Have you handed in your notice or
 

Have you ever handed in your notice to leave/retire from your job or taken voluntary redundancy? I'm not asking if you left to take up another role but only if you left with nothing to go to.

I took voluntary redundancy and no regrets. Was a bit stressed between my application to leave and being the green light in case they turned me down. I had nothing to go to, left on a Tuesday, saw a job on Wednesday, applied on Thursday and interview on Friday.

My wife has had enough and has handed in her notice. She is relived to have handed it in and now is counting down the days. She has nothing to go to.

How did you feel?

macafee2

If it's got to the point where it's that bad that the only sensible option is to leave/retire/take redundancy then that's the right decision.

Staying can and probably will destroy you mentally.

When you sign on the dotted line it's a very happy, liberating feeling with a twinge of apprehension thrown in.

Hope it all works out for the future.

Andy.

I took the EVR aka early voluntary redundancy from the Royal Mail after 20 years service. Best thing I did as I was fed up with commuting into Central London every day. Spent 13 years with the next local company before getting made redundant. Worked for another local company before taking early retirement to look after my late wife.

Been retired 11 years now.

The closest I got to this was being fired. They were justified, and I could have even 'lied' and got out of it. I was having issues mentally/stress, and struggled with time keeping etc. They did do their best, and the manager even had tears in his eyes, and choked as he said the words 'you are summarily dismissed'. Up to that point, he was telling me what he wanted to hear! But I told him, that I had always been upfront and honest with them, and wasnt going to lie now. I wanted to leave, but had nothing to go to, he didnt want me to go though. If I had have stayed, I would have still have been miserable, and selling my integrity (which was the last thing I thought I had to hang on to) by lying to them to keep the job that was part of the problem. I had the weight of the world on my shoulders.

Walking out the door to my car, and driving to the car park gate, all I could think of, was 'what do I do next, how will I tell my dad?' (my dad had been in work since 16 and you never left in any way until you had somewhere to go to). I got to the gate. Indicated, and pulled into traffic. Remember it as clear now as the 16 years ago. A Mercedes 190, late morning August 19th 2003, the blue sky and white clouds had just started appearing. At least that is how I remember it, for as the back of the car, dropped from exiting the car park and onto the main road, that weight on my shoulders, just vanished! I still had to figure out what to do next, to tell my family, but, I now had an increased drive to do something.

If work is getting her down that much, then leave. Sometimes money or prestige is not worth the mental anguish that can come of it.

I took voluntary redundancy back in 2016.

I was unemployed for around three to four months and found it quite a harrowing experience ( I had worked for RBS for 26 years). I applied for many jobs but heard nothing from most of them. I was given an opportunity with my current employer and all is now good.

Looking back I'm glad I took the opportunity as I'm doing a job I'm passionate about and earning significantly more as well

I handed my notice in with the same company, whilst I was employed as a Registered Care Manager in Hackney. The first time, I was refused permission from one of the Directors to take leave so I could get married. I asked for a meeting with the board and the MD. After the meeting, I was called back and told a terrible mistake had been made, I was given the leave I wanted and I was given a substantial pay rise back dated 12 months. So off I went, got married and stayed with the company a few more years. The second time, I handed in my notice, I decided to call it a day, after 2 ex-offenders in our care, seriously assaulted me at work and the commute to Kenya was getting expensive and tiring. I had no regrets leaving, even though I no longer received the big money, my health, marriage and sanity was more important. The company tried to bribe me to stay, but I’d had enough and left.

My situation too. Following a couple of new owners taking over the business I was employed in, I went from loving the job I had, to being desperate to escape the new regimes I had to suffer and endure.
I took Voluntary Early Release, and it was the best thing I could have done.

Driving away from the site for the last time was like a huge yoke being removed from my back.
I knew colleagues that didn't know a world outside the job they did.
If only they could realise there is....and its marvellous.

I always thought that people that said it was the best thing that had happened to them or they were so busy they don't know how the found time to work were hiding unhappiness. Now I realise they were not hiding unhappiness but telling the truth.

From my perspective, with people now having to be in a pension unless they opt out, I hope people can be in the position by mid 50's to be able to retire if they want and live a life of freedom.

macafee2

700 of us have just finished 45 days consultation for the new structure and new roles.
I'm not going to apply for the new roles so I expect to be redundant by Christmas. My choice but then my job is having a reductuion in pay so why would I apply?

Ironically they have agreed to offer work past the 3 month notice period if they have been unable to fill the new roles with a 10% increase in pay for the time worked past the notice period! You couldn't make it up. I may well be still here at Christmas along with a temporary pay rise!

Early Retiremnent.

If offered, take it – depending on the terms. My last employer of (25 years) was undergoing ‘refreshment’. As it happened I had been the Trade Union Rep for a few years and had developed into something of a thistle in the backside of management (was instrumental in saving the jobs of one or two in trouble). Can’t think why, but there we are.

On the day they announced that under the terms of the ‘benefits defined’ scheme we could take advantage of the provision to retire at 50, it happened to be my 50th birthday!

I sort of murmured my reluctance and the second offer came out of the District Manager’s drawer (there’s always a second offer). A full term pension (to age 60) plus enhanced lump sum. Half heartedly accepted and I went in two weeks. Laughing.

After travelling for a year got bored and, realising the armchair would kill me, turned my long term hobby into a full on business and never enjoyed myself so much in my life. After another 25 years and at 75 closed it and honestly believe it has lengthened my life by a long way with much delight.

Best of luck, all that matters is maintenance of commitments.