# Another Life-Changing Event!



## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

It was bound to happen and I had anticipated this day for a few years. My boss says that weds or thurs HR would like to talk to me. As you may be aware, X employer is getting rid of 500 managers.

I have been here for 29yrs.

YES!!!! I GET MY LIFE BACK!!


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## Wild Bill (May 3, 2006)

Sounds like you're happy, Michelle! Hope you won't have any financial worries.

Of course, now you can play more gigs and maybe go full-time fixing amps...:smile:


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

I can't go wrong really, I can live on it, frugally, but it can be done.

Yep, gotta kick-up the giggin a notch and get out to the shop.

I am pretty happy over it, should see me here bouncing around!


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## RIFF WRATH (Jan 22, 2007)

Wow that is GREAT news...........now there's no excuses...........get the bike ready for your cross country tour...............perhaps a small trailer for your amp and bass..............


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## 4321 (Nov 25, 2008)

Congrats Michelle, I'm jealous, being that I'm on the "Freedom 75" plan and all


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2009)

Mr. Rock & Roll said:


> Congrats Michelle, I'm jealous, being that I'm on the "Freedom 75" plan and all


Wait! You have a plan to stop working at _some point_? I'm jealous. I'm on the work-till-you-die train myself.


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

Congrats! glad to hear all of this corporate downsizing finally worked in someone favour!


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## rhh7 (Mar 14, 2008)

Very happy for you, Michelle!


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

kksjur kksjur
Congrats Michelle.....so...... are we all invited to the party......any party would be fine 

Enjoy having control of your life (for the most part).:bow:

Dave


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

Thanks All! So much to do now, my mind is racing.
:smilie_flagge17:


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## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Congrats. That's awesome. I keep hearing about people losing their jobs and barely scraping by, it's nice to hear one with a positive spin. Enjoy.


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## simescan (May 15, 2007)

Congratulations Michelle!,...I've been in heaven (retired) for four years now. You're gonna love it!


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

What happens if that is not why they want to see you? 9kkhhd


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> What happens if that is not why they want to see you? 9kkhhd



Arrrrgh! Don't even go there man.  No really, this is what's up. He's my boss but I haven't worked under him for 5yrs, I'm on-loan to xx so like I haven't even spoken to him for a few years. And he told me too.

Oh, I tried to thank everyone with a 'Thank You' button but I guess I can only give out two per post? Anyway, thanks everyone.

I like Riff's idea....


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I can't find a green with envy emoticon.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> I can't find a green with envy emoticon.


Me too!!! I have been hinting for the past three years that I will take a buy out. BUT - the feds aren't doing thant right now. 33 years in and 2 more to go!!

Brian


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I'm surrounded by age-mates who are counting the days. Unfortunately, I squandered my "retirement years" on grad school, and didn't really enter a sustainable job until I was 45. Given the longevity of men on my dad's side, it's pretty much work 'til I drop.

On the other hand, all that grad school taught me that we are probably now witnessing one of the last cohorts of people who actually WILL retire. The social institution of retirement is really pretty much a blip in terms of social history. First off, most of the world doesn't actually HAVE "retirement". Second, even where it exists, it actually isn't that old as a social institution (about 50-60yrs old as we know it now). Third, it only arose because of a very fortuitous co-occurrence of a number of favourable economic and demographic factors. The way I see it, part of the economic collapse this past 18 months is prompted by the heavy pressure on pension funds to deliver unreasonable ROI, and the consequent willingness to invest in risky stuff in order to meet those pressures. When you consider that a great many "retirees" now expect to enter the workforce full-time at age 25, leave it before they're 60, and then coast on some form of non-work income for another 25 years, all of it with much higher consumer expectations than the folks who were the initial model for retirement in the 1950's, it would take either a miracle or virtual enslavement of the third world to support such a lifestyle on the part of so many. So, purely from an economic standpoint, retirement, as we know it now, is unsustainable. Some folks got lucky and managed to reap its benefits, but it was pretty much a limited time opportunity. Michelle's one of the lucky ones.

One of the emerging trends these days is the new role of pension. When public pension first arose (in Bismarck's Germany of 1889, as an election promise), it was conceived of as a bonus for "a lifetime of service to the fatherland", and was not intended as a replacement for earned income. It was not until unions started imposing mandatory retirement in the 1920's and 30's that pension started to take on the role of what you would live off after you couldn't work anymore. This is why the U.S. called it "social security"; it was a safety net for those forced out of the workforce.

As pensions went up in size, they started to take on the role of a replacement for earned income, rather than merely a supplement (most people in North America worked for most of their income for their whole lives until WWII), until finally in the 1950's people stated to think of it as something you switched over to at 65. Ironically, age 65 was originally identified by Bismarck's actuaries as an age cutoff that he could afford to pay out (it was initially 70, but changed to 65 after a few years and had become the de facto standard in Europe by WWI). It had absolutely nothing to do with ability to work. It seems to have been principally the emergence of the Henry Ford model assembly line (and the labour movements attached to it) that resulted in pensionable age being linked to work ability. Manufacturers wanted younger workers who werre faster. Unions wanted new members. And wages were generally according to seniority. So pushing older workers out the door "worked" for the bargaining parties. With public pensions being adjusted to compensate for greatly diminished job opportunities, the linkage was formed between being "too old to work" and getting your pension. It's only been in the last 20 years that a deeper debate has occurred about what *kinds* of work really need younger workers.

The new pattern one sees is that pensions and buyouts take on the function of disconnecting occupational choice from fiscal necessity. In other words, people do the jobs they feel they have to, rather than want to, because they sort of work they'd rather do is either undercompensated, or too unpredictable and unreliable as a revenue stream. When they get their pension or buyout, that lets them go after the sort of work they'd rather be doing, without being worried that they'll starve or lose their home simply because they wanted to teach inner city kids to read, or make pottery (or pedals/guitars). So, a lot of folks who "retire" these days actually don't withdraw from the workforce. Rather, they take on other work, and their pension is sort of seed money to do so. They know that if there are lean times in between the fat times, that their pension will be there for them. So, in that sense, pension is starting to resume its original role of being a supplement to earned income rather than a replacement for it.

Of course, that shift in role is largely a function of what it is you do/did for a living. If you're in a line of work that is physically and emotionally feasible for you to continue to do (so called "knowledge work"), you're more likely to do things like take an early cashout and keep working, as a consultant, or whatnot. If you're blue collar, then the chances are greater that you take your pension and just walk away, never to return to the workforce.

Just as a digression, though, for anyone who does plan to take their buyout/pension/etc and walk away from work, I recommend taking a gander at Elderhostel: http://www.elderhostel.org/ Ultra-cool, and ultra-cool people.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

bscott said:


> Me too!!! I have been hinting for the past three years that I will take a buy out. BUT - the feds aren't doing thant right now. 33 years in and 2 more to go!!
> 
> Brian


It took me about a year but I finally managed to get my name at the top of the list to be let go. I ended up with a 58 week package and my life back. Pretty sad state of affairs when we are trying to get let go when there are so many out of work or heading that way. But I had to get out of the auto biz or it was going to kill me.


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## lbrown1 (Mar 22, 2007)

I too am in the telecom industry (TELUS)....Ive got 15 years to go until unreduced pension kicks in.....I was one of the last groups to have defined benefit pension made available in TELUS employee roster.....it's all RRSP matching plans now.....I'll still work when I'm done.....but on my terms and not in the telecom or IT industry.....maybe I'll become a roadie


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I still have six years, three months, twenty days, and fifty-seven minutes before that day comes around for me.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Congrats!

I haven't finished school yet, and there seems to be a good chance that there wont *be* pensions by the time I come of age for retirement.

Enjoy it


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## lyric girl (Sep 4, 2008)

Congratulations Michelle.


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

Robert1950 said:


> I still have six years, three months, twenty days, and fifty-seven minutes before that day comes around for me.


Not that you are counting or anything!!


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Hey Michelle, Good on you! Polish up the bike and get goin! I'm happy for you but jealous too! makes me realise I'm a long way away myself....


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Congrats Michelle!! I'm sure you're going to have a great time.


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## 6string (Feb 2, 2009)

I have a retirement plan, its called Loto 649.


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

Thanks again everyone, it's happening today, now if I can just stay away from the music stores with my severance, I will be ok, but I was thinking......

Wouldn't a wireless be nice? hwopv


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## james on bass (Feb 4, 2006)

Nice to see you're not upset and set-up fairly well. I just started work this week after losing my job last August. I kinda enjoyed my time off, but when the severence pay ended just before Christmas, the novelty wore off.


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## Gunny (Feb 21, 2006)

I am a few years older than you Michelle. I had the luxury of making it to 30 yrs and taking retirement with pension. After 6 months I was able, as many of my colleagues are, of working in the same business again as a contractor and still collect the pension and benefits...without a lot of the corporate B.S.
You just might find yourself doing the same sort of thing....unless you really don't love the type of work you're still doing.
Point is, it's a whole new game and you can work, or not, to suit yourself. Heady stuff!


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

*Well????*

How did it go?


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

Starbuck said:


> How did it go?


It went as much as I expected, 6 or 1/2doz. It's a pretty weird feeling, walking away,
spent a quiet day, rainy day, dream away....

Still have to do the paperwork, I get a 'gold watch' too, have no choice anyway,
nothin to do except what I wanna do

:wave:


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Michelle said:


> It's a pretty weird feeling, walking away,
> spent a quiet day, rainy day, dream away....


I have a sincere question...

Do you feel that yo need to find (to some extent) an "new identity" (for want of better words) for yourself, as you are no longer employed as a ______ ?

I have heard several others mention this. Just wondered what you thought, especially as this is all happening to you right at the moment.

Thanks for considering my question. If the question upsets you in any way, please PM me and I will delete it.

Thanks

All the best

Dave


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Six Years, three months, fifteen days, twenty-two hours, 2 minutes.


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## Starbuck (Jun 15, 2007)

Michelle said:


> It went as much as I expected, 6 or 1/2doz, full pay til mar then full pension + ca$h. It's a pretty weird feeling, walking away,
> spent a quiet day, rainy day, dream away....
> 
> Still have to do the paperwork, I get a 'gold watch' too, but full pay for 13mo IS a sweet deal, have no choice anyway,
> ...


Well congrats! Now you can skip away singing something appropriate! Soak up the sun? nah maybe Badmotorscooter!!!!


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

Hmmmm You now have time to practice for the East Coast Music Awards .....SWEET


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## Orcslayer (Feb 2, 2009)

Same happened to me last October after 35 years with Grand & Toy. It takes getting used to, more than you might think, after working with one company so long. But after you do , it's great!

Some advice - get all the music gear you still need NOW as a retirement present to yourself!


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

greco said:


> I have a sincere question...
> 
> Do you feel that yo need to find (to some extent) an "new identity" (for want of better words) for yourself, as you are no longer employed as a ______ ?
> 
> ...


No problem at all Dave. I know what you mean and I have avoided that scenario for the last many years. I've see too many that just get frozen in time, they're still an archetypal 'company' person or they just die. I found it hard to walk away from the people and yes there is my 'legacy' but I am building a new legacy, one close to the core of my 'being', and that my friend, is good til the day I die.

I was a project mgr when I left, I could also still consider myself that, just different projects but truly, the core of my 'identity' has a lot to do with music. I've also had a lot of practice doing this 'identity' thing. 

The bottom line today? I don't need to worry about anything until next year other than; "When is the next gig?"

:wave:

Yeah Starbuck!


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## Michelle (Aug 21, 2006)

Gunny said:


> I am a few years older than you Michelle. I had the luxury of making it to 30 yrs and taking retirement with pension. After 6 months I was able, as many of my colleagues are, of working in the same business again as a contractor and still collect the pension and benefits...without a lot of the corporate B.S.
> You just might find yourself doing the same sort of thing....unless you really don't love the type of work you're still doing.
> Point is, it's a whole new game and you can work, or not, to suit yourself. Heady stuff!


There's a lot of that going on there Gunny but right now, I don't even want to consider it, I've been pretty sick of the whole scene for a few years. My boss tried to stop my termination and then tried to get me in on contract for Monday, <groan>, but I'd be nuts to work legitimately while on 'continuance'.

I've fought for the last 29yrs my right to PAAAAAARTY! :smilie_flagge17:


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Thanks Michelle...your post was very helpful and very well written. :bow:

I HOPE to retire within the next 18-24 months. I have to sell our business first...Mrs. Greco is struggling with this, as she (we) developed the business over the past 12 years. 

I quit my profession to work with her...so I have gone through the "identity" thing, for the most part. 

We talk about this often. 

Once again....many thanks.

Dave


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