Retirement?

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rsm

rsm

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For those who voluntarily retired, what were the factors that led you to decide it's time?

I planned to retire next year (2026); each month I work between now and 2026 leaves money in savings I don't have to spend on living expenses until I start collecting social security next year; and I'll have to pay for health insurance out of pocket for several years before I qualify for Medicare coverage...
 
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I mostly plan on threatening to retire for the purpose of a nice raise and reduced duties. I'm working a 2 month ramp up right now by starting rumors amongst the company snitches and blabbermouths.
Might take a phony day off next week to get a business license but don't tell anyone.
 
Well changes at work for 2025 really killed my enthusiasm, drive and motivation.

In 2023, I exceeded my sales quota, and was one of the top 10 in North America; I got a performance raise in 2024.

In 2024, they increased my sales quota, and I managed to exceed my sales quota, though I was only in the top 20 in North America.

In 2025, they increased my sales quota, but removed most of my top clients, replacing them with clients who spend less money with us, and own fewer different products. At this point in the year, I'm at less than 50% of my quota, and best case scenario, I'll only be at 80% for the year.

They did this to me and several of my peers, a few I trust to talk to are in the same situation, we're far below our sales quota because of the client changes vs comparing our previous sales results, as I listed mine above. I have several individual sales people on my team who cover a subset of our products, and many of them are having similar issues with hitting their sales targets given the changes this year.

Our speculation is they plan to consolidate into larger sales territories and reduce headcount; but if we don't make our numbers, they can fire us and avoid having to pay severance packages, and not have to eliminate positions which they don't have to fill after we're fired.

it's getting ugly. Not to mention, my commissions $ are down by the same %, making the job less lucrative; meanwhile, the people who now have our former top clients are doing well meeting or exceeding their numbers. If I was paranoid, I'd see this as being targeted...but it sure feels like it.

:dunno:
 
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rsm said:
Well changes at work for 2025 really killed my enthusiasm, drive and motivation.

In 2023, I exceeded my sales quota, and was one of the top 10 in North America; I got a performance raise in 2024.

In 2024, they increased my sales quota, and managed to exceed by sales quota, though I was only in the top 20 in North America.

In 2025, they increased my sales quota, but removed most of my top clients, replacing them with clients who spend less money with us, and own fewer different products. At this point in the year, I'm at less than 50% of my quota, and best case scenario, I'll only be at 80% for the year.

They did this to me and several of my peers, a few I trust to talk to are in the same situation, we're far below our sales quota because of the client changes vs comparing our previous sales results, as I listed mine above. I have several individual sales people on my team who cover a subset of our products, and many of them are having similar issues with hitting their sales targets given the changes this year.

Our speculation is they plan to consolidate into larger sales territories and reduce headcount; but if we don't make our numbers, they can fire us and avoid having to pay severance packages, and not have to eliminate positions which they don't have to fill after we're fired.

it's getting ugly. Not to mention, my commissions $ are down by the same %, making the job less lucrative; meanwhile, the people who now have our former top clients are doing well meeting or exceeding their numbers. If I was paranoid, I'd see this as being targeted...but it sure feels like it.

:dunno:
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The place I work has gone from 8 millwrights/mechanics to only me. 8 yrs ago I would have never taken this job if I had known. The last one walked last week, I got 10 weeks until I 63 and it's as good a time as any.
Ever notice how low performers get all the gravy and high performers get crapped on with more and more?
Everyone in this mill can screw shit up all day long and I have to have a 100% success rate.
 
rsm said:
For those who voluntarily retired, what were the factors that led you to decide it's time?
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Haven't really yet but basically other than gigs I'm tired of working for other people, even when they are decent employers. Thinking about downsizing to a cheaper place with more land and live even more cheaply. Raise more of my own food and have at least my own water on site, if not power. I plan on working until I'm dead, but just not for other people anymore. I'm sick of it. I'm working to leave my kids something same way someone older did for me.

Wetordry said:
Ever notice how low performers get all the gravy and high performers get crapped on with more and more?
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Yes, this. The average employer punishes their best employees with more and harder tasks. Part of what I'm talking about above. It's even worse now that nobody has a work ethic any longer.
 
Wetordry said:
The place I work has gone from 8 millwrights/mechanics to only me. 8 yrs ago I would have never taken this job if I had known. The last one walked last week, I got 10 weeks until I 63 and it's as good a time as any.
Ever notice how low performers get all the gravy and high performers get crapped on with more and more?
Everyone in this mill can screw shit up all day long and I have to have a 100% success rate.
Click to expand...
At almost every large employer that I have worked for FUCK UP MOVE UP and SUCK UP MOVE UP has always trumped excellence and top consistent performance.
 
rsm said:
Well changes at work for 2025 really killed my enthusiasm, drive and motivation.

In 2023, I exceeded my sales quota, and was one of the top 10 in North America; I got a performance raise in 2024.

In 2024, they increased my sales quota, and I managed to exceed my sales quota, though I was only in the top 20 in North America.

In 2025, they increased my sales quota, but removed most of my top clients, replacing them with clients who spend less money with us, and own fewer different products. At this point in the year, I'm at less than 50% of my quota, and best case scenario, I'll only be at 80% for the year.

They did this to me and several of my peers, a few I trust to talk to are in the same situation, we're far below our sales quota because of the client changes vs comparing our previous sales results, as I listed mine above. I have several individual sales people on my team who cover a subset of our products, and many of them are having similar issues with hitting their sales targets given the changes this year.

Our speculation is they plan to consolidate into larger sales territories and reduce headcount; but if we don't make our numbers, they can fire us and avoid having to pay severance packages, and not have to eliminate positions which they don't have to fill after we're fired.

it's getting ugly. Not to mention, my commissions $ are down by the same %, making the job less lucrative; meanwhile, the people who now have our former top clients are doing well meeting or exceeding their numbers. If I was paranoid, I'd see this as being targeted...but it sure feels like it.

:dunno:
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I think you are probably reading things correctly. Seems the AI that coders have developed is beginning to replace them according to recent articles stating that currently AI is writing about 20% 30% of their code. These oligarchs despise humanity and will replace humans every chance they get and worship their AI God.



During a fireside chat with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg at Meta's LlamaCon conference on Tuesday, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said that 20% to 30% of code inside the company's repositories was “written by software” — meaning AI.Apr 29, 2025

 
harddriver said:
I think you are probably reading things correctly. Seems the AI that coders have developed is beginning to replace them according to recent articles stating that currently AI is writing about 20% 30% of their code. These oligarchs despise humanity and will replace humans every chance they get and worship their AI God.
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AI isn't the god of the oligarchs, lucifer is. Since only God is omniscient satan/lucifer requires total information awareness as a way to play god. AI is just the vehicle for that. Just my two cents anyways.
 
harddriver said:
At almost every large employer that I have worked for FUCK UP MOVE UP and SUCK UP MOVE UP has always trumped excellence and top consistent performance.
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And they end up with the Peter Principle.
 
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harddriver said:
At almost every large employer that I have worked for FUCK UP MOVE UP and SUCK UP MOVE UP has always trumped excellence and top consistent performance.
Click to expand...
I work for a company that has 5 people, including the owner. There ain't no movin' on up
 
Wetordry said:
And they end up with the Peter Principle.
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YUP, but it still doesn't change much. The oligarchs DO NOT want wages to up for the middle and upper middle class.

They usually just throw more responsibilities on those who perform and know what they are doing until those people get fed up and say foook it and leave. No matter how poorly they are run medium to large companies will survive, well...until they don't. That's why the elite is focusing on AI and robotics, it isn't about the benefit of all of mankind.

In most employers minds everyone is replaceable no matter how good you are at least from my experiences. I've seen alot of good people allowed to walk and the lackees remain, upper management just bitches at those who actually get things done.
 
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Findthetone1 said:
Permanent Alien Abduction. That's my retirement plan.
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South-Park-Gifs
 
Had enough money and everything was paid for.

Why sell the hours my body and spirit have left for money that I can't take with me anyway.
 
I absolutely own the fact that I spent too much and saved too little my early years working. I really tried to hang on with music and came to the grown-up table a little later in life. Then I fell into the trap of making up for lost time with my spending those first few years with actual income. But, I don't really regret it - I was having fun spending money at a time when it was relevant and fun. Now, I have more 'stuff' than I will ever need and have been shoveling money aggressively into retirement savings since COVID. I think we can push away from the game table here in a few years. We probably could now if we wanted to significantly reduce our financial footprint - which we may do anyway. But every year I work without absolutely hating it is a year that I am not dipping into what I have saved so far. And at times, the job can be its own variety of fun. Just gotta' have the right mindset, I guess.
 
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