I'm sorry to hear that your week had to start off with such a shock, but it sure sounds like you've got a good attitude and a good handle on things. And you've got some great plans for stuff to do and keep you busy!

I think I'll go downstairs and pour myself a glass of wine in your honor...

I remember that shock feeling when I got laid off--it's terrible and you have every right to have a pity-party. At first, it isn't even fun to sleep in in the morning. I'm sorry it happened to you. 4000 sure is a lot of people. Don't feel bad about leaving early, either.

I had been "laid off" three times before I actually WAS laid off. Other branches of GTE picked me up and I just kept going to work even though I had no supervisors at my location. Weird, huh? I worked for a good 1-1/2 years before I got the final axe.

You'll be just fine though. It's just always a surprise even though you thought it could happen. So glad you got a good severance package, you lucky girl!!

Even though you were suspecting it might happen, its still gotta be a shock. I'm sorry it happened to you Stoney!! Yep after this many years you're entitled to a pity party IMO! I know you will bounce back better than ever tho!!
(((Stoneybaloney)))

If you still want to work - don't wait! Go and hunt down that job right away, even if you don't need it immediately. You're in a better position if you don't "need" the job, and you will probably present yourself in a better light.

Getting early retirement doesn't necessarily stink, LOL. It was the best thing that ever happened to DH and me. He went and got some contract work, which supplemented our income until he could take Social Security. Of course, we did have a good retirement plan in place, which helped a lot in our planning.

Sorry to hear this Stoney. I hope you will enjoy the time off though... sounds like you have plans in the works already!

I quit smoking 10 years ago in February...but bought some of the herbal ciggies back when I was having a rough patch with my crazy thyroid. It took care of the cravings, but since they don't have any nicotine in them I didn't have the addiction problem. The ones I buy off eBay are called 'Smokin Joes' and are made in the US.

Sorry to hear the news. Ok sit around for a couple of weeks maybe but now would be a good time to look for something while your "irons" are still hot so to speak. Sounds like you got a pretty good severence package but the reality of not "doing something" everyday will set in pretty soon. Right now it sounds like there are plenty of people around that can give you good recommendtions so don't lose out on that.
In my case when I took early retirement I really didn't have a skill to sell. I could run the fstest adding machine in town but My real job was solving problems and finding ways for others to do their job better. I miss the work itself but not the personnel anymore.

Go ahead Stoney, make lemonade. ;)

Do a few things you will really enjoy, you know, stuff you wouldn't have the time for, if you were working.

If you really want to go to work someplace else, stick your feelers out early. Before you get to set in a NO WORK routine. Cause it could be hard to go back to the grindstone.

Moni

to me it would have been great news...expecially since you get 75% of the retirement anyway...

If you feel you have to go back to work...or actually want to...I'd make sure I take my time and get something I enjoy. and consider it all a bonus.

patti

It sounds like you are in a good position financially with the severence you received. I hope you take a little bit of time to enjoy your retirement before searching for a new job. You may even find you like being retired!

Enjoy the lemonade while you can!

Wow, Stoney. I'm shocked to hear your news!

I worked for 8 years for a Fortune 500 company. During one economic downturn in that industry, they had mass layoffs. I learned one Friday that my job was being eliminated and I had until the following Monday to choose between a retirement package or a transfer to one of several locations (only one of which was in this state).

I took the package deal and have never regretted it. But still - it is a shock. I thought it would never happen to me. Took me years of bouncing around until I *knew* without a doubt that it was the best thing that could have ever happened.

Enjoy some free time. You've earned it. :-)

Thanks so very much for all your thoughts ... I appreciate it tremendously. I had a hard time getting to sleep last night, my thoughts were flitting from one thing to another and I just couldn't shut down my MIND. This morning I woke up when the neighbors were all warming their vehicles, I listened to them each drive off to work, and I got a bit weepy ... but then I got up and played with the dogs, and now I'm heading for the treadmill. My knee's been bothering me, but I figure a couple of s-l-o-w miles are better than N-O miles.

Today will be a rough one, hubby said to just pretend I'm on vacation until I get used to it, but I don't want to do that. I want to face it head-on and get past it, rather than disguise it.

The severance package is excellent, there's no doubt about it. But when it runs out, I'll have to have a job. We aren't in a position financially to live on retirement checks. My dream is to sell this place and move south, but that wasn't to take place for another six years and we're just not ready for it. I'll have to have a job that brings in enough so that, when added to the 75% retirement, gets me back to what I'm making now. I guess if I were *really* smart, I'd run out and find a job right now and get double-pay during this time ... but I'm not going to do that. By fall if DH and I haven't moidered each other, that will be soon enough to start job hunting. I am looking forward to the next job being a choice rather than an assignment. One of the bad parts about being with a large company is that they move you here- and there - and you either take it or leave it. So it's been probably seven years since I've been in a job of my choice. I was fortunate in that the job was redefined several times, and I grew to enjoy what I did, but the constant lay-off environment sure took away from my ability to look forward to going to work everyday.

so ... it's a long day ahead, and I'm feeling a pity party coming on, so I'll head for my treadmill and see if I can walk it off. It's a new world for me ...

(Stoney) DH was given the option last year to take early retirement. He also had the oportunity to walk into another job doing the same thing in the same complex for the company that took over the maintenance for the company he retired from. Confused yet?! He gets his pension, with benefits, from the first company. He gets paid weekly from the new one, without benefits, about the same as he was before. He is 51. Now, I'm not sure how much longer he's going to stay there. He has found he really likes not going to work. And we can do it if that's what he decides. It's raining today, and more tomorrow. When the alarm went off this morning he considered taking a snow day, again. I told him his boss would have a hard time believing a snow day, since it wasn't snowing. Asked him if it was clear snow (He taught Damien that water was clear juice). He said at least we don't have to shovel this!

Enjoy retirement if you can. If you think you are going to need another job, start looking now. I don't know what kind of experience you have, or doing what, but DS has looked for over 4 months for a job. Don't wait if you are going to NEED a job.

Tami

It's a sign of the times, isn't it?

I think you have a very healthy attitude about this big change in your life, and you have some choices about what to do next. It also seems like you'll enjoy the luxury of time to do some things, even if one of them is clean the house! So go ahead and have your pity party; we all need them once in a while. Then go forward with your life.

Gosh that is a shocker. When I was layed off, I missed my Friends at work so much. I didn't miss my Boss. LOL! When I was layed off with 15 others, I looked at the ages. Every Women was over the age of 45.

A friend called me yesterday. Her Husband is a U.S. Postal worker. His salary was reduced by $10,000 a year. He is expecting to be layed off and He is 54 years old.

It seems people are paying their bills on-line and Evite instead of Invitations along with Emails for Communication. Who would think the Post Office is going out of business?

Gayle

Wow Stoney, I'm sorry to hear that. But you are fortunate to be receiving a severance package that will tide you over. 27 years is a long time with one company. I'm sure there are many people you will miss - co-workers do become like family after that many years.

Go ahead and have a pity party - wish we could all come and join you! I wouldn't wait too long to get back into the job market if that is what you intend to do. I know I took 6 months off when we moved to Florida and it was hard to get back into the swing of things. Felt like I'd forgotten everything I knew. lol!!!

(((Stoney)))

~Betsy

Stoney,
It sounds like you have a plan and a good grip on the situation, so good for you for giving yourself some time to be shocked, sad and mad.

Like you said - the next job can be more of a choice than an assignment.
Let us know how you are doing.
Best,
GardenSpice

I don't know how it works anymore,since this happened to me in the 80's.But i worked for a big company for almost 20 years,when they had a big layoff.We also got good severance pay,and they also allowed us at that time to also collect unemployment.The way they explained it our severance pay was money we had already earned and was entitled to,so we were able to draw the unemployment as well,and i and a lot of my co-workers did that for the full 26 weeks.Every friday we'd go to our work place and pick up our severance checks,then the following tuesday we'd go to the unemployment office.

Now i understand it's all done electronically.
I know the times have changed now,so that may no longer be possible.We sure enjoyed it while it lasted.
Kathi

Sorry to hear this Stoney, but I envy your being able to stay at home for a while. Sounds like fun to me!

I'm w/ Mary_C--don't wait.

As a manager, I'd rather pick someone up right after a layoff than hire someone who lazed around for a while. I might wonder about their dedication.

OK, wait a month. But not until fall.

For one thing, the sooner you start working full time, the sooner you'll be able to bank the severance money.

Sorry you were ousted like that. I keep thinking I want to retire, but when I have more than 1 week off, I don't know what to do with myself, so guess I'll just keep working. I hope it all works out for you in the long run.

Unfortunately, if you start a new job you will likely have very little paid time off so I would be sure I got my fill of not working before I looked for another job. I would understand that someone with a severance package would want to take some time off between jobs, if I were your next potential employer. I don't think it's a question of dedication. Who wouldn't want to regroup between jobs, especially after 27 years with the same company?

I'm sorry this happened to you and even sorrier it didn't happen to me. Good luck with the job hunt.

Linda (who wants to retire now but has to wait until May 1, 2010.)

I'm with others who say don't wait until fall to look for another job. Take a month or so now and then start your job search. I think it is more difficult to get another job when you have not been working the past six months. Also, you get used to not working and it is harder to get back in the swing of things. Who knows what the economy will be by next fall?

I'm sorry, Stoney. And I hope you manage to seriously enjoy your time off, however long you make it. This could be a blessing in disguise, you know! Change, while hard, can be good.

27 years! wow! I'm sorry! What a shcok indeed!
BUT, enjoy, let go and have a little fun.

Aw Dang!

I don't think losing a long-term position is something most people could take in stride. Shock and disbelief seem like normal reactions to me. I'm sorry you're having to go through this unpleasantness, but I've read enough of your posts to know you're a pretty spunky gal. When you have had a few days to process your new circumstances, I'll bet you'll have a plan, and you'll be excited about it! Maybe you will want to take another look at that plan to move south, and look at whether or not it could (or should) happen sooner. Best of luck to you and your family, as you work through another one of life's challenges. I can tell you, the south is really a wonderful place to live...so keep that dream alive for sure!

Unlike the others i'd say take the time off and do something fun that you've wanted to do,but didn't have the time.MY BF and i took all kinds of classess in free motion embroidery,smocking,quilting etc.Then after 1 1/2 years i decided to go back to work,and got a job in a quilt store where i stayed for 10 years.

PS BF is best friend,not boy friend.LOL
Kathi

Let's think of a new shrunken name .. "BOF" for Boy Friend, "BEF" for Best Friend. Or maybe "MF for Male Friend (add "B" for Best) and "FF" for Female Friend (also add "B" for Best).

Stoney,

I'm pleased that you aren't "stoney broke" - no baloney!

You speak of looking forward to retirement, as hubby's now retired.

My suggestion is to take a month or so to have fun now, run around with hubby, kick up your heels ... well, be a bit careful of that knee!, etc.

Then go back to work.

If you can invest the rest of the severance package (especially now when the stock market's down and there are some bargains available), that'll move your projected retirement date ahead for longer than the time that you'll not work now, for it'll be working while you are. And maybe develop some above-average growth over the next few years.

Could that possibility interest you?

I recommend it.

On the day that you started work, you had brains and hands at work ... and no money.

On the day that you retire - brains and money at work ... no hands. And in case $4.00 now may grow into $5.00 in a couple of years ... you could use that, couldn't you?

Good wishes for getting things settled down and arranged in a way that suits you.

Good thoughts and hopes, plus a prayer, going your way.

ole joyful

Bunch of encouragement coming your way. I hope it works out for the best and you're able enjoy retirement, time off, your next job, or whatever you decide to do.