The Great Resignation

[Vodoun daVinci]

I joined the Great Resignation today - 66YO in March of 2022. I am a Field Service Specialist in Audio/Visual Systems with 48 years of verifiable experience. I am rated 99% by my current and past employers - I had 3 jobs in 2017 and every change made me more money. In April of 2020 they fired me because they got paid millions in PPP money because they shit canned us to get below the threshold of 500 employees.

I begged for my job back in September of that year and they reluctantly agreed to rehire me (not bring me out of layoff) as a new employee and I gave up my 3+ years of Seniority and became a newbie/new hire with shit benefits and PTO. But they informed me that my title of "Field Service Specialist" is now rescinded and I'm an "Installer". Today they assigned me to cut drywall and climb ladders in a new construction - no lights. No heat. Pee in the portapottie at -9 F. And stop, drop, and suck on command because we have pulled our 66 YO Field Service Specialist from his expertise and he's lucky to have a job.

I have plenty of gigs that do not involve an Electronics Engineering Technician with 48 years of experience crawling on the unheated concrete floor in sub zero F temps. and busting dry wall. So I quit - no notice. Don't need their recommendation and I emptied my truck and pulled my tools and had my Wife pick me up. I have a job interview at 2 pm tomorrow that pays me more money - no ladders, no portapotties, no drywall *but* I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna retire. House and cars paid for - no debt. None. $70K in checking and savings, $500K in Retirement Income Fund at Vanguard and $1860 a month in SS and I'm making $50K a year on my investments so my income is roughly $70K per year - working full time I am making $58K.

Fuck Millionaires and their concept of all working folks are *lucky* to have a shit job...hopefully they send the CEO to pull cable and bust holes at -9F. I'm done.

VooDoo

 

[The King]

Yeah fuck em.

 

[MadDuner]

I joined the Great Resignation today - 66YO in March of 2022. I am a Field Service Specialist in Audio/Visual Systems with 48 years of verifiable experience. I am rated 99% by my current and past employers - I had 3 jobs in 2017 and every change made me more money. In April of 2020 they fired me because they got paid millions in PPP money because they shit canned us to get below the threshold of 500 employees.

I begged for my job back in September of that year and they reluctantly agreed to rehire me (not bring me out of layoff) as a new employee and I gave up my 3+ years of Seniority and became a newbie/new hire with shit benefits and PTO. But they informed me that my title of "Field Service Specialist" is now rescinded and I'm an "Installer". Today they assigned me to cut drywall and climb ladders in a new construction - no lights. No heat. Pee in the portapottie at -9 F. And stop, drop, and suck on command because we have pulled our 66 YO Field Service Specialist from his expertise and he's lucky to have a job.

I have plenty of gigs that do not involve an Electronics Engineering Technician with 48 years of experience crawling on the unheated concrete floor in sub zero F temps. and busting dry wall. So I quit - no notice. Don't need their recommendation and I emptied my truck and pulled my tools and had my Wife pick me up. I have a job interview at 2 pm tomorrow that pays me more money - no ladders, no portapotties, no drywall *but* I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna retire. House and cars paid for - no debt. None. $70K in checking and savings, $500K in Retirement Income Fund at Vanguard and $1860 a month in SS and I'm making $50K a year on my investments so my income is roughly $70K per year - working full time I am making $58K.

Fuck Millionaires and their concept of all working folks are *lucky* to have a shit job...hopefully they send the CEO to pull cable and bust holes at -9F. I'm done.

VooDoo

Good on you for knowing when enough is enough!

 

[Seed tick]

Rock and Roll Brother! Pulled the plug myself end of September! No regrets at all. By all means retire, fuck a job, you have put in your time. Enjoy.

 

[Jerry V]

Good for you. If you get bored in retirement you can always find subcontract work just for something to do and have some shooting funds. I retired 10 years ago and still work when I want and am having a great time. $ made go in my shooting fund cause I still like my toys and continue enjoying with no need to hold back worrying about taking anything from my family responsibilities.

 

[waveslayer]

So I'm suspect on a few key details regarding this. Not that I jave any skin in the game, but like my grandpa used to always say, "name me one poor person that gave you a job?" So I have lived by that because for 99.8% of my peer reviews I'm right.

How do you know that they received X amount in PPP, we have over 500 employees and received PPP. And for more info , there is big money in Employee Retention Bonuses bybyhe government, I mean big big money so that story isn't checking out for me. Now you could be right but how do you know?

Also when I hire people it's the understanding that we agree upon an hourly or salaried rate and that is both agreed upon. I never understood the people upset and ask for a raise after 90 days.... we had an agreement from the hiring date.. anyways, how short are they on staff? Having you bang out drywall was that a 1 time gig or did you get a new job description, if it's not in your job description then that's a good conversation to have.. or enjoy retirement

Again I have no skin in the game but congrats on retirement and hopefully you find something better when you're not looking

 

[hino895]

Doing the same thing in a couple months.....

 

[ggmanning]

Good for you and enjoy retirement but a millionaire is not what you think. If you have 570K, a house paid for and 2 vehicles paid for you are nearly a millionaire

 

[10ring'r]

I joined the Great Resignation today - 66YO in March of 2022. I am a Field Service Specialist in Audio/Visual Systems with 48 years of verifiable experience. I am rated 99% by my current and past employers - I had 3 jobs in 2017 and every change made me more money. In April of 2020 they fired me because they got paid millions in PPP money because they shit canned us to get below the threshold of 500 employees.

I begged for my job back in September of that year and they reluctantly agreed to rehire me (not bring me out of layoff) as a new employee and I gave up my 3+ years of Seniority and became a newbie/new hire with shit benefits and PTO. But they informed me that my title of "Field Service Specialist" is now rescinded and I'm an "Installer". Today they assigned me to cut drywall and climb ladders in a new construction - no lights. No heat. Pee in the portapottie at -9 F. And stop, drop, and suck on command because we have pulled our 66 YO Field Service Specialist from his expertise and he's lucky to have a job.

I have plenty of gigs that do not involve an Electronics Engineering Technician with 48 years of experience crawling on the unheated concrete floor in sub zero F temps. and busting dry wall. So I quit - no notice. Don't need their recommendation and I emptied my truck and pulled my tools and had my Wife pick me up. I have a job interview at 2 pm tomorrow that pays me more money - no ladders, no portapotties, no drywall *but* I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna retire. House and cars paid for - no debt. None. $70K in checking and savings, $500K in Retirement Income Fund at Vanguard and $1860 a month in SS and I'm making $50K a year on my investments so my income is roughly $70K per year - working full time I am making $58K.

Fuck Millionaires and their concept of all working folks are *lucky* to have a shit job...hopefully they send the CEO to pull cable and bust holes at -9F. I'm done.

VooDoo

I'm lucky. I retired 3 years prior to this shit show. We've got a pretty decent "Nest Egg" saved, vehicles are paid for, house paid for, just monthly living expenses like everyone else. Take that F'n money you've worked hard for, spend it, make you and yours happy with it, especially, before the .Gov decides to take it (that's what we worry about). The only thing this covid thing has kept us from doing, is travelling the way we like. You sound like you've had a great run, now it's time to LIVE! Good Luck with all your choices. Mac

 

[Ravenworks]

Never hear a Union guy bitching about pissing in a Porta-John.
I retired @ 57 and your point?
Where's your fucking blue team now?

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

So I'm suspect on a few key details regarding this. Not that I jave any skin in the game, but like my grandpa used to always say, "name me one poor person that gave you a job?" So I have lived by that because for 99.8% of my peer reviews I'm right.

How do you know that they received X amount in PPP, we have over 500 employees and received PPP. And for more info , there is big money in Employee Retention Bonuses bybyhe government, I mean big big money so that story isn't checking out for me. Now you could be right but how do you know?

Also when I hire people it's the understanding that we agree upon an hourly or salaried rate and that is both agreed upon. I never understood the people upset and ask for a raise after 90 days.... we had an agreement from the hiring date.. anyways, how short are they on staff? Having you bang out drywall was that a 1 time gig or did you get a new job description, if it's not in your job description then that's a good conversation to have.. or enjoy retirement

Again I have no skin in the game but congrats on retirement and hopefully you find something better when you're not looking

My State Senators office contacted me back in Summer 2020 and asked a bunch of pointed questions.....I asked them why the questions and they told me point blank that they *knew* many companies had axed hundreds of employees and I was told that the cutoff was 500 employees for PPP. And my company axed exactly 280 people to get below the threshold. And they (frankly) wanted to put the CEO in jail for this as PPP was supposed to protect out jobs - not get people fired to get multi million $ forgivable loans to companies with less than 500 employees.

I told them I didn't want to testify or contribute to their quest as I'd hoped to get my job back eventually and didn't want to jeopardize that by conspiring to jail the CEO. When new hired I discovered thru fellow coworkers that the Company had indeed been paid millions in PPP - they have yet to rehire (and never will) but a fraction of people they let go. Most of whom went on SS/retired early.

I was told people would go to jail for this deal. But I assume when it all got sorted out, The .GOV is fine with paying multi millionaires to fire their employees to get the payout as long as it was done before the Plan was enacted. By the way, we all got canned 3 days before PPP was rolled out. literally 280 people got shit canned and days later the company got paid millions in PPP because they met the employee limit requirements. We lost our jobs in The Pandemic so that multi millionaires (who got that way on our skill/expertise) could get another couple million in the bank.

Fuck them. I remove my skills and 48 years of expertise from their influence. Send the CEO to crawl in the drywall dust at -9F. I'm taking my skills elsewhere or retiring. There are easy gigs everywhere now and Grandpa's knees don't like sub zero floors anymore...I'm certain there are thousands of young folks begging for that job at half what I was being paid. Go get 'em, CEO. Good luck and fuck you.

VooDoo

 

[DocRDS]

I think of myself as Free Agent. They would not hesitate to fire me, so if a better offer comes along C YA!

This is how you take back companies--they treat us like a commodity, find someone who treats you good. My mom (RIP) gave me some of the best job advice ever:
"They aren't coming to you Funeral"

Helps keep things in perspective. Only you have your best interests in mind.

 

[missed]

Finding out who got PPP money and how much is pretty easy to find actually. It's almost public record.

 

[NoDopes]

I'd love to retire, but I don't think I can swing the health care costs.. and with inflation now.. my 401K won't by a case of primers within a couple years. I don't think my wife could stop spending money is also a problem.

 

[JimTN]

Best wishes for whatever you decide to do going forward.

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

Finding out who got PPP money and how much is pretty easy to find actually. It's almost public record.

Prolly cause I'm well lit at this point I'm not understanding your point......

VooDoo

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

I made a similar statement a couple weeks ago. You may be the goat at your current job. In less than six months you won't hear diddly squat from a soul after walking out the door.

I think of myself as Free Agent. They would not hesitate to fire me, so if a better offer comes along C YA!

This is how you take back companies--they treat us like a commodity, find someone who treats you good. My mom (RIP) gave me some of the best job advice ever:
"They aren't coming to you Funeral"

Helps keep things in perspective. Only you have your best interests in mind.

 

[MtnCreek]

I wish you the best in retirement and hope you make the most of it.

 

[missed]

Prolly cause I'm well lit at this point I'm not understanding your point......

VooDoo

Haha, someone else asked how someone knows about the PPP money. Good to hear skilled people tell companies to KTA ...

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Always good when a man can get out alive.

 

[ArTeeKay]

You enjoy that drink, kemosabe. As a young guy coming up in a technical field similar to yours, I'm looking forward to the day when the weight of my expertise and skill will afford me the luxury of telling a bad employer to kick rocks, if it comes to that. For the moment, I'm just happy my employer is paying me to bang my head on my keyboard while I try to figure out how the fuck these PLC's are supposed to work.

 

[gigamortis]

I think of myself as Free Agent. They would not hesitate to fire me, so if a better offer comes along C YA!

This is how you take back companies--they treat us like a commodity, find someone who treats you good. My mom (RIP) gave me some of the best job advice ever:
"They aren't coming to you Funeral"

Helps keep things in perspective. Only you have your best interests in mind.

"Free Agent" pretty much describes my outlook on being a highly skilled employee in today's job market. Especially when newly arriving replacements are getting paid 20% more than the workplace veterans that are training them. Why not switch jobs every year or two? That's instant raises that far outpace any measly cookie cutter cost of living raises if you were a "good" employee and just stayed put.

No matter how pissed off I ever got at an employer, I've always stayed true to my trades work side of the labor equation. Your workmanship speaks volumes about you. Too many employers out there only view you as a necessary evil no matter how many times you bailed their asses out with a creative solution to keep the place running.

 

[Razor6300804959]

Good for you. Maybe in the future you may decide to put out your resume for contract jobs here and there—- and then you pick and choose where, when and if you want the project. Congrats.

 

[The D]

You should have left a lot more indignantly

 

[Holliday]

Finding out who got PPP money and how much is pretty easy to find actually. It's almost public record.

I have a friend who owns CPA firm. He told me he got 98k for PPP. They subsequently went online with everyone working from home and he had his best year ever. Loan was still forgiven. I looked it up and it was public record, online.

He put a down payment on a condo for his daughter and bought a Mercedes camper van…..

 

[Seed tick]

PPP was terribly abused

 

[The D]

PPP was terribly abused

Who didn’t see that coming?

 

[E. Bryant]

Finding out who got PPP money and how much is pretty easy to find actually. It's almost public record.

Yep. Got plenty of friends with stories about getting dinged with pay cuts in Q2/3 2020 to "help the company through a rough spot", and then found out later how much their employer received in PPP funds. It really helps morale.

 

[NoDopes]

PPP was terribly abused

$100 Billion in fraud.

Don't forget, Hunter Biden art studio with 2 employees got $500,000 in PPP.

 

[Holliday]

Well just remember.

When the poor get free money, it’s charity or welfare.

When the well-off, non profits and corporations get free money, it’s a grant or loan forgiveness……

Stop being poor.

 

[MtnCreek]

Yep. Got plenty of friends with stories about getting dinged with pay cuts in Q2/3 2020 to "help the company through a rough spot", and then found out later how much their employer received in PPP funds. It really helps morale.

I have friends that took all decisions to fire worthless employees to top level instead of letting supervisors handle as was the case because they didn't want to get fucked over by the gov. Know of others that wisely didn't touch the bullshit. Everybody was fucking everybody over the taxpayer handout.

 

[BCP]

hopefully they send the CEO to pull cable and bust holes at -9F. I'm done.

VooDoo

How dare you quit a shitty job. Stop being lazy and get back inside that porta potty.

$100 Billion in fraud.

Don't forget, Hunter Biden art studio with 2 employees got $500,000 in PPP.

That's just the number they told us lol.

 

[myronman3]

i told my employer to go fuck themselves last july. corporate leeches raking in millions off the backs of the people out there succeeding in spite of their drilling holes in the bottom of the boat. they needed me way more than i needed them.

not that i need to, but i’m going contracting. it is either on my terms, or i aint working.

 

[gigamortis]

i told my employer to go fuck themselves last july. corporate leeches raking in millions off the backs of the people out there succeeding in spite of their drilling holes in the bottom of the boat. they needed me way more than i needed them.

not that i need to, but i’m going contracting. it is either on my terms, or i aint working.

This right here. If the average middle class person wasn't in debt up to their eyeballs and had some rainy day savings, they would be amazed at the freedom they would have to say no to corporate BS. No longer would they have to embrace the suck of working for a shitty employer, or any employer that carried the water of .gov when it comes to the masks and vax. Imagine if 50% or more of the skilled workers would just sit out all on their own initiative and refuse to go back to work until conditions became favorable. The scamdemic would have been over a year or more ago.

 

[chevy_man]

Never hear a Union guy bitching about pissing in a Porta-John.
I retired @ 57 and your point?
Where's your fucking blue team now?

Nope.












They wouldn't be able to find it from the bench!

 

[Doc68]

I joined the Great Resignation today - 66YO in March of 2022. I am a Field Service Specialist in Audio/Visual Systems with 48 years of verifiable experience. I am rated 99% by my current and past employers - I had 3 jobs in 2017 and every change made me more money. In April of 2020 they fired me because they got paid millions in PPP money because they shit canned us to get below the threshold of 500 employees.

I begged for my job back in September of that year and they reluctantly agreed to rehire me (not bring me out of layoff) as a new employee and I gave up my 3+ years of Seniority and became a newbie/new hire with shit benefits and PTO. But they informed me that my title of "Field Service Specialist" is now rescinded and I'm an "Installer". Today they assigned me to cut drywall and climb ladders in a new construction - no lights. No heat. Pee in the portapottie at -9 F. And stop, drop, and suck on command because we have pulled our 66 YO Field Service Specialist from his expertise and he's lucky to have a job.

I have plenty of gigs that do not involve an Electronics Engineering Technician with 48 years of experience crawling on the unheated concrete floor in sub zero F temps. and busting dry wall. So I quit - no notice. Don't need their recommendation and I emptied my truck and pulled my tools and had my Wife pick me up. I have a job interview at 2 pm tomorrow that pays me more money - no ladders, no portapotties, no drywall *but* I'm pretty sure I'm just gonna retire. House and cars paid for - no debt. None. $70K in checking and savings, $500K in Retirement Income Fund at Vanguard and $1860 a month in SS and I'm making $50K a year on my investments so my income is roughly $70K per year - working full time I am making $58K.

Fuck Millionaires and their concept of all working folks are *lucky* to have a shit job...hopefully they send the CEO to pull cable and bust holes at -9F. I'm done.

VooDoo

8/10 rant. More vulgarity would have gotten you a 10.

Doc

 

[Vodoun daVinci]

The job and field I loved - mostly dealing one on one with clients with AV Systems that worked yesterday but today they didn't work. I'm a really good troubleshooter and engineering/electronics guy who started in the time when we still fixed TV's and electronics so I have decades of experience troubleshooting to component level in devices with hundreds/thousands of parts. So troubleshooting a System with a dozen pieces with simple and fast for me. I'm a Field Service Specialist...my technical skills are unheard of in todays world of cookie cutter employees and my customer service skills are not far behind.

The job I liked and my coworkers were the absolute best technicians and support folks I have ever worked with. But apparently the Work World is changing and experience and dedication are for chumps - I was hired as a Dedicated Field Service Guy with the understanding that if the Installers needed help and I didn't have Service Calls or RMA's to process that I would assist them with termination and installing programs and doing "Smarty Pants" stuff. Gradually over the last few months I find myself more and more pulling cable, climbing ladders, installing heavy screens, displays, and speakers, and doing heavy labor. Which I'm still really good at (I can still do 100 push ups at 66, textbook BMI, BP, and low resting heart rate) and my coworkers who are all at least 20 years younger than I simply don't get it that I can work like a dog all day just like them but tomorrow or the day after Grandpa VooDoo is done. The older I get, the more physical labor they expect.

And the Company could care less if they work me into an injury and/or destroy my health. Nobody at the Corporate level has a clue of how these Systems get integrated. And it's getting worse by the week. They expect mandatory OT - I'm salaried.

Time to make other arrangements. I have been telling them for over a year I wasn't thrilled with being deployed to construction sites and doing heavy install but nobody cares who has enough influence to fix it. So now they can do it themselves. I worry about my former coworkers but they have to sort this out for themselves.

VooDoo

 

[Hobo Hilton]

This right here. If the average middle class person wasn't in debt up to their eyeballs and had some rainy day savings, they would be amazed at the freedom they would have to say no to corporate BS. No longer would they have to embrace the suck of working for a shitty employer, or any employer that carried the water of .gov when it comes to the masks and vax. Imagine if 50% or more of the skilled workers would just sit out all on their own initiative and refuse to go back to work until conditions became favorable. The scamdemic would have been over a year or more ago.

Ayn Rand was ahead of her time....

Atlas Shrugged - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[myronman3]

you are so right about the debt thing. the reason i was able to leave was i worked hard to get out of debt my ex wife put me in. and i have been debt free for probably 10 years.

the coworker thing….i had the same issue. best group of people ever; and i was the top guy and a leader of the group….i pretty much set the standard and the others followed suit (out of earned respect). hardest part of leave was leaving my guys without me to be there for/with them. BUT….at some point i was going to be gone anyway. i was encouraging them to leave and find a better job for years.
one is starting school for nursing….he is either going to quit and go to school full time for 2 years, or continue to work and go part time to school for 4 years. 2 others are overdue for retirement and will be fine. the last is a younger guy, and he wont last long by himself as they will demand so much more than any one person could ever do, and they’ll push him until he walks out. and by that time, if i am contracting, i might try to snipe him out from under them because they certainly dont deserve him.

either way, it’s their lives and they will be fine despite what i do. part of what pisses me off is that the job, the coworkers, the people i was helping (customers) were all fantasatic. but the corporate intrusion was so outragous that enough was enough. not to even start bitching about the health related privacy intrusion they were pulling with covid as their excuse.

 

[308pirate]

I think of myself as Free Agent.

This

 

[Seed tick]

Upper Management takes advantage 99% of the time. Unfortunately being loyal and working hard is often not rewarded is this day and age. Expecting it to be so will result in disappointment. Hauling ass was the best move I ever made.

 

[deersniper]

Having you bang out drywall was that a 1 time gig or did you get a new job description

Who sends some 66 y/o to go hang drywall in freezing temps?

Seems like they didn’t want him?

 

[BCP]

This right here. If the average middle class person wasn't in debt up to their eyeballs and had some rainy day savings, they would be amazed at the freedom they would have to say no to corporate BS. No longer would they have to embrace the suck of working for a shitty employer, or any employer that carried the water of .gov when it comes to the masks and vax. Imagine if 50% or more of the skilled workers would just sit out all on their own initiative and refuse to go back to work until conditions became favorable.

That's the *real* Atlas Shrugged. People saying Fuck You to shitty managers, corrupt businesses and tyrannical government regulations.

America did it once with the British. Now we have to do it with our own government.

 

[BCP]

Who sends some 66 y/o to go hang drywall in freezing temps?

Seems like they didn’t want him?

They get a call to send someone to XYZ address and whomever is working that day goes.

 

[TurboTrout]

I don’t think I could handle retirement, I love my job and I don’t do freetime, getting 6-8hrs sleep is enough free time for me.

I’d freelance before I retired, think my only retirement will be death, and I’m cool with that.

 

[waveslayer]

Who sends some 66 y/o to go hang drywall in freezing temps?

Seems like they didn’t want him?

Read my question. You assume too much. That's why I asked. If he answered everyday then the conversation starts... but you jumped the gun, you even quoted my question but didn't answer it.

 

[myronman3]

this is my motto these days.

 

[tomcatmv]

Go for it Voodoo. I hung it up in June of 2019 at 68. Like you our house is paid for as are both rigs. The two killers we have are the highway robbery property taxes here in Texas and the wife's medical insurance (over $950) a month because she's only 61. I am currently looking for a job here in central TX. because I could use the extra bucks and I miss working a bit. I t might be a self-esteem thing.
Had almost 45 years in design/build mechanical contracting as an engineer, PM estimator/Sr. Account Exec. and VP but nobody seems to want to hire and old fart.

 

[Hobo Hilton]

A record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November while openings remained elevated, highlighting persistent churn in the labor market.
The increase in departures was broad across industries and pushed the quits rate up to 3%, matching the most in data back to 2000. Meanwhile, the number of available positions fell to 10.6 million from an upwardly revised 11.1 million in October, the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS, showed

A Record 4.5 Million Americans Quit Their Jobs in November

A record 4.5 million Americans quit their jobs in November while openings remained elevated, highlighting persistent churn in the labor market.

news.bloomberglaw.com

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Go for it Voodoo. I hung it up in June of 2019 at 68. Like you our house is paid for as are both rigs. The two killers we have are the highway robbery property taxes here in Texas and the wife's medical insurance (over $950) a month because she's only 61. I am currently looking for a job here in central TX. because I could use the extra bucks and I miss working a bit. I t might be a self-esteem thing.
Had almost 45 years in design/build mechanical contracting as an engineer, PM estimator/Sr. Account Exec. and VP but nobody seems to want to hire and old fart.

Maybe you could be a Range Rider... I see a demand for that in the future of America.

Range Riders — Western Sustainability Exchange

www.westernsustainabilityexchange.org