If you can afford it and you can do it then don't think about it, just do it. You only get one life and the freedom and time you could potentially gain will be excellent for your overall welbeing.
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Post by liffy16 on Jan 6, 2024 10:42:47 GMT 1
Well I'm 55 in March got two years left on my mortgage which will be life changing for me,never earnt big money shop floor cnc machinist! so realistically for me retirement seems along way off,Not really enjoying my job at all,would really like to retire soon as possible!seems a lot on here are in a better financially position to retire early
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Post by Robbieben on Jan 6, 2024 11:09:07 GMT 1
I'm 58 and work 60 hrs every week, love my job but have considered doing less hours as I get older. I've no mortgage these days so little to be a concern. I've a decent pension to look forward to at 60 so that may well be when I chuck the towel in and enjoy more time for bike restoration and repairs which alongside work I usually spend 15 or so hours on evenings and 10 hrs or so at weekends doing now and can make a nice little income on those hours. I need to be busy
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Post by billbott on Jan 6, 2024 11:49:18 GMT 1
My wife retired four years ago (at 51) on a good pension with a decent lump sum. The mortgage also finished around the same time (we had always geared it to do so) She could have stayed on for another few years as a contractor but her parents were ailing so she finished and became their carer. So me working 6-6 didn’t really work anymore, especially in the winter when she was spending hours waiting for me to get home….
In my trade (engineering) there are no youngsters coming through so I seem to be in a decent position (based on there being nobody else) hence the great offer!
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Post by lcmarky on Jan 6, 2024 14:10:18 GMT 1
In my trade (engineering) there are no youngsters coming through so I seem to be in a decent position (based on there being nobody else) hence the great offer! This is so true. Whilst I've been in sales ~30 years now I'm the only person in my peers EU wide really that has an engineering background.
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Post by billbott on Jan 6, 2024 15:03:06 GMT 1
In my trade (engineering) there are no youngsters coming through so I seem to be in a decent position (based on there being nobody else) hence the great offer! This is so true. Whilst I've been in sales ~30 years now I'm the only person in my peers EU wide really that has an engineering background. Remember the shortage of plumbers situation a few years ago? Think engineers are heading the same way. We will be in demand when we reach state retirement age 😂😂😂
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Post by midlifecrisisrd on Jan 6, 2024 15:33:21 GMT 1
It's the same with every trade
I'm a time served spark which was the qualification I needed when I started as an engineer with the chemical company I work for. Since moved onto another role but always handy
Now our engineers don't need to be qualified. Being competent is enough now which means you've been trained on how to do a specific task
Problems happen when something other than the norm comes up and they are stuck. Can't read a wiring diagram or work out a circuit
Even the young guy that fitted my smart meters wasn't a spark, had simply "done a course"
Steve 🙄
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Post by hollo on Jan 6, 2024 16:26:18 GMT 1
I moved to a 4 day working week a couple of years ago now - it was the best thing I ever did . I'm 55 and we just paid the mortgage off , so working my money out I've got the same nett salary ,so it was a no brainer . 3 day weekends are just perfect and I could not imagine going back to working a 5 day week . I've been at the same company for 37 years , and they are making noises about cost cutting , so the next few months could be interesting. I'd love to pack work in and be a man of leisure , but I would not be able to afford going without an income.
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