Thursday, November 1, 2012

Happy November!

Kicking off the month, the management at work has re-arranged the deck chairs one more time and this time it's me whose left without one. And only 3 months away from retirement.

My thoroughly un-detailed plan at this point is to go on unemployment for 3 months, then retire.

Of course there is the possibility that something low key and part time will pop up, you never know. Mean time there's the $50/week I won't be spending on gas.

15 comments:

jed said...

Well, crap. I guess. OTOH, collecting SS while the feddies are still around to pass it out ... could be worse, I suppose. I've always figured the SS system will be petered out before I retire.

Small contract machining might be something to do, when you're in a position to take just those jobs you want to do. I assume you're aren't interested in a "Welcome to Wal-Mart" position.

Billll said...

Contract part time drafting or something would work. At this point working full time just doesn't seem attractive any more.

Brad K. said...

You might ask a lawyer about the three months to retirement part. The company might go for a waiver of time, just to avoid a civil suit.

Luck.

Anonymous said...

"You might ask a lawyer about the three months to retirement part. The company might go for a waiver of time, just to avoid a civil suit."

I thought the whole Republican idea of "tort reform" was to put an end to such baseless and frivolous laws suits?

What exactly is it that you believe Billll is "entitled" to?

Billll said...

Some companies have been known to let long-term employees go shortly before they become eligible for a company paid pension.

No danger of that here.

jed said...

Haw full-time work ever been attractive? ;-)

Anonymous said...

"Some companies have been known to let long-term employees go shortly before they become eligible for a company paid pension."

Yeah, capitalism! Because if you don't like being let go shortly before you're eligible for a company pension, you can always find another job.

This is why we should work harder: the plutocrats (like Romney) need our blood and sweat and toil...

...as long as we keep our tears to ourselves.

Billll said...

To quote a professional baseball player:
"I'll eat it, I'll smoke it'
I'll wear it, I'll chew it,
as long as a sponsor
will pay me to do it."

You can cry all you want about not being qualified to play in the big leagues, or you can play as hard as you can in the league you're in.

Anonymous said...

So in your opinion, it's OK for for companies "to let long-term employees go shortly before they become eligible for a company paid pension"?

Brad K. said...

@ Anon 7:12,

I think the point is that stuff happens. You can focus on the stuff, or that it happens. The stuff is something to deal with; the what "happens" is pretty esoteric, and won't change the stuff.

My suggestion for having someone knowledgeable look at the company tactics was just in case the company stepped over the line from acting in their own interest, to actually violating employment contracts and regulations.

Finding one's self without a current employer, unexpectedly, has happened a lot of people, and depending on who you believe, will continue to happen to a lot more people over the coming years.

The issue is shelter, food, and security. What to do today, to make tomorrow more comfortable, well sheltered, well fed, and more secure.

Please enjoy your day.

Blessed be.

Cincinnatus said...

Sorry to hear you are out of work.

"Anonymous" seems loaded up with stupid class warfare rhetoric. And blaming Romney for the current crappy economic situation is pretty hilarious. Romney is the plutocrat and not President Goldman Sachs?

Billll said...

You have to keep the talking points clear in your mind. It wasn't Romney's fault I out of work, it's Bush's.

Say, how's that "stopping the rise of the oceans" bit working out?

I'm thinking of this not so much as being out of work as getting a 3 month vacation prior to retirement.

Cincinnatus said...

How's the keepin the seas from rising working out? Hey, Bill, your feet are dry aren't they?

Anonymous said...

"Say, how's that 'stopping the rise of the oceans' bit working out?"

I get the reference. What makes you think I'm an 0bamunist? What have I written makes you believe I voted for 0bama?

Or is it just some typical right-wing knee-jerk reaction that makes you believe "criticism of corporations = 0bama voter"?

And nobody has answered the question: is it OK for corporations to "let long-term employees go shortly before they become eligible for a company paid pension"? I understand that it happens and is legal. But is it right?

jed said...

Oh, bloody hell, you Anonymous troll, I'll 'splain it to you.

It's called freedom. As in Freedom to Contract, which is derived from the fundamental right of property. At its simplest, each of us has the freedom to negotiate whatever terms of employment we might find acceptable, and employers also have the same freedom. If such contractual terms have clauses in them speaking to compensation in the form of pension plans and vesting periods for such, and if the employer violates such terms, then that is breach of contract, and is wrong. If an employee accepts terms which contain a timeframe during which he can be terminated before being fully vested, then he has nothing to complain about if that happens.

Your definition of "OK" is no doubt inordinately laden with all manner of tripe seeking to redefine the simple meaning of words such as "fair". There is absolutely nothing unfair about receiving exactly the compensation to which you contractually agreed. If you don't want to work under a particular set of terms, then don't accept the job.

Anything beyond that, philosophically, is no more than a bunch of touchy-feely irrational bullshit.