Comments on: Monkeywrench lands in layoff plan

By: SimplyForties

SimplyForties — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 02:43:54 +0000

OMG is right! I don’t know how you manage the stress of this every day. Must be hard to keep going to work not knowing what new surprise is in store. Wow – hang in there. Lots of positive energy coming your way.

By: Catherine in Florida

Catherine in Florida — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 13:37:57 +0000

That is terrible, Funny. I check in daily and am thinking of you!

By: Neal Hawes

Neal Hawes — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 09:06:45 +0000

If you can’t afford to lose the sick leave, then you have no choice but to retire to protect it. Go with #2, and plan on retiring. IF (and that’s a big IF), you are permitted to push it back, then OK; but if not, then just go. To do otherwise is to gamble with $17,600 that you just can’t aford to lose. It’s a scary step whenever you make it!

By: Chance

Chance — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 03:22:41 +0000

Jeez, that is a huge issue. Just make sure you can “change” your mind. Thinking of you in this.

By: funnyaboutmoney1

funnyaboutmoney1 — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:21:57 +0000

It does seem nuts, doesn’t it? The Great Desert University is a weird place, though. Before committing to any such retirement scheme, I’ll have to get confirmation, in writing, that I’m allowed to change my mind.

There is a circumstance in which they explicitly say you can’t: if you agree to one of those two- or three-year buydowns wherein you go to 3/4 time one year, then 1/2 time, then even 1/4 time. If you get into that deal, you can’t back out of it.

I need the cash a lot more than I need the free time. The sick leave is worth money in the bank, and money in the bank is what is required.

Too many people die right about the time they retire. Which of course is what actuaries figure on….

By: frugalscholar

frugalscholar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 01:15:11 +0000

This is terrifying. At my place of employ, I believe that you cannot waffle on retirement. If you announce an intention to retire–and it has to be in writing–you cannot change your mind.

One colleague signed his retirement papers in June–he was still teaching a summer class–and died THAT afternoon. I have always wondered if his widow received her benefits…

You could always start your sick leave now. I’m sure you are about to have a nervous breakdown from the stress.

Good luck.

I am an obsessive planner for disasters, as you seem to be, and so far no disaster has occurred. So I hope your planning functions as a protective device.