Voluntary redundancy - new beginning?

L

lacroupade

Veteran
Well, at the tender age of 55 and after a lot of thinking I've decided to take a VR offer from work.

It leaves me with a years salary plus a bit in order to give me time to get my sh*t straight.

Plan is to decamp to France for a few weeks, where I have an almost-finished house with a fair amount of cash in it that I need to get sold, then repatriate the money to the UK and start buying repos/refurbs (houses that is, not Zeds!) to turn over on a regular basis.

We've done a bit of this stuff in the past but I'm still kacking myself because its sh*t or bust, and no medical cover or benefits to fall back on. Plus much reduced pension pot that wasn't very full to begin with, but its got to be done...

Anyone else been there with any advice?
 
To be honest, I think if I were you I would seriously consider moving to France permanently and getting out of the UK! At the moment my work is going through a major restructuring, which is "categorically not about cost cutting", but at the moment I have no idea what I'll be doing on 1st August, who I'll be reporting to and who'll be reporting to me. I can see us going through a VS (voluntary severance) scheme soon after 1st August.

All I can say is good luck, but it sounds like you know what you are doing! :thumbsup:
 
Yep, Z4 Beemer is right, stay out of the UK!! Property market is still rubbish, fuel is through the roof, inflation is rising and everyone's having to cut out the nice things in life, and moving house is one of them!

Z4 Beemer, the company I work for in my day job is going through the same thing at the moment! :?
 
Sounds like a national disease doesn't it - I'd love to be in France en permanence, which is why I'm keeping the building lot next door :)

But if you've got cash, there is definitely money to be made in the UK in the near future in property....BTL buyers are queuing up but can't get mortgages so a healthy cash pot (mine won't be that big but I have a potential business partner) will win in the short to medium term.

I have to say, desite not being a religious peson, I do believe in something called 'fate' (thats the best name I can give it!) and that most things happen for a reason, so I'm optimistic.....and having a supportive wife is a tremendous bonus I must say - so everyone who's got one, give em a hug for nothing when you get home tonight! :oops:

And you guys above, hope it works out for you both (cos t wll cause you srife even if you aren't directly impacted, and anyone else who might be in the same boat.....

How I'm going to miss all that corporate bullsh1t..........NOT! :driving:
 
Lacroupade - best of luck. I jumped out of the UK ratrace 2 years ago and now reside 90% of the time in the sun, sea and sand of the Middle East. Still with house and Zed in the UK. But certainly don't miss the nonsense both political and general that the UK now suffers from.
 
I'd be the same if the company I work for goes! Never again! Work for myself doing something I enjoy! I allready do it part time so it will become my main job! The Z may have to go to start with, but I would be happier!!
 
Paul, good luck! In many ways am quite envious. Sounds like you've got a well thought out plan. Few weeks in France would be pretty good right about now too :thumbsup:

Z4 Beemer and Breaker, good luck chaps and hope it's not too painful in the interim!

Alan, sound like you've got things figured pretty well!
 
Good luck lads, I've got two and a half years to go for full pension but I just hit 55 so if Mother Shell offered I'd be looking real hard at a package too (VR you call it). We are at the tail end of a global restructuring so I'm waiting to see what I will do for the next while. all the jobs were reposted , some just disappeared, a few new ones popped up, lots had salary grades lowered and now I'm waiting another month to see who gets the last one I applied for.

I bought the new Zed now so I could afford to drive it as a pensioner later :D :D :D
 
Hmmm good luck with everthing :thumbsup:

Breaker yes you are right, makes you think - the only sure fire way to be gainfully employed is to have your own business and ensure it is successful.
 
In our place staff motivation and morale is really quite low at the moment with lots of rumours flying about. New structures are being drawn up and staff will be "assimilated" to a post in the new structure. Strange thing is that a lot of people involved in the talks about the new structures (including me) have no idea where they will end up! :? Talk of "directly slotting" into a new post, going through a "restricted selection process" and other such jargon is being used. We should know by the end of April where we will "slot in".

Thankfully I'm not too worried about my house or mortgage. I can clear the mortgage off if necessary, and as Breaker said, the Zed would not be a priority in the first instance. In some ways I agree it would be like a fresh start.
 
The last company I worked for merged with another, with one effectively taking over (not the one I worked for) if you were in any position of responsibility you were effectively squeezed out, they have now shut 2 of the 3 sites they took over with the future of 3rd looking shakey, bunch of incompetant arogant fools, could'nt tell them anything and they demanded respect without earning it and even stated so in an early meeting, would'nt accept morale was low just did'nt want to hear it, talk about Nero.

Went self employed about 2 years ago like AlanJ spend most of my time time outside the Uk now and definately don't miss the political bullshit in firms these days.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do. :thumbsup:
 
Brave pills and lots of em!!!

I just managed to keep hold of my job recently. It was a year long process of waiting until they told us which positions would lose headcount and luckily i wasnt in the groups. The thought of being 'out there' unemployed put the fear of god into me :o :D

At 31 im only just getting my sht together, with enough savings to be comfortable etc. The thought of starting again at 55 would really worry me. But as has been said if you have a plan and know what your doing the graft and sweat will be rewarded without a boss looming over you. got to be worth something :D

Is the UK really the best place to buy/develope right now?? I know a builder/renovator in the south of France thats doing quite well at the mo. When im driving around down there im always seeing cement mixers going - always a good sign.
 
Dreamer said:
Brave pills and lots of em!!!

I just managed to keep hold of my job recently. It was a year long process of waiting until they told us which positions would lose headcount and luckily i wasnt in the groups. The thought of being 'out there' unemployed put the fear of god into me :o :D

At 31 im only just getting my sht together, with enough savings to be comfortable etc. The thought of starting again at 55 would really worry me. But as has been said if you have a plan and know what your doing the graft and sweat will be rewarded without a boss looming over you. got to be worth something :D

Is the UK really the best place to buy/develope right now?? I know a builder/renovator in the south of France thats doing quite well at the mo. When im driving around down there im always seeing cement mixers going - always a good sign.
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Its a good point, where I am right down in the southwest near the Pyrenees they are building like crazy in the country - but the sheer bureaucracy of running a business in France beggars belief, plus the builders there are rubbish generally - no matter how old the house, a fecking good dollop of concrete will fix it! :headbang: The best people I worked with down there were a bunch of Kurdish guys who worked like buggery and did a fantastic job.

@AlanJ - where in the ME are you? I really fell for Jordan on my recent trip, great people and Petra was AMAZING.....I am planning to treat myself to a return trip when things start moving. Wife covers ME as marketing director for a France Telecom company and next trip planned is to Lebanon and Syria (I like my roman ruins, so Palmyra and Baalbeck are on the agenda).

And thanks for your words everyone, had my final meeting today to agree terms and feeling so much better that I never again have to kiss corporate ass (I hope!!!).... :thumbsup:
 
lacroupade said:
Well, at the tender age of 55 and after a lot of thinking I've decided to take a VR offer from work.

It leaves me with a years salary plus a bit in order to give me time to get my sh*t straight.

Plan is to decamp to France for a few weeks, where I have an almost-finished house with a fair amount of cash in it that I need to get sold, then repatriate the money to the UK and start buying repos/refurbs (houses that is, not Zeds!) to turn over on a regular basis.

We've done a bit of this stuff in the past but I'm still kacking myself because its sh*t or bust, and no medical cover or benefits to fall back on. Plus much reduced pension pot that wasn't very full to begin with, but its got to be done...

Anyone else been there with any advice?
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Why you're still a young lad yet at 55, :thumbsup:

best of luck

Kryters
 
20 years ago, the company I worked for went bankrupt in the 1990 recession. I decided to start on my own and that was the best decision ever.

Fate has a way to open doors for you. I know the company you work for as I use them for some of my clients, and I think it is a good time to take the opportunity.

Good luck :thumbsup:
 
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