# Got pushed into it sooner than expected



## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I had hoped to keep working until April next year but just got told my position is no longer open. Yes, it stinks. I had plans for those future paychecks. My soc sec credits for this year won't be applied until October so I'm in between for a couple months. Maybe longer depending on how long it takes for my disability to be approved. Part of the reason I was let go was because I can't work full time. Oh well, more time to get stuff down around the place. We'll manage somehow, we always do. 

This wasn't meant as a sympathy plea, more like a poor me whine. Whining out loud I guess.

But I was wanting to be able to put more time into getting stuff done here and less at work. Just comes at a bad time. Keeping my fingers crossed that all goes smoothly in October.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

Be glad you were pushed out only 9 months early instead of 9 years early as my original plan was cut short. Although the company contract buyout and pension that was part of the premerger deal, losing the company dollar for dollar on my fully vested after tax savings plan that I planned to base my early retirement on still ended up short to the tune of low 7 figures.

Although I took what I got and made the best of it, retirement has been as basic sustenance existence as when I was working and building my golden parachute to bail out early just not as early as they decided to make it earlier than I had planned.

It's been 16 years of crockpot stews and soups, Ramens , mark down cheap steak cuts , discount coupon takeout and a movie at home, weekends at the campground by the hole in the wall pond on my parents farm instead of weekly trips to the coast and maybe budget vacations every two or three years, but all in all, the hours and lack of mandatory overtime make it pretty nice. :happy:


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## gibbsgirl (May 1, 2013)

Said a prayer for you. Sounds like you have a bunch to resort to manage things for awhile.

You're not alone. My dad left the workforce earlier than he expected as well. And, i think there's a whole wave of baby boomers who have begun experiencing the same thing in recent years.

It will be interesting to see how that plays out seeing it in hindsight. So many households seem to becoming dependent on one main breadwinner to support everyone, while many households are becoming multigenerational. I don't think that is necessarily a bad family dynamic. But, it is very difficult when the breadwinners are seeing pay and benefit and number if hours being lessened.

Best of luck in getting your plans altered.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

Some things that haven't changed in the last 40 years that I am aware of in the labor field regardless if it is blue , grey or white collar type environments is that as the environments materialize and vocational training programs evolve, the educational projections of viability, corporate milestone projections and exponential growth goals, corporate staffing age and pay scales, government GDP/GNP goals, government infrastructure employment numbers, taxable revenues and the desires of the current generation progressing from adolescence/teen phase to the "workplace young turk" mid 20s phase still combine to form a perfect vocational storm.

The result of this many faceted perfect storm continues to displace workers as they reach their 40s despite the increasing numbers of "dead enders" who are happy to simply stagnate and only demand higher minimum wages.

Although the government wants people to work into their 70s, industry begins wanting to see employees in their 40s to 50s to exit the work force generally based on the concept that those employees in addition to requiring increased medical coverage , after 20 to 30 years in industry cost as much for one employee , many without desire to continue education as the industry would pay for two possibly three freshly educated entry employees who due to their youth offer a better health factor.

Although most younger employees tend to job hop, those closer to 40 generally avoid hopping and those 50 and over often become obsessed with holding on until their retirement age.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

There's a couple women who work there that are well into their 70's, and one man who is over 80. So I don't believe it's the age or the time with the company. I make less than some of the new hires. And it wasn't my work, only one incident and that was 3 years ago. From the talk I heard before it was just the fact that I couldn't work 5 days a week. I still have my position in another part of the company but it's only a few days a month and very occasionally on an on-call basis. I got used to that weekly pay-check. Shouldn't have but it is what it is. 

The bad thing is, the company is looking only at the bottom line. Get rid of more experienced employees but there are a bunch of goofs that stand around and do nothing yet get paid more than me. Ticks me off to no end. And it means I have to do my job as well as theirs. And they've reduced the support staff which means I have to do a job that was formerly split between 2 or 3 people. And still, production costs are rising and the higher ups can't figure out why. 

Makes me wonder too if the people who walked out at lunch and didn't come back had even clocked out. 

So now I'm rambling and going off my own topic. Yeah, I wanted out anyway. Had it all planned. Just wanted to stash a little more in supplies and reserve before making the exit. Oh well, we never have as much time as we want.

And I should be setting up my fall garden instead of playing on the computer.


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## Shrek (May 1, 2002)

Often those older employees near or past retirement age know where the corporate skeletons are buried and use that knowledge to protect their jobs as they strive not to make themselves a skeleton to be disposed of. Sadly that is one of the natures of business.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

I was being forced out, I made the best of it. I couldn't continue the way I was being treated. Worked a deal, retired early. It was the best thing for me. Make the most of the opportunity you have been given and you will be better off in the end. There is a reason.

What has happened there, is just what I was saying then. Many have left, the ones left realize that now. They were lulled into complacency, management then had a reason to not need them, after all. But management can't get the job done, so they hired "dumb sheep", they don't talk back. Now management gets to deal with incompetence, but done their way....James


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Maybe you could find a part time job of some type to supplement the retirement.

Best wishes on your plans and adjustment.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

It gets better. Talked to a couple co-workers today. Turns out I was replaced! With someone who can't do the job and hates the job and deadlines aren't being met after all. Too bad for them. I've got to keep my income down under $1050 (or so, can't remember exactly how much now) for the next couple months so I won't be going back even if they beg. I already told the temp service my plans and they have noted in their file that I now have income limitations. 

I have an appointment with my orthopedic surgeon next week so he can officially tell me I shouldn't be working. I can feel that hip sliding around in the socket if I bend the wrong way and the knot in my back isn't getting any better. We'll see what the surgeon says before making any long term plans. Who knows, he may decide that I need that new hip sooner rather than later. (I am not looking forward to that part)


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I got hold of soc sec and they told me unemployment benefits would not affect my disability eligibility or payments. So I filed for unemployment benefits. Don't know if I'll get them or not but no sense in not applying.


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## Michael W. Smith (Jun 2, 2002)

Danaus29 said:


> Talked to a couple co-workers today. Turns out I was replaced! With someone who can't do the job and hates the job and deadlines aren't being met after all. Too bad for them. I've got to keep my income down under $1050 (or so, can't remember exactly how much now) for the next couple months so I won't be going back even if they beg.


Fate and Karma have a way of working themselves back.

I've seen several times in my work career where management decides to get rid of someone unfairly. It then comes back to bite them in the rear end when the replacement doesn't work out and have even seen where they have had to hire an additional employee to get the work done.

So, management got rid of a person that was doing the job, and ends up replacing the person with TWO people to get the same amount of work done.

When they call asking if you would like some work, ask them "Isn't the new employee that replaced me working out? That's too bad, sucks to be you!" and then hang up!!!!! :nana:


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

I really would love to tell them that. Unfortunately they are also the same company where I still am employed a few days a month. However, thanks to OJFS I have an opportunity to apply for a job in a field where I have training and doing something I absolutely love! If they get back with me and I can work the hours that SS disability would allow me to work and still qualify for benefits I will tell the current employer to kiss where I sit.

The temp agency is not fighting my unemployment. The only thing that bothers me is that in applying for other jobs I am not allowed to "place restrictions on hours, wages, or conditions of employment that limit your chances of finding work". Not too many places are paying what I was making, certainly none close to where I live or was working. Never mind the fact that I never was and never intended to have full time employment. 

So I'm still torn. My surgeon says my disabling condition can be fixed (hip replacement surgery) IF everything goes well and I have the $$$ to pony up for the deductible and co-pays. But even that will take quite some time for rehab therapy before and lots of rehab after and then the stress and pain of everything hopefully shifting into the place it would have been if I had never had the original surgery. (and no way of knowing how long it will take or if it will hurt more than I hurt now) Then even if all goes well, the replacement has a chance of wearing out when I have no insurance unless I'm working a full time job. 

Baby steps, one day at a time.


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## pixiedoodle (Sep 24, 2014)

husband was 18 months from retirement from a company he already had 10 +yrs with. one sunday he tripped over the cat going out the back door & severely broke his ankle & leg. had to call 911 & transport to hosp. major 4 hr surgery the next morning. while in ER he called his boss to tell him what happened & he wouldn't be in the next day.... day after surgery he called & told boss he would not be able to walk or work for the next 4 maths at least. on day 4 they suddenly didn't need him any longer but agreed to pay his health ins. till he turned 65. now, 3 yrs later they called & asked if he'd want to work in the comp. dept 4 hrs a day & he said yes. no benefits but decent pay for PT. he use to run the bindery but now just does computer work for the bindery. he loves it but i still resent how they treated him. this is a print shop of only 12 employees including the boss.. we had no retirement $$ from my job except $130. a math from kepis. my SS was less than $300 a math. he couldn't draw unemployment in ks because he wasn't physically able to work. somehow we muddled thru till he turned 65 which was 10 months away & started medicare & his SS. we lived off of a dab of savings, my tiny income & all the food I had canned & frozen. beans & cornbread are a good thing!
those money issues are never good but seems like with a bit of hard work & effort & of course max. creativity & a little help from your friends & family
you can get thru them one way or another.
just maximize what you CAN do & hopefully it will all work how in the end.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Update, unemployment is not approved because you have to seek full time work. 
The original employer wanted me to come back but the one person with the temp service who I had spoke with told them I am in the process of applying for disability. Yay for her! I spent most of last month on the couch simply taking it easy. I went back to work for a few days and am now off until the end of September. SS told me to keep my monthly income under the earning limit. No problem. 

And I did finally get a little bit of stuff done at home today. Just a little. But progress is progress. I have so many neglected projects that need to be done that I just didn't feel like doing because I was always so tired and worn out. 

Oh, my cushy sit down job that I was forced out of won't be a cushy sit down job much longer. In the middle of October the chairs and desks will be removed and ALL departments (of course except management) will be required to do their work at a standing station. So there it is, no way I would go back to it even if I don't get my disability and the employer still wants me to come back. Several other people have said they will no longer work in those departments if they can't do their job while sitting.


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