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I Wasn't Really Planning This, But . . .

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angelfj1

angelfj1

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I wasn’t really planning this , but as of today I am retired from my position at Eaton. After a review of the 1st quarter results, all of the bean counters had to change their skivvies. :smirk: This resulted in a rather large bloodletting. (It should be noted that no bean counters were amongst the fallen) There have been significant “adjustments” during the past six quarters, but most of the people that were affected were said to be dead wood or fat. Can you imagine referring to a person in those terms? However, this time they cut deep into the muscle. That included yours truly. Fortunately I have enough service to swing a severance package. Not what I wanted, but a lot better than many people. I really thought that when I woke up this morning I would feel different. I didn’t feel different at all, but rather than turn left at the end of the hallway into my home office, I decided to turn right, down the stairs and into my workshop. Lots of TR stuff to do! Gee. I wonder what I will do tomorrow?

Lessons Learned:

If your between the age of 55 and 65, <span style="font-weight: bold">watch your back </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold">NEVER</span> trust an HR person.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Accountants</span> aka bean counters - a person who knows the price of everything and the <span style="font-weight: bold">VALUE of NOTHING</span>. :madder:
 
Frank,

Been there and had it done to our small rep firm about 5 years ago, after 45 years of being on top of the sales ladder (successful sales guys are the biggest targets for bean counters). With your skills, you'll be better off once you adjust and enjoy the summer. Just think of all the HR jerks that are looking over their shoulders now.

Chin up, work on the car, drive it hard and enjoy the summer. You'd be surprised what can show up when you start to look without pressure.
 
Sleep late, enjoy reading your paper with your morning coffee, make an appointment with the Social Security office about filing to begin on your 62nd birthday - & enjoy life!
 
So sorry about your job. It is not fun.... how do I know?
I am going through it myself. Worked to build up the Boston/New England territory then wham.... "we can take it from here"
Over the last year (yes, that long!) I have worked on my car at times, and at other times wanted to work on the car but felt too guilty to do it.
Still looking but the age thing is not helping. Keep your spirits up!
 
Hi, Frank - I'm very sorry to hear that. I hope it all works out well for you, and in the meantime enjoy the time off... :cheers:

Larry
(just turned 60 and 9 months left on current contract with my company????)
 
Frank,
Sorry to hear that you were retired rather than you chose to retire. I am glad I was able to leave on my won terms, but I am also happier as a retiree that was the last years of employment. Relax, enjoy coffee on the porch on a sunny day, take a week day drive, go see a matinee at the local movie theater, and much more. In the evening, watch the Phillies and drink a scotch or a beer.
I walked out of my career a few days short of age 55, and even having lost a chunk of my IRA, I have not regrets. I find that I am doing what I want to do 95% of the time, and the rest of the time I am mowing the lawn or weeding, so I would have been doing that anyway. Today I gave a tour at America On Wheels, worked on my slot car layout, and took my wife to ballroom dance classes. It was another fun day without pressures.

Relax, and what should happen will happen.

PS: I am glad I did not follow up on my accounting degree or you would hate me... :whistle:
 
angelfj said:
I wasn’t really planning this , but as of today I am retired from my position at Eaton. After a review of the 1st quarter results, all of the bean counters had to change their skivvies. :smirk: This resulted in a rather large bloodletting. (It should be noted that no bean counters were amongst the fallen) There have been significant “adjustments” during the past six quarters, but most of the people that were affected were said to be dead wood or fat. Can you imagine referring to a person in those terms? However, this time they cut deep into the muscle. That included yours truly. Fortunately I have enough service to swing a severance package. Not what I wanted, but a lot better than many people. I really thought that when I woke up this morning I would feel different. I didn’t feel different at all, but rather than turn left at the end of the hallway into my home office, I decided to turn right, down the stairs and into my workshop. Lots of TR stuff to do! Gee. I wonder what I will do tomorrow?

Lessons Learned:

If your between the age of 55 and 65, <span style="font-weight: bold">watch your back </span>and <span style="font-weight: bold">NEVER</span> trust an HR person.

<span style="font-weight: bold">Accountants</span> aka bean counters - a person who knows the price of everything and the <span style="font-weight: bold">VALUE of NOTHING</span>.
Click to expand...

I'm sorry to hear this news, but sure glad you were in a position to swing a severance package.
 
Bummer Frank. Companies wonder why there is a lack of employee loyalty these days.
 
Frank:
Been there, done that, and got the T-shirt. Worked for a call center for over 5 years, was one of the highest performing coaches (first like supervisor). Come to work one day, and got the ax out of no where. Said I was "generating too much HR traffic." Didn't even give me a severance package. Keep your chin up, and take advantage of the "down time."
 
Sorry to hear it, Frank!
 
Hey, I was a bean counter! Note that I said "was"...

When I saw things changing in ways that made me uncomfortable, we started paying off charge cards and cleared the mortgage on the house. Four years later I left, that was five years ago. At first I thought things would be difficult financially, but now, although I have less coming in, I have less going out, and more in my pocket.

The only problem I have is putting off things until tomorrow. Live is good.
 
angelfj:
Never fear, I can say this because:
I was working in Corpus, Christi Texas while my family {and my home} is here in Utah. If it hadn`t been for a LESS THAN TOLERABLE boss in Texas I would still be employed. Instead I choose to early retire at age 56, at first I was worried financially But as it turns out I actually have more money available for personal use than ever before due to not having to pay utility's, rent and food in Texas.
I know this may not be the case for you, but my point is: Now I wonder how it was I found the time for a job! Secondly, how I tolerated my former boss without doing something drastic of which i`m sure would have gotten me terminated.
Retirement is a GOD SEND! I have not regretted one second of my retirement at all!
I have time to do at my leisure what I want to do when I want to do it with a few exceptions eg. household breakdowns ect.
I have time for myself!
I did at first get a part time job {4 Hrs a day}. After about a month of that nonsense I decided even that was too much B.S. to put up with, the paydays from the P.T. job was MY PLAY MONEY to do with as I saw fit too!
But the pressure from another production minded leader wanting more and more each and every day just wasn`t my CUPPA! So I walked in the shop one Monday and told him to find someone else to fill my production quotas that I was "DRAGGING UP" {welders terminoligy for moving on} and never looked back!
SO Hang in there play it by ear, things have a way of falling into place!
 
the lad said:
Lessons Learned:

If your between the age of 55 and 65, watch your back and NEVER trust an HR person.
Click to expand...

Boy-O-boy, Fank... That was a lesson learnt waaay back-when. Sometime around 1968...

I ain't admonishin' ya! It's just that it seems to have been comin' for some time. And for ALL of us!

Th' two things I seem to find necessary:

Keep yer head and yer sense of humor. All else is superfluous.
 
Frank-

Very sorry to hear about that - I just ducked a round we had at our company about a month ago. With my bad back, I'm not sure I am going to be able to duck much more. I do agree with the others, things have a way of working out so don't look back - you've already have figured out the best therapy - I expect to see much more frequent postings about the progress with Grey Lady in the future.

Randy
 
Frank, sorry to hear it. But it doesn't always go according to their plan. I was a programmer at a large facility which was part of a large international corporation several years ago. They did the downsizing thing and I was promoted to plant supervisor. No one asked or told me, it was simply posted on a bulletin board. I made a plan and a few months later I resigned. They were shocked and wondered how I could think of leaving such a fine company and what was I going to do. I told them I was going to go home.
 
tomshobby said:
Frank, sorry to hear it. But it doesn't always go according to their plan. I was a programmer at a large facility which was part of a large international corporation several years ago. They did the downsizing thing and I was promoted to plant supervisor. No one asked or told me, it was simply posted on a bulletin board. I made a plan and a few months later I resigned. They were shocked and wondered how I could think of leaving such a fine company and what was I going to do. I told them I was going to go home.
Click to expand...

Good for you Tommy.

This reminds me of a true story. As a child they say I was very precocious. As I got older some have said that I developed an attitude. I don’t know why, maybe because I grew up in a rough neighborhood and learned real fast how to take care of myself.

One of my first jobs during college was on a highway construction crew. This was very hard work but good pay, like $6.50/hr in 1966. This job paid half of my tuition and eventually my first TR. I did not get along with the boss because I felt that he had favorites. One day I had just enough of this crap and walked over to him and told him that I was quitting! We happened to short-handed that day. He said, “You can’t quit”. “We are short-handed today and I have a quota to meet”. I remember saying to him, “do you understand the principal of perspective?” He didn’t like wise - *ss college students. He said, whadda you mean, “perspective”.

I said, “I quit” “I’m leaving now” “Watch me walk down the road” "The further away I walk, the smaller I’ll get” “That’s perspective”
:madder:
 
It seems to be a trait "set"! LBC ownership, relatively independent thinking, strong self-reliance... with some inner need to know precisely how things work; from mechanical systems or computers to corporations. Leadership "qualities" but with the attitude that someone else can have THAT job.

Another anecdote: A close friend was a purchasing agent for a multi-national construction outfit (bridges, mostly), great pay but an impossible one-person job. Was called into her boss's office one day and told: "I don't mean to put you on the hook..." Her immediate response was: "The only reason I'm here is there was an empty place on th' hook to start with. I'm done!" She went into banking.

Keep strong, stay principled, press on... and maintain that "Overview" thing. :wink:
 
Well said Doc. Thanks for the dose of reality.
 
I'm really just here for th' milk 'n cookies, Elliot. :jester:
 
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