From working full time to retired full time? (pension, social security, benefits)

[Vision67]

Do you feel like the transition to working full time to suddenly being retired full time is too abrupt?

When I retired, I asked my employer to let me transition to working just 20 hours per week. My problem was that at age 66, I had started to get drowsy in the afternoons. I could no longer do 12 hour days. They said, "no way". So I retired.

But I told them that if they needed help at a future date, call me.

I got that call. Turns out, they had not trained a new generation and they had been unwilling to hire a new young person to work with me before I retied. They had a new project with no staffing. So they called me. I'm working just 20 hours per week and loving it!

Question: Would you prefer to retire abruptly or to taper down slowly?

[flashlight]

taper! three days a week sounds nice.

[twins4lynn]

When I retired, I went from a full time job to no job. I was offered a part time 20/hour week job a couple of weeks after I retired. I realized that I really never wanted to be obligated to work at a job again, under any circumstance...so turned it down.

[jim9251]

I retired abruptly. I couldn't run out of there fast enough.

[Bette]

I work lots of hours like you did but I'm self employed.

I plan to cut 10 hours per week in about a year and the next year more than that.

We'll see.

Both of us will have to develop other interests and gradually, we will do that.

[matisse12]

Originally Posted by jim9251

I retired abruptly. I couldn't run out of there fast enough.

same here. exactly.

[Willamette City]

I retired in 2011. I worked several seasonal jobs averaging about 20 hours a week. After 2011, I decided, I'm retired, I'm gonna be getting Social security soon, I have a nice pension, what do I need to work for? I have a ton of projects around the house to keep me busy.

[JRR]

If I could have gone to part time I would have done it as I enjoyed my job and it was interesting. Didn't make any difference for me as mid level management made it very clear that they wanted us older folks gone. Three of us retired on the same day.

However my transition to full time retired was quick and painless

[engineman]

After I retired I took a seasonal job where I worked full time for 6 months and then I could go play for 6 months.
That way all my time was TOTALLY mine for half the year. We could hitch up the camper and go see the country.
Seasonal is far better than part-time.

[StealthRabbit]

I prefer a clean break (I like to travel / do extended volunteer gigs overseas.)

For home bodies / people with grandkids nearby...I would think a 'taper' would work

Our company (STEM / invention) has done the last (3) severances with up to 18 month taper. (presumably knowledge transfer). Those who hung around to taper were very bored / bothered, and claimed it was a waste of their "retirement yrs' stuck in a J=O=B (I'm sure there are benefits to some)

Ideally you get a choice, but the company would be ahead to allow a 4-6 week / or 3 month BREAK, Then the taper! Too much FUN to be gone!

One location allowed Job Share... 2-3 positions for 3-6 retirees - During peak times for projects (Hopefully not during summer or hunting season)