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I have compiled a list of actions I need to complete as I go out the door. I sure don't want to forget something and have to go back!
Clear all random files off my company laptop. Misc work related photos and files that have importance to only me. Search diligently for anything personal that may have been filed there by mistake.
Activate a long-term away message for my company e-mail alerting everyone who sends me a message that I have retired. Remove my personal cell phone number from my signature block.
Turn in my laptop, bag, and accessories.
Turn in all key-badges, including the nearly never used ones.
Turn in my company Credit Card.
Turn in my parking passes.
Anything else recommended?
Due to the pandemic and everyone having been instructed to work from home as much as possible, I cleaned out my desk last week when I had to report to work for a Covid test. Company desk supplies went back to the supply cabinet. Old job files were round-filed. Current paper job files were organized and file drawers labeled. All personal items were brought home. All current and past electronic job files are organized and stored on company servers. I cleared my recorded name off my desk phone since I am not there to retrieve message anyway, reset the PW for voicemail to 1-2-3-4, and posted the new PW on my cubicle wall for the next user so they can access the phone system to set their own personal PW.
My exit interview with Corp HR is scheduled for June 17th. My last working day is June 18th, then I 'Vacation Out' till my effective retirement date.
My boss walked by as was packing up (surprised he was there!), saw what I was doing, and asked when I was leaving. He already knew, or should have. I had postponed my 2019 year-end retirement to mid-year 2020 to assist with departmental work load, and this retirement date was reflected in my 2019 raise awarded this Spring - not in a good way! I replied "July", since the effective date is July 1st. He replied, "Good, I still have some time."
No you don't sucker!
Get phone numbers email for any co workers you want to keep contact with. You may need contact with HR if anything goes wrong. Not sure how your company handles pension, health care, 401K for retirees.
Last Day to "Work" could be a day to PARTY. Some bring in their family just for the "Party". Your boss may need time to get a parting gift.
With the pandemic no time left for any projects undone for someone to start where you finished.
June 19 appears to be "retirement practice day 1" Get up when you want, or rollover.
Soon you'll be free. My last day was June 13, 16. You walk in, turn in your badge and leave. Don't plan to come back. If they wanted you to stay they would have given you that raise. Unless you need the 1099 money. But its over. No fanfare. Its going to take a while before you divorce your mind from work. Don't worry about who will do your work; that's your bosses trouble. Focus on how you will spend your time. Don't let yourself get bored. Be confident you have the money to stop working and chill. It takes some getting used to. This is what you saved all your life for, and the time is here. Retirement. Enjoy.
These all seem to be office workers, I was a machinist. I did stop by the shop once in a while to see how the company was doing and say hello. Haven't been for years now.
Every place is different. I am still in occasional contact with most of my friends from work, less during the covid. I had a positive career and retirement, even financially.
Soon you'll be free. My last day was June 13, 16. You walk in, turn in your badge and leave. Don't plan to come back. If they wanted you to stay they would have given you that raise. Unless you need the 1099 money. But its over. No fanfare. Its going to take a while before you divorce your mind from work. Don't worry about who will do your work; that's your bosses trouble. Focus on how you will spend your time. Don't let yourself get bored. Be confident you have the money to stop working and chill. It takes some getting used to. This is what you saved all your life for, and the time is here. Retirement. Enjoy.
That is my plan exactly! This will be my second retirement of a sort. My first was in early 2013 after 38 years with a mega-company. I know how insignificant retirees are to the employer and I have lots of projects with which to fill my time:
Bought a 1964 Formula Car kit which I will be assembling
Rented an aircraft hangar as my work space
Bought the wings and tail surfaces of a wood & fabric Home Built airplane which needs a fuselage, and will keep me in compliance with the FAA regarding Hangar usage.
Will be a volunteer at The Henry Ford after the museum re-opens. Hoping to become a Docent in my G-G-G-Grandfather's Sawmill which is in the Village.
Now have our first Grandchild! He doesn't know it obviously, but he will become a grease-monkey assisting 'Grampy' with the race car and plane.
The only thing I would do is turn down (which I did last year when I retired), the exit interview. While I did leave on good terms, it felt great telling the head of HR, no exit interview for me and she was in shock.
It will serve you no purpose as nothing you say will change any policy in the company and there's always the possibility of burning a bridge.
The only thing I would do is turn down (which I did last year when I retired), the exit interview. While I did leave on good terms, it felt great telling the head of HR, no exit interview for me and she was in shock.
It will serve you no purpose as nothing you say will change any policy in the company and there's always the possibility of burning a bridge.
Yes, I have been on the receiving end of an unpleasant exit interview from a departing employee in the distant past. My unspoken thoughts were "Why didn't you tell me this back when I had a chance to correct the problem, not months/years later?" and "This tirade sounds like a personal justification to leave rather than the root cause."
There is an issue with nepotism and cronyism in our organization, but after giving it a lot of thought I decided to let that sleeping dog lie and say nothing.
I traveled for years with a group of 10-12 co-workers week after week, and we all lived in different cities in our region. We were all so close for the last 18 years we were on the road together. I think of the great times we had eating nightly on the company expenses account.
But don't take it personal that there may be little or no contact with each other when you all terminate or retire from MegaCompany. Everyone goes their separate ways in retirement, and in many cases that means washing their hands of all contacts.
Note: MegaCompany "retired" all workers 55 and older in 2008-2009 when they overreacted to the Crash of 2008. And they paid dearly in severance and other ways to lose highly experienced employees. MegaCompany especially paid dearly in 2019 when all the defined pensions were rolled over into annuities at MetLife, and we were completely divorced from them as individuals.
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