Boss is refusing to let me take my foot off the gas

[tiredofthisshit21]

I'm retiring at the end of this year, corporate role, mid senior. I gave more than my contracted notice out of courtesy, did everything right. I've only got just over two months to go and I had thought that there might be a bit of easing back of the pressure to ease me gently into retirement. But my manager just keeps piling on the workload and pressure, regardless. I'm trying to care less, I really am, but there's no acceptance whatsoever that I have no incentive to go the extra mile any more. Currently facing into another working week with dread.

If you've been in this situation, how did you handle it?

Work your time and flag anything that is unachievable over that. I've this happen when people hand their notice in and the employer tries to rinse everything they can out of them. Write up good handover notes for the next person.

Surely, this is the priority for yourself, The new hire and the company, that you train and support. So they transition into the new role smoothly. Ie when you leave, nobody notices a difference, the new person has got the job, is handling it and progressing properly. They should be shadowing you and doing the role.

OP has stated she gets no pay for being off sick so that route is closed.

Instead make sure that any and all hand over duties are done within paid working hours. That includes any reports or briefings you have to compile. any exit interviews to hand over or training sessions with your replacement. If this means that your "normal" work piles up then so be it. That's the problem for your manager/your replacement to deal with and not for you. Then you can say with integrity that you managed your handover to your successor in good faith and to the best of your abilities.

You are entirely within your rights to want a normal working pace for your last few weeks before retirement. Even more so if they are refusing to pay your bonus and wont even give you sick pay. Stop working the extra hours and work to rule. Take all your breaks. Log off and on at scheduled times but nothing else outside those hours. They cant sack you and there is nothing they can do...if they moan just shrug...you will be gone in a few weeks and they arent your problem anymore.

Dont tick off the days to retirement... a guy at work did this but he did not make it...

Just do the bare minimum (no overtime etc) and the days will fly by, does not matter what does not get done, your replacment should be ready to step in by now... they have had enough warning

I don't think the OP intends to slack off. I just get the impression she wants to give 100%, rather than 125%!

Companies so often do this - they don't want the expense of hiring enough people to do the work, so they make it an expectation that the staff they have do more than their job should involve so everything gets done.

If it were me, I'd grit my teeth, plough through the next couple of months and then skip off gleefully, knowing full well that they'll be in the sh1t without me. In the meantime, I would continually ask them, "What is priority here, A or B?" and "What is your strategy to manage XYZ when I have left?"

THEY need to have a business plan that allows for you leaving. Just keep pushing that - they need to have this in place BEFORE you go, because once you're gone you are GONE.

By saying that she won't be getting a bonus for the year already worked, they are removing pay/benefits. What would be the point of working extra hours if she knows she won't be rewarded for the extra work?

I wasn’t saying that OP should do unpaid overtime - just that you do what you are fully contracted to do in exchange for being paid the agreed salary.

Where bonuses are concerned, people usually try to arrange retirement for the end of the financial year to ensure they still get one. If you are leaving before then, there’s not much to be done, so yes OP is entitled not to do the above/beyond functions that would normally have factored into that payment.

Unless you are a bus driver, YABU.

Work hard but keep to your hours. If it can't be done it's not your problem. But of course they expect you to work.

Work your normal hours and be clear about what cannot be achieved.

For anyone that isn't retiring, here's a great example of why if you always go above and beyond it becomes the norm and expected.

Honestly, I think younger generations have seen this clearly and simply are not up for it.

because op is being paid to do 100% not 125%, why should she bust a gut for free? staying behind after work is free loading

This ^^

He can't MAKE you stay late or flog yourself!

Work can pile up if they overload you but no power on Earth can make you plough through it!

Give what you consider a fair days work then fuck off home. What they gonna do? Sack you?

If you work for a taxi firm or are a bus driver, this is terrible advice.

Well given the OP works from home in a corporate job, I’d say that was pretty bloody unlikely!

This really. What are they going to do about it?

Cant you be naughty and just slack off in a way they cant measure and wont find until you're gone. There must be stuff you can offload or ditch.

If you are still being paid in full then you are still doing your job so unless you are taking on a lot of new work that you won’t be there to see to fruition then you are still working for them, the fact you gave them longer notice is down to you, you didn’t need to. Just count the days off, do what you can and think of your retirement, if you ease up they can’t exactly sack you, you’ll be going anyway.

They are not paying your bonus, they are expecting more from you: Go in exactly on time and leave exactly on time, only give 75% of effort. So ease yourself into retirement, it's your life and your time.

My job continued with the same stress and workload until the day before retirement. I was 62. If you've done it until now, then 2 months more of the same should not be a problem. Why on earth should you expect to be treated any differently?

I would have expected your boss to be sensible. The last few weeks should be to pass on any ongoing work to the people taking over.
As it sounds your last day will be to leave a desk stacked with work.
I wish you all the very best for the future.
Enjoy your retirement.

Well I logged off on time, despite some pressure not to. My boss has this way of making what he's asking sound perfectly reasonable. And I think he genuinely doesn't get why I don't care any more.

Good for you OP. I’m sure you’re working hard in your employed hours. Don’t do more. They’ve removed incentive to do excess amounts by removing your bonus