Since 2020 my job has really gone downhill as a direct result of leadership changes. Older leadership retired and essentially a whole new generation moved in and have ruined the place.

I absolutely dread going to work as it is chock full of leadership making bad decisions based around bad priorities and not valuing their employees. I am a line level supervisor and make it a point to support my staff and ensure they are doing ok because I hate how my supervisors treat us. I do what is right by my staff because it is right, it is that simple.

I am ready for a change. I don't want to work for a large(ish) organization anymore. I'm just tired of the constant and over the top liability BS plus the state of CA is doing what it does and changing our industry, not for the better. I want out.

BUT.

I'm so close to being done. In 3 years and 10 months I can "retire" early, take a slightly penalized pension, and go do something else, somewhere else. Yes, that pension can be frozen, but then I can't access it for 10 years instead of 4 and it drastically changes the dynamics of what my next job looks like.

If I make it the next four years I can work part time doing what I want, or not doing anything most of the time, because we'll have the financial freedom to do so. If I don't make I need to immediately hop to a new career and stay in the daily grind for at least the next 10 years... soooo, I have substantial motivation to make it 4 more.

For those of you who have muddled threw work situations you hated, how did you do it?

It really depends on how much you can take and if they will keep you for the remaining 4 years. Is it possible that your employer could keep you for another 3 years and then lay you off before you get the early pension? I ask because that would really suck and is a risk that ought to be considered.


I believe in living well below my means and because of that income doesn't matter as much. Generally speaking about your scenario I would do the math, weigh it against the bullshit you know vs the bullshit you don't and go with the option that you think will lead to a happier, less stressful life.


Here's a spoiler alert: you probably aren't going to know if you made the right decision until you've made it and enough time has passed so go with the option that your gut tells you and adapt as necessary.


Just my 0.02

Before the job from which I retired I would say the longest I lasted at a job I no longer enjoyed was a year--at the most.

My last employment, from which I retired, it was more like two years. I stuck it out because it didn't make sense to move when I planned to retire shortly.

Then again: I didn't actually hate my last job, per se. I just didn't want to do it anymore. Even then: I still found occasional enjoyment in parts of it.

E.g.: About the time I announced my retirement date they decided to upgrade the business system from an archaic old ERP system to a shiny new MRP system. I spent a lot of time writing code to get the data exported from the old system, into a format suitable for import into the new.

It was challenging, thus fun. Particularly when I managed to export, wash, and re-format data our consultant on the old system couldn't be done

How old are you? I tried “retiring” early - so did my father.

Neither of us took it for long.

Dad managed it for a few years. I lasted about a year.

With that said, I do a variety of things, and the BS I deal with is of my own making/societal breakdown stuff.

3 years is a heartbeat and a half. It'll go so quick it's hardly worth contemplating a change in the interim. It'll take you half of that time (or more) to strengthen/refresh you resume, search, find, interview, repeat until you find the right gig, debate an offer, accept and give and serve the notice.

quote:

Originally posted by Hildur:
It really depends on how much you can take and if they will keep you for the remaining 4 years. Is it possible that your employer could keep you for another 3 years and then lay you off before you get the early pension? I ask because that would really suck and is a risk that ought to be considered.


I believe in living well below my means and because of that income doesn't matter as much. Generally speaking about your scenario I would do the math, weigh it against the bullshit you know vs the bullshit you don't and go with the option that you think will lead to a happier, less stressful life.


Here's a spoiler alert: you probably aren't going to know if you made the right decision until you've made it and enough time has passed so go with the option that your gut tells you and adapt as necessary.


Just my 0.02

Being laid off isn't a concern. We are a protected by an union of sorts so there are specific procedures, based on seniority, in place for lay offs should they occur. I have more than enough seniority to be safe even in the most dire of economic times.

I could always be fired for cause, I suppose, but that would take a screw up of horrendous proportions on my part. Really, it would take felony level violations of law. Not a concern, really.

The math matters indeed... Unfortunately I think the math dictates I find a way to power through because it would buy so much freedom in four "short" years.

I love my job. I hate my bosses. It’s been over 10 years that my job has gone down hill. I am fortunate that my wife works with me and makes it bearable. I’m finally retiring in August after the worst 5 years of my working life.
Hold on until you can retire and live a decent life. I hope you can stand it long enough to live your best life.

Five years.

Cost me my marriage.

Stick out the 3 years. Its sad to say but just stop caring. I mean literally go into work with the attitude of I dont give a fuck. Do your job and not an ounce more. As long as that ship floats for another 3 years, ride it out. Do the absolute minimum required for your job and nothing more. Dont take your work home with you.

quote:

Originally posted by Aglifter:
How old are you? I tried “retiring” early - so did my father.

Neither of us took it for long.

Dad managed it for a few years. I lasted about a year.

With that said, I do a variety of things, and the BS I deal with is of my own making/societal breakdown stuff.

I call it retirement only because that is what it is, technically, not because I plan to be retired. I'll just revert back to working in a capacity, for myself, doing something I enjoy. Mixed with a healthy amount of producing our own food and such.

quote:

Originally posted by thumperfbc:

BUT.

I'm so close to being done. In 3 years and 10 months I can "retire" early, take a slightly penalized pension, and go do something else, somewhere else. Yes, that pension can be frozen, but then I can't access it for 10 years instead of 4 and it drastically changes the dynamics of what my next job looks like.

If I make it the next four years I can work part time doing what I want, or not doing anything most of the time, because we'll have the financial freedom to do so. If I don't make I need to immediately hop to a new career and stay in the daily grind for at least the next 10 years... soooo, I have substantial motivation to make it 4 more.

I think that's your answer right there. You are making a long term investment by sacrificing for 4 years. Just make the most of your free time, don't give them any of your free time and learn to decompress.

Make the most out of vacations and weekends and even spend a little more to compensate for the crud during the week. Eat at better restaurants and spoil yourself a little bit to make up for misery during the day.

quote:

Older leadership retired and essentially a whole new generation moved in and have ruined the place.

This is VERY common. Spans many industries as well. You could very well go somewhere else and it would suck too. Might even be worse. The grass may be greener where you are.

remember you can generally only quit once, so do so wisely.

28 years and counting.
I didnt always HATE it, but it just keeps getting worse.

As others have said, stick out the 3 years and 10 months.

If you really want to work after retirement, have something lined up ahead of time. My friend and coworker retired at 55 with 31 years experience, but didn't have something else lined up despite wanting to work 7 more years. He thought, he'd take a couple months off, start interviewing, and then be back working O&G within 6 months. Instead, he's had a hell of a time finding something despite getting tons of interviews - they either want to a pay him like someone with 10 years experience or they're going with someone much less experienced.

quote:

I am a line level supervisor and make it a point to support my staff and ensure they are doing ok because I hate how my supervisors treat us. I do what is right by my staff because it is right, it is that simple.

I'd focus on this.

Three years. Both direct supervisor and upper management were about equally to blame.

The final straw was less than two weeks before I turned 65. The second annual meeting designed to promote employee enthusiasm. The year before it was scheduled during the regular workday, seven hours of blowing smoke up one’s ass by chants,cheers. Listening to the owners bragging how they started from nothing, being told that experience was nothing, they wanted enthusiastic people and if we weren’t that we would be found out and dealt with. Really. Inspiring the troops, way to go.

Second year, my last, over 1k of us were told it was now to be held on a Saturday, mandatory attendance, no excuses. I had an appointment for a abscessed tooth I had to cancel. We were told it was a three hour meeting in a convention hall. This time again it ran seven hours, no break. And again the same script as the year before down to the rants about showing enthusiasm.
The facility served lunch at noon, pizza, but they didn’t let anyone partake until well after four.
At that point had been wavering to myself if I really wanted to give notice and take SS.

Like the meme of the guy with his hand on his forehead “Ahh geez, not this shit again!”, exactly how I felt to myself. Several,coworkers and I went to a bar next step. There I told them “Can’t do anymore of this shit, Monday I’m turning in my notice” which I did.

My first job out of college was great for almost 2 years, then it went really bad. But I was stuck because my wife was in grad school. My employer knew it and thus knew they could pretty much do what they wanted to me because there were no other employment options in my field in that area.

So I would say 3 years of utterly hating every moment of every day at work, plus the Sunday dread that would set in knowing that tomorrow was Monday.

I had no realistic choice to leave.

First my question to you would be what does your family say about all this? If you are a miserable SOB all the time at home because of your bad job situation, they might prefer to go elsewhere. Or, they may be excited by the prospect of early retirement in 4 years and the freedom for you to be doing the part time thing.

My next question is whether there would be a different position you could take within the company? Even if there were a small pay cut it might be worth the tradeoffs.

If you hate the job with every fiber of your body, quit. It isn't worth your health and your relationships. The older you get the more dead people you know, and that will start to make an impression on you, too.

But I agree with the general sentiment of others here that you should probably find a way to disconnect emotionally and keep working until you get the retirement.

For me it was 9 years on the job I hated before I could retire at 67. Been off the job for 5 years don’t miss it at all.

Back in my very early days ... two weeks or less. Once I found a job I love, I stayed for nearly 40 years.

About 14 months after I realized I was unhappy.

Like a lot of people I lost my job in early 2020 and found a new one in May after realizing my old job wasn’t coming back anytime soon. I knew I hated it within a few weeks. The management was full of people who had no clue what they were doing. Not all of them were dumb or lazy, some were, but others were just unqualified for the job. I worked there for 15 total months and I have so many stories of incompetence and issues that you’d think I worked there 15 years. I really didn’t have much choice though so I stuck it out.

Thankfully my old job did come back and I was able to transition back to it. Still, I am grateful for the job as I needed it but I really hope I never have to go back to a situation like that.

I have 3.5 years left to finish my 30yr corrections career. I am physically beat up and mentally burned out. But as others have said 3 and a half years is a blip. Then I can get another job {hopefully making as much or more) and I will be in a good place. Work 8 more years and retire at 65. Hoping my health stays good so I can enjoy some retirement!!!

Going on 17 years now, and it gets worse every year.

But in a way, they have kind of broken me finally this year and I just don't care so much anymore, so that has been a bit freeing.