[grivera]

I could have retired 4 years ago but love the job and maxed out my percentage in the meantime. At this point it feels right to leave but I am looking for a second career. LE and FD jobs are great due to pensions but working a big city like I do takes a toll on your body, mind, relationship, social life, etc. Many many long hours, mandatory overtime (more now with many leaving the profession), working weekends, holidays, nights/midnights, etc. It isn’t for everybody, so they have to offer competitive benefits packages to attract and retain people. I’ve managed to stay married (to the same woman) for 28 years but that is very rare in this profession. The Lord has blessed me with good health and a wonderful support system at home, and we managed to raise two engineers in the process!

[Carl S]

I posted in here previously about a year and a half ago saying my first year and a half of retirement had been enjoyable. Now I'm just a few days shy of 3 years retired just turned 66 and am loving it even more now.

If you have hobbies, or things to do and are thinking of retiring, DO IT!

[PunchT37]

Originally Posted by grivera

I could have retired 4 years ago but love the job and maxed out my percentage in the meantime. At this point it feels right to leave but I am looking for a second career. LE and FD jobs are great due to pensions but working a big city like I do takes a toll on your body, mind, relationship, social life, etc. Many many long hours, mandatory overtime (more now with many leaving the profession), working weekends, holidays, nights/midnights, etc. It isn’t for everybody, so they have to offer competitive benefits packages to attract and retain people. I’ve managed to stay married (to the same woman) for 28 years but that is very rare in this profession. The Lord has blessed me with good health and a wonderful support system at home, and we managed to raise two engineers in the process!

I`m not a LEO but, we work 24/7 with mandatory overtime also. Been doing 40 to 50 hrs overtime lately. One of our guys hit 62 hrs in 2 weeks. That`s pretty much living there.

[mgarblik]

I officially retired from my primary job May 2013. Was forced into early retirement. That was all good but I didn't properly account for the incredible cost of family health care that was no longer subsidized by my employer. It was taking 40% of my retirement income to pay for healthcare. So I immediately had to ramp up my repair business at my home to fill in the income. The school that retired me had a no re-employment period of 3 years so I had to stay away. Fast forward 9-10 years, things have improved quite a bit. Have Medicare now, was able to close my shop in June 2022, my school re-employed me a number of years ago part time. Finally, it's all working out pretty good. I probably work 20-25 hours a week now, down from 60+ the previous 30 years. It feels great.

[Mr Twister]

Originally Posted by PunchT37

I`m not a LEO but, we work 24/7 with mandatory overtime also. Been doing 40 to 50 hrs overtime lately. One of our guys hit 62 hrs in 2 weeks. That`s pretty much living there.

Sounds like my life when I was a Power Plant Operator.

[PunchT37]

Originally Posted by Mr Twister

Sounds like my life when I was a Power Plant Operator.

I work for LUS. We do power, water, waste water and fiber. So, you get the picture.

Gotta work 18 hrs tonight.