Some of you might remember I had a bit of upheaval in 2023 as my OH was told he had to retire from his job in 2024 at the age of 64. He was then given a deferral to 65, which is next month. The official letter he had from HR stated he could apply for another deferral before December 2024, so he started the ball rolling last October. His line manager and another manager supported him in this as his skills are crucial to the project they’re on and he was told in December it was all approved, there was nothing to worry about and he’d get the confirmation in February. By February nothing happened, he was getting concerned but again was assured everything was in place, it was merely a formality.
By this point he was starting to feel a bit on edge about it so he said to his managers he needed to know officially by 1st April as he would need to start thinking about the future. Again the answer was everything is OK.
He had a meeting with his line manager 2 weeks ago and was asked if he would he be prepared to go back to being a contractor. His reply was whilst it wasn’t his first choice and he would prefer to remain an employee, if they made him an offer he’d seriously consider it as he’s not ready to retire.
His line manager had a meeting last Monday with the 2 managers above him who are handling everything (they’re not in Switzerland). OH overheard his line manager getting flustered and saying to them “he’s not prepared to be a contractor” and also divulged some things my OH had said to him in strict confidence. That was it, his role was killed stone dead and his retirement was announced to the team 2 days later. He has 20 days left to work and has decided to do this from home (he’s been here since last Tuesday), says he’ll go in at the weekend to clear his locker but he’s not prepared to go back to work in the office as he’s not in a good frame of mind at the moment (he feels something was known at the end of last year and he was being strung along). He did ask to be involved in the meeting with the 2 higher level managers so he could negotiate for himself, but this was turned down.
He’s now looking for something else, but realistically are there any prospects here for senior software developers at 65? He has a potential p/t job offer but that would be only 30 hours a month, this would cover rent and medical insurance for both of us but that’s all so we’d be tapping into savings. There is a very small amount of Swiss state pension payable from June. If he doesn’t get anything else we’ll be packing up towards the end of the year as we’re focused on the fact we have no real regular income from end May.
We always knew retirement was getting closer,but because of all the assurances he had from management we just didn’t think it would happen out of the blue like this so it’s all been a bit upsetting. Had we known at the end of last year we would have been more organised. I’m doing my best to be supportive but am having to walk away from spontaneous angry outbursts.
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I’m sorry - that’s really tough. Something similar happened to my father at retirement age. It really knocked the stuffing out of him and soured what should have been a positive transition to the next stage of my parents’ lives. And that was without the added complication of living in a different country to the one he was born in.
I’m sorry I can’t answer your question but didn’t want to read and run without sending you a virtual hug.
Thanks for that, it’s all just so up in the air at the moment. Something like this happened to my sister when she worked for one of the oil companies in S Arabia, she was supposed to work beyond age 60, unknown to her the manager who assured her he’d applied for a year’s extension hadn’t and he just curtly said I think you should retire and have a nice life now. However in her case it was blatant discrimination from the point of her being a woman in an uber patriarchal society.
OH has been putting out the feelers on things like LinkedIn, he’s also considered whether he should start a company and try to find work that way.
Brrr! Shivering at the very thought of retirement.
I have until 66 and four months, meaning another one and a half years to go and it keeps me among other things awake at night.
Just reading the thread title made my stomach lurch, the though of having nothing to do and not nearly enough money to enjoy it is terrifying.
I plan on adding another two years if I can so every month helps a bit now.
He could call the two senior managers directly.
At this time he has nothing to lose.
Depending on his skill set working as a contractor can work well.
I worked as a contractor until 71.
For some strange reason I always held you for under 60.
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83 in June
But thank you ever so much
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which only means you don’t read his posts attentively! He has mentioned it here and there.
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I did suggest that to him but they refused to let him be included in the meeting with his line manager in the first place. As I said he wanted to negotiate for himself as he didn’t really want his line manager doing it, his line manager doesn’t think quickly on his feet and has to really think about what to say when meetings have to be conducted in English.
If he tried to contact the other 2 directly it would probably be ignored anyway and to go over his line manager would be seen as an insult. We also know that a colleague from another team was offered his job recently and they turned it down preferring to stay where they were.
Yes I know, but in my minds eye I imagined him younger, Just as I imagine you as being a 30-ish buxom wench with long blonde hair and a tan.
Did they really refuse or was that an invention of his line manager.
No, I´m your generic plus-sized ogre.
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Ogre, not Troll and now I am never going to get that damn song out of my head.
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Let it be an insult!
They stringed him on since last October. They are either incapable or the worst liars ever.
He’s out in 20 days unless he now tries to get that contractor deal. As marton said, he’s got nothing to lose. It’s now or never!
On top of it all: Do you have a Swiss passport or does your residence permit hang on all this as well?
All I know is he said he wanted to be included in the meeting as he had things he wanted to put forward himself and wanted to get a dialogue going so he could negotiate (for instance he was willing to go down to 4 days a week therefore earn less salary). His line manager came back and said the other 2 didn’t want him to be included. He’s now wondering if his line manager knew something at the end of last year but didn’t want to tell him. The other boss who supported his deferral application says it was handled poorly by the line manager (apparently he hates anything to do with man management).
We know the deferral was approved prior to Christmas by someone else above in the management chain, then it had to go to these 2 guys who are in the hierarchy above that. Decision making is farcical.
British passports, he was granted a 5 year B permit again in January.
At the end of March, we held a little farewell-party for a guy who had “retired” at 65 but kept working 40% since then.
He’s 75 now.
Actually had a heart-attack at work before 65 (I think).
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If money is not the problem then go for retirement and start living again.
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