Principal Financial-Remote work

[NATEizKING]

I've worked at a fortune 200 and fortune 50 company for 12 years combined and been fine, layoffs are just part of the deal at this point having been through 3. Have only had 3 different bosses in that time and all have been great. Would be fine in my role at either for life.

Emergency fund takes the stress away, especially as single income family of 5. I have 6mo but with $3.1k/mo unemployment it could stretch to 18mo.

 

[Clonehomer]

I've worked at a fortune 200 and fortune 50 company for 12 years combined and been fine, layoffs are just part of the deal at this point having been through 3. Have only had 3 different bosses in that time and all have been great. Would be fine in my role at either for life.

Emergency fund takes the stress away, especially as single income family of 5. I have 6mo but with $3.1k/mo unemployment it could stretch to 18mo.

State of Iowa only has 16 weeks of unemployment, don’t they?

 

[Sousaclone]

22 years here and sometimes I feel the same. At this point, here is what is keeping me there:

I could probably make $40k+/year more, but the grass isn't always greener.

At this point in my career, I have no urge to advance or learn a bunch of new things. I'm a SME in a few areas that are not going away anytime soon. I play their games with getting certifications but everyone knows what I'm going to do.

I have as much PTO as I need

Benefits are good

I don't hate my boss. This is a huge one. I've had 8 bosses in the last 12 years and two of them made my life hell. I don't know what I would get at another company.

I like my co-workers.

Everyone is returning to work. At least the facilities are nice and it's only a few days a week. I don't think they would have a problem if i told them I was moving, which could happen in the next few years.

They let me work when I want.

I've seen a lot of people come back to the company. On the other hand, they usually make a lot more money when they come back.

Even though it's been 30 years, I worked retail, I know how ****** it can get.

When I got sick, they treated me great.

The company is stable

I'm at 16 yrs with my company (straight out of college) and am in the same thought process.

I'm sure I could make more at another company, but I'm pretty well compensated.

I know and like the people I work with. I'm good friends with my former manager (got bounced to a project on a different coast) who is basically going to be the division VP here in a year or two.

I've got both our division VP and our the company president's cell phone numbers and they would answer if I called.

Sure the grass is greener, but it's fertilized with the same ********. It's the overall nature of my work that causes more issues than not.

If you need time off, you take it. I'd turn in PTO request slips for stuff and my managers would just tell me to take the time off, and not bother to send the request in.

 

[NATEizKING]

State of Iowa only has 16 weeks of unemployment, don’t they?

Didn't look that deep but thanks for info, so more around 9mo for me

 

[dmclone]

So what is Deere doing? Overstaffed? Outsourcing?

 

[Jer]

I was at a big company for 10 years. Started out at entry level and climbed the ladder very fast. They treated me well and I thought I’d retire there. In 2012 I started getting recruiters calling as I had put my accomplishments on LinkedIn for part of a client acquisition that I was a system architect for. By then I was leading a $35 million infrastructure project to build a new architecture to replace 37 insurance policy admin systems from decades of company acquisitions.

I got an offer from the first place I talked to that was literally over 3x my pay at the loyal company. I asked for a match and the CEO (75,000 person multinational insurance broker) said “you’re one of the brightest, hardest working people I’ve ever met and I want you here forever (I was putting in 70-80 hrs a week for years). Unfortunately our board policy is we can only adjust salaries by a max 5% increase”. He said he would suggest I quit for 6 months and then come back as that new salary was competitive.

I also saw a lot of downsizing and regrowth that impacted some of the most loyal people, then realized when you’re in a big company, at the end of the day you’re just an employee number. Now, during all those restructurings I was kept on and moved to big new roles, but with a company max of 5% compensation bump each time.

I could have gone back to that company of 10 years for the same new pay but said **** that. I stayed at the new place for 2 years then had a startup for 2 years that we sold after huge showing at SXSW.

I’m still just as hard working and loyal, but now the loyalty is because I’m the expert on all our systems and my pay has increased to always remain competitive. Been here for 9 1/2 years and will likely stay to the end.

We learn a ton of lessons in our first 10 years in our actual “careers”. We might start put thinking we know the world, but you can only truly learn it with experience.

 

[shadow]

22 years here and sometimes I feel the same. At this point, here is what is keeping me there:

I could probably make $40k+/year more, but the grass isn't always greener.

At this point in my career, I have no urge to advance or learn a bunch of new things. I'm a SME in a few areas that are not going away anytime soon. I play their games with getting certifications but everyone knows what I'm going to do.

I have as much PTO as I need

Benefits are good

I don't hate my boss. This is a huge one. I've had 8 bosses in the last 12 years and two of them made my life hell. I don't know what I would get at another company.

I like my co-workers.

Everyone is returning to work. At least the facilities are nice and it's only a few days a week. I don't think they would have a problem if i told them I was moving, which could happen in the next few years.

They let me work when I want.

I've seen a lot of people come back to the company. On the other hand, they usually make a lot more money when they come back.

Even though it's been 30 years, I worked retail, I know how ****** it can get.

When I got sick, they treated me great.

The company is stable

This is a good perspective. Who your manager is and how they treat you is my # 1 with salary right behind (plus who you work with) though I think the salary matters less once you get to a certain point especially if you've been at the same place 5+ years. Once I reached a certain salary level where I felt respected and appreciated; how many hours I worked per week, time off, and other benefits became more important. Even if another company came in and offered me a 50% increase, I'm not sure how interested I'd be.

 

[NWICY]

So what is Deere doing? Overstaffed? Outsourcing?

Sounds like moving to Mexico.

 

[NWICY]

I was at a big company for 10 years. Started out at entry level and climbed the ladder very fast. They treated me well and I thought I’d retire there. In 2012 I started getting recruiters calling as I had put my accomplishments on LinkedIn for part of a client acquisition that I was a system architect for. By then I was leading a $35 million infrastructure project to build a new architecture to replace 37 insurance policy admin systems from decades of company acquisitions.

I got an offer from the first place I talked to that was literally over 3x my pay at the loyal company. I asked for a match and the CEO (75,000 person multinational insurance broker) said “you’re one of the brightest, hardest working people I’ve ever met and I want you here forever (I was putting in 70-80 hrs a week for years). Unfortunately our board policy is we can only adjust salaries by a max 5% increase”. He said he would suggest I quit for 6 months and then come back as that new salary was competitive.

I also saw a lot of downsizing and regrowth that impacted some of the most loyal people, then realized when you’re in a big company, at the end of the day you’re just an employee number. Now, during all those restructurings I was kept on and moved to big new roles, but with a company max of 5% compensation bump each time.

I could have gone back to that company of 10 years for the same new pay but said **** that. I stayed at the new place for 2 years then had a startup for 2 years that we sold after huge showing at SXSW.

I’m still just as hard working and loyal, but now the loyalty is because I’m the expert on all our systems and my pay has increased to always remain competitive. Been here for 9 1/2 years and will likely stay to the end.

Unfortunately, all my years of building and owning CF and the thousands of dollars it cost each month (remember I didn’t have ads or subscriptions) was when I was making peanuts at that first company. The debt still impacts because it caused us to keep doing new loans for new things as we had to keep paying off CF costs.

We learn a ton of lessons in our first 10 years in our actual “careers”. We might start put thinking we know the world, but you can only truly learn it with experience.

Once again THANK YOU!!! For creating and building CF for us. Also hope the foot is fixable did you learn anything today?

 

[BCClone]

I had an employee try that move. Had the resignation letter out as soon as we started the conversation. I politely accepted the resignation and wished her the best.

She was shocked that I very quickly accepted and didn't try to keep her.

You wanna go? Go. Unless you are top tier I will help you pack.

I oversaw a business where it was me, 4 basically what you would call foremen and then anywhere 40-120 people pending on the season. The four ladies who were the foremen tried a power play where one would put their resignation on my desk daily. I read them, found the worker and told them we would do an exit interview on the last day. Then found two people to replace the four of them.

One later swung by a few months later, I could tell what she wanted to discuss but I kinda blew her off. She may have realized how easy she had it. We would have routine second shifts and weekends and I always covered them so they didn’t have to work them. I would buy them meals every so often, let them leave early some days but still be on the clock and didnt micro manage them.

 

[isufbcurt]

Sounds like moving to Mexico.

 

[CYdTracked]

20+ years in with a big company I took a job out of college. Have gone through some scary times over the years where I worried about being laid off. But now am at the point in my career if I get laid off tomorrow my severance pay is just shy of 1 year and I'm confident in my skills that I could find a job in my field at a comparable salary so I'm basically sticking it out with my current company. They have made the work culture so toxic the past few years hoping people will quit so they won't have to lay them off and pay severence so I'm at that point I'm am staying in spite as I didn't put 2 decades of work in to walk away with nothing.

I'm st a point in my life turning 45 years old this year where I've built up a savings to get me through a layoff or unexpected major expense but I will not work myself into stress and sacrifice family life to satisfy my employer's unreasonable demands. Life is too short to be putting in crazy hours while neglecting the ones you love. You only get to watch your kids grow up once and I will not let work take that away from me. Companies may promote mental health but their demands of you don't always match that message.

My goal is retire sometime between the 60-65. If I get laid off before then find a job that allows me to main a good work and personal life balance even if that means taking less pay to finish out my working years. My wife just had a work anniversary and made the comment "I've spent half of my life working for this company." The days she stresses about work or worries about what happens on her days off I like to point out that if she quit today the company would not blink an eye and would replace her with a cheaper employee so don't treat your job like if your link in the chain failed it would be the end of the company.

 

[charlie_B]

So what is Deere doing? Overstaffed? Outsourcing?

Removing redundant engineering managers now. PV+V is next probably. the redundant managers are being chosen from some consulting company out of Boston.

 

[CycloneDaddy]

20+ years in with a big company I took a job out of college. Have gone through some scary times over the years where I worried about being laid off. But now am at the point in my career if I get laid off tomorrow my severance pay is just shy of 1 year and I'm confident in my skills that I could find a job in my field at a comparable salary so I'm basically sticking it out with my current company. They have made the work culture so toxic the past few years hoping people will quit so they won't have to lay them off and pay severence so I'm at that point I'm am staying in spite as I didn't put 2 decades of work in to walk away with nothing.

I'm st a point in my life turning 45 years old this year where I've built up a savings to get me through a layoff or unexpected major expense but I will not work myself into stress and sacrifice family life to satisfy my employer's unreasonable demands. Life is too short to be putting in crazy hours while neglecting the ones you love. You only get to watch your kids grow up once and I will not let work take that away from me. Companies may promote mental health but their demands of you don't always match that message.

My goal is retire sometime between the 60-65. If I get laid off before then find a job that allows me to main a good work and personal life balance even if that means taking less pay to finish out my working years. My wife just had a work anniversary and made the comment "I've spent half of my life working for this company." The days she stresses about work or worries about what happens on her days off I like to point out that if she quit today the company would not blink an eye and would replace her with a cheaper employee so don't treat your job like if your link in the chain failed it would be the end of the company.

You must work at Wells Fargo.

 

[Tailg8er]

This is a good perspective. Who your manager is and how they treat you is my # 1 with salary right behind (plus who you work with) though I think the salary matters less once you get to a certain point especially if you've been at the same place 5+ years. Once I reached a certain salary level where I felt respected and appreciated; how many hours I worked per week, time off, and other benefits became more important. Even if another company came in and offered me a 50% increase, I'm not sure how interested I'd be.

Agree 100%.

Couple years ago I left a supervisory role at a company I had been at ~4 years. I was getting burnt out with 50+ hour weeks with no changes in sight. A recruiter reached out about a role that was very similar at a smaller local company, paid about the same, but I would no longer be a supervisor and they assured me other than a couple times a year 40 hrs/week was the standard - sounded great.

While the company and people there were great, I never made the connections that I had made at my prior stops (this is in spite of the new role being 100% in office, and prior role had moved to 95% remote since covid). That, and the "couple times a year" that were busier ended up being about 3-4 months each, so I didn't get the reprieve I was after in the first place.

After about 2 years I connected with a manager from the prior stop that I'm still close with, and they jumped at the chance to have me back (this time in a higher tier staff role, but no direct reports). My salary hasn't increased much over the past 3 years, but I'm at a comfortable place and working 40 hours (or less) every week. Happier professionally than I've been in years. Another suggestion from me - if you do go trying new things, don't burn bridges on your way out.

 

[KnappShack]

Company just posted a management job. Those are rare opportunities. I'd be a strong candidate, but I'm not sure the raise, hours, and role would be worth a move.

I get cold sweats thinking about managing people again. I had a lot of success managing, but after not managing for 7 years I'm not sure I want back in that game. Even for $$ (which would be considerably higher)

 

[BCClone]

Company just posted a management job. Those are rare opportunities. I'd be a strong candidate, but I'm not sure the raise, hours, and role would be worth a move.

I get cold sweats thinking about managing people again. I had a lot of success managing, but after not managing for 7 years I'm not sure I want back in that game. Even for $$ (which would be considerably higher)

A lot has changed in 7 years.

 

[dafarmer]

Sounds like moving to Mexico.

Also, farm economy ( crops) are in a severe recession. Implement dealerships are not selling new equipment, but are busy repairing old.

 

[BCClone]

Also, farm economy ( crops) are in a severe recession. Implement dealerships are not selling new equipment, but are busy repairing old.

I wouldn't call it severe. It just came off a high peak so while it's not a good economy for Ag. I don't think it is a severe recession.

 

[Primetime26]

Removing redundant engineering managers now. PV+V is next probably. the redundant managers are being chosen from some consulting company out of Boston.

interesting. what is PV & V ?

also any idea the company out of boston?