God I wish I could afford to retire!

If I hadn't been stupid enough to run up credit card/catalogue debts, then I'm sure that I could comfortably afford to take early retirement. Now don't get me wrong, I don't think I'm ready to give up working completely, but if I could i'd find myself some voluntary work and maybe a little part time job in a small shop or something like that. I'm full time in a supermarket as some of you know, and that working conditions are getting worse and worse by the day. It's not quite hit rock bottom yet, but it's getting there. Pretty much all the management team have been replaced by "eager children", who are like puppets, have no idea how to deal with people, couldn't give a fig about anyone over the age of 40! We're expected to do the work of at least two people, training is a joke, and without going into too much detail - I'd just love to be in the position to go in there today and say "Tell you what - You can stick your job where the sun don't shine!"

If I were to leave, I'd miss all my workmates, but to be fair I socialise with them out of work anyway...but at my age (almost 53) it would be extremely difficult to find something else, and possibly I'd be stupid to try and do so, and I get 6 weeks a year holiday, plus the bank holiday lieu days, a pension etc. I have thought about perhaps cutting my hours there, however very recently two or three people have tried to do this, and have been offered really unfavourable shifts, ie, all evenings and weekends, at the moment, we do 1 or 2 evenings (usually 2) and every other weekend. These three people have all given in their notice, but being a lot younger than me have got other jobs, one has decided to become a taxi driver! I don't even drive, not that i'd want to drive a taxi, but many jobs require you at least to be able to drive. Office jobs, well you've got to be au fait with spreadsheets, excel, powerpoint etc etc, I have plenty of office experience but we're talking 1980's technology here!...and don't talk to me about C.V's..it seems you need one to get a paper round these days!

Get me out of that place!!!!

I wish that for you too! I'd love to reduce my hours a bit, but I can't afford to either! Best of luck, nothing to stop you getting some skills though?

From memory, you work for one of the better respected employers don't you?, the one that's a 'partnership'. Just imagine you worked for the likes of sports direct and suddenly all might fall into perspective.
Retired from the NHS a couple of years ago myself, always imagined I'd do some voluntary work afterwards, but actually I am enjoying pleasing myself for a change, - plus I got the puppy I always wanted! It's wonderful, but I do miss a lot of things about the workplace I used to complain so bitterly about. Don't wish your life away, all things in time!

Not wishing my life away, as I said "early retirement"....as in "now". Yes, I know the grass isn't always greener, but it's upsetting to see the proverbial grass turning a murky shade of brown nevertheless. As for new skills, you could say that's true, but because i'm on shifts and never do exactly the same hours every week it would be fairly difficult to find an evening class/day class I could enrol in, also would the completion of a course be counted as experience? If I were to have a career (lol) change, I think a lucky break is what i'd need, a very lucky break. However, there are still things I like, even love about where am I. The later shifts mean lie ins, my work mates, and the fact I don't have to spend any time or money just to get there, as it's literally 10 minutes away on foot and on my bike, even quicker! Pay's not great, but we still (but for how long?) get an annual bonus, and that is a great boost!

Just think yourself lucky - you have a job and can make that decision. Most firms these days are treating their staff worse as they know they can because there are so many people who would happily do the work for less. You are much more of a number these days than a person and I know this from personal experience. The workplace has changed a lot in recent years.

I was made redundant at the end of October after 31 years with the company - I was treated so badly. They took all the accounts to the Philippines so UK staff were made redundant having spent the last 12 months teaching the Filipinos our jobs - I got minimum Government redundancy so that is not much. And now at 55 years old am desperately trying to get a job but am being told I am over qualified or a lot want young people to 'grow' with the job. It is tough and I am so bored with being at home and as it is only temporary (hopefully) I cannot get into voluntary work etc. All my friends are working so I cannot do the 'ladies that lunch' thing either. The job hunting process is also not pleasant as trawling through pages of potential jobs, applying and going for interviews only to be knocked back is not nice.

I hope you make the right decision but please do it for the right reasons

rosey said:

Just think yourself lucky - you have a job and can make that decision. Most firms these days are treating their staff worse as they know they can because there are so many people who would happily do the work for less. You are much more of a number these days than a person and I know this from personal experience. The workplace has changed a lot in recent years.

I was made redundant at the end of October after 31 years with the company - I was treated so badly. They took all the accounts to the Philippines so UK staff were made redundant having spent the last 12 months teaching the Filipinos our jobs - I got minimum Government redundancy so that is not much. And now at 55 years old am desperately trying to get a job but am being told I am over qualified or a lot want young people to 'grow' with the job. It is tough and I am so bored with being at home and as it is only temporary (hopefully) I cannot get into voluntary work etc. All my friends are working so I cannot do the 'ladies that lunch' thing either. The job hunting process is also not pleasant as trawling through pages of potential jobs, applying and going for interviews only to be knocked back is not nice.

I hope you make the right decision but please do it for the right reasons

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There is no decision to be made - I can't afford to cut my hours, let alone retire - end of! It was a wish, a dream if you like, and not wishing to under estimate those who are in a worse situation either in their job, or trying to find a job, especially when age isn't on your side. The highlighted bit made me shudder! What a load of baloney! This illustrates pretty much what has happened in my place of work, experienced and hard working staff are overlooked for promotion, older people are not being employed for anything but the most basic of jobs. They want youngsters who are snappy and eager, can be shaped into whatever those who "pull the strings want". Whilst I'm grateful to have a job, I really am, it's been sad to see such a decline, most of this is beyond our control as bricks and mortar retail itself in rapid decline - but can't help the way I feel, sorry!

Rosey, I really hope you do manage to find something soon!

Unfortunately Merryone - this is what is happening everywhere. The government want us to work until we are nearly 70, 67 in my case but I know it varies. But employers want to overlook anyone over 50 (I have heard 40 in some cases) for promotion etc. So what are we supposed to do?

When I started work you started at the bottom - making tea and sweeping up and worked your way up to the top thereby appreciating the staff below you as you had been there. Nowadays you can go off to Uni get a degree in Management and then go in at the top and have no respect for your staff. As long as you talk the talk and use all the latest buzz words you are ok. If you are hardworking and conscientious you are overlooked. You only have to look at candidates on The Apprentice to realise they might be clever on paper but don't have an ounce of common sense.

In my company at the end we were treated just like numbers gone are the days when we got treated like humans with feelings. Unfortunately I cannot see this changing in the future

I just hope I can find a nice little job to get me by for the next 12 years till I can get my state pension and afford (and want) to retire

Those young managers will move on before long and you will have a happy team again soon I'm sure. I work in a Supermarket the one beginning with T and love it. We have a particularly happy team at the moment I have noticed how it sometimes goes in circles with the management team and company focus.

A number of years ago I worked with someone whoose other half worked in the city quite senior. They said institutions would rather take the financial hit to write wrongs, than pay for mature people who made less or no mistakes.

DunmowDizzy said:

Those young managers will move on before long and you will have a happy team again soon I'm sure. I work in a Supermarket the one beginning with T and love it. We have a particularly happy team at the moment I have noticed how it sometimes goes in circles with the management team and company focus.

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Unfortunately this isn't usually the case, yes some of the young managers will move on, but as sure as eggs, they'll be replaced by more of the same, like Rosie says "the apprentice style" people fresh from college or Uni. Some of them have been nicer than others, unfortunately the team we have in place at the moment are particularly "bad", but maybe we'll get a change for the better soon, but sadly I can't see it happening! Good point Rosey makes about retirement age being much higher now, but the older members of the workforce are still overlooked and are left to flounder in dead end, poorly paid positions!