I have escaped!

[robinvn]

I have at last been given ill health retirement and got out after 35 years.
I have always enjoyed my job and working for RM except for the last 3 years. It is rapidly going down the pan and they won't be happy until 1/2 the work force are part time. 99% of the managers at my (former) office couldn't manage a kid's tea party and the office is just run on spitefullness, as I'm sure are many others.
I've always been fit, thanks to the job and doing walks for all that time but it eventually caught up with me and I needed a new hip because of it all. I have to say though that ATOS were nothing but supportive of me. I know many of you have had problems with them and although they continually got my first name wrong... I found them to be very concerned and supportive. In fact the Doctor I had a face to face meeting with a few weeks ago, even advised me to go sick, after I told her how my manger was treating me at work! (A guy who wasn't even born when I started there!)

I left the job 3 weeks ago and can't tell you how happy I am to be away from all the hassle and spite there every day. I used to go into work every day and get on with my work and also have a good laugh with my friends and colleagues. They were all great guys and I do miss that but it's got to the stage now, with all this van sharing and extended walks, that no one has time to talk anymore. I have never known the atmosphere there to be so depressing and negative and the morale is at an all time low.

I think I've got out at the right time but wish you all well. I'll keep visiting here though.

[Dogs of War]

All the best sir, wish I could get out. Bills and all keeps me in this crap job.

[Bahia Feliz]

Good luck mate,you are right about offices run on spitefulness spot on!
Happy retirement.

[ElvisGaddafi]

Best of luck mate. Enjoy your well earned retirement.

[steven100]

Royal Mail will miss you..........lol . Good luck in your retirement

[daveyeff]

thats the way they want the job to be, so they can pish most people off enough, then they,ll leave. constructive dismissal i call it. i could get out now with ihr, but i,d only get 17grand (thats including PILON) its no good to me, i,ve still got 9yrs left on the mortgage. if they offerd me EVR, well thats a better deal, i would be gone tomorrow!! good luck to ya tho.

[protect us]

very best wishes to ya ! its so sad and your very true in what your saying , hopefully i can cope a little longer but im convinced that behind closed doors at the top there is something going on with a very sad ending !!! your out at the right time but most of us over ten years will have to choose when that time is right for us .... and rapidly it seems ! take care and good luck

[not me]

a guy got ill health from our DO about 3 years ago
often see him about as do others
every single person who see's him comments on how well he looks
amazing what getting out does for some!

[mazza111]

wooohooooo well done. I too have had a good experience of ATOS. Cos that's what I wanted

And yes Custardly, although my knees are still bad (replacement eventually, I'm too young atm) I feel much happier in myself for being out of that place

[pokos27]

well said, have a good retirement, it will only get worse, as more hours are cut.
work methods are just being forced upon people as well that are unsuitible

[red1968]

wooohooooo well done. I too have had a good experience of ATOS. Cos that's what I wanted

And yes Custardly, although my knees are still bad (replacement eventually, I'm too young atm) I feel much happier in myself for being out of that place

ditto.
I took ill heath as I got the feeling it was jump or be pushed out without a pay off.

[twobags]

well said and enjoy your retirement ,i can only see worse things ahead , weve had a few take early retirement at our office , the one guy i stood next to for 2 years always cursing and moaning a right grumpy so and so , i bumped into him the other day i hardly recognised him for one he had a smile on his face and no frown lines and as polite as you like never cursed or growled once and saying hed wished he had done it sooner

[happy]

well done i wish i could get out too oneday my evr will come
but as someone else says its amazing how many people leave this job and then you see them a month or two later and they look so much happyier then before and younger too.

[robinvn]

Thanks for all your nice comments.
RM has of course been a part of my life for so long and it's sad the way it's going. We all know modernistaion and improvements have to be made and we've always adapted but there is no excuse for the way they treat people now. I could have been manager years ago but I can't be nasty to people and the only way you get ahead in RM is to be mean and nasty in my opinion.
Luckily for me our mortgage is paid and so it was an easy decision to take IHR. I've waited 3 years for EVR and it hasn't happened. My wife and I will soon be emigrating to Florida, as we both have family there but I'll always check in here. We're all one big (happy?) family!

[Wessex]

Enjoy your retirement and the Florida sun