Curve ball

[AnD3rew]

Thanks.
I have been lucky and only happened once before many years ago.
It is a bit of a wake up call
Yesterday everything was good, I was planning on staying with this company for next 6 years until I retired and getting paid $240,000 a year.
Today I am looking at jobs paying 40% of that and just know they will be saying I am overqualified and then not saying (but thinking) that I am too old.
I hired a 62 year old many years ago for a technical internal sales role. He had been looking for almost 2 years.
He was the most reliable and experienced worker I had in a young team.

You might be surprised the job market is tight at the moment and attitudes seem to have shifted a bit. I am 57 and two years ago my job was made redundant and I started a consultancy because I figured I wouldn’t get another company job at my age, and I am a bit niche but not in a good way for employment, and then one just kind of fell in my lap, and in a tech company full of young people at that. I think you need to plan for not being able to get one, but don’t give up on trying

 

[Deleted User Account.]

Well I just had a curve ball slammed my way
My company has decided they want all senior managers to be based in the Sydney office which is a short 1,200km drive away
Kind of makes the daily commute a pain.
So I need to relocate or take a redundancy package of about $60,000, before tax.
I left Sydney in 1987 because it was too crowded and too expensive
Since then the population in Sydney has gone from 2.5 million to 5.2 million
Now I really need to sell my house
Difficult getting a job when you are over 60

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-reedy+creek-141193888

View attachment 7803266

The universe's way of telling you to quit.

 

[Shaky]

I hear you Dave and feel for you on the age thing. These stupid companies who l won’t employ older applicants make me laugh. It’s alway the older ones who end up being the more reliable on average.

My company is petrified of losing the older ones to retirement now and are actively trying to keep them on and giving them an enhanced package to stay.

The younger ones have a shed load less experience, work ethic and the second it doesn’t go right for them go off sick.

 

[Eric]

Well I just had a curve ball slammed my way
My company has decided they want all senior managers to be based in the Sydney office which is a short 1,200km drive away
Kind of makes the daily commute a pain.
So I need to relocate or take a redundancy package of about $60,000, before tax.
I left Sydney in 1987 because it was too crowded and too expensive
Since then the population in Sydney has gone from 2.5 million to 5.2 million
Now I really need to sell my house
Difficult getting a job when you are over 60

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-reedy+creek-141193888

View attachment 7803266

Hi Dave,
I was in a very similar situation a few decades ago before I retired. Senior managers were relocated to HO. I didn't want to move my family and home, as I lived in the country as well. I also was aware in our big organisation they had a restructure even 4 years or so, there being nothing permanent in life. If you know you have only 6 years before retirement one option for you to consider is the one I choose. I rented a place near HO and lived there Mon - Fri and left my family and home staying put. With site meetings and the like back home, my time away ended up in most cases coming down to Tue till Thu. I put up with it till the next reorganisation 6 years later when I was relocated back home. I put another 5 years in at home location then retired. In some ways it was pleasant and hard with the travelling. But there were times I enjoyed the work life balance. What ever you do, don't make a rash decision but sleep on your solution for a few nights.
I wish you good luck for your future whatever decision you make, because your decision will be the right one.

 

[DaveB]

Hi Dave,
I was in a very similar situation a few decades ago before I retired. Senior managers were relocated to HO. I didn't want to move my family and home, as I lived in the country as well. I also was aware in our big organisation they had a restructure even 4 years or so, there being nothing permanent in life. If you know you have only 6 years before retirement one option for you to consider is the one I choose. I rented a place near HO and lived there Mon - Fri and left my family and home staying put. With site meetings and the like back home, my time away ended up in most cases coming down to Tue till Thu. I put up with it till the next reorganisation 6 years later when I was relocated back home. I put another 5 years in at home location then retired. In some ways it was pleasant and hard with the travelling. But there were times I enjoyed the work life balance. What ever you do, don't make a rash decision but sleep on your solution for a few nights.
I wish you good luck for your future whatever decision you make, because your decision will be the right one.

Hi. As I was moving to the country away from my Brisbane office I had made the same decision as you, to initially rent, but then buy an apartment in Brisbane and drive down the 3 hour drive.
I have set up with a B&B for $100 a night two to three nights a week.
unfortunately our HO in Sydney is in a very expensive area, I would need to cover my own flights every week down and back and also have a car at both locations.
Plus Sydney is a horrible city unless you are rich.

i never give up and know everything will work out just fine

 

[Eric]

Hi. As I was moving to the country away from my Brisbane office I had made the same decision as you, to initially rent, but then buy an apartment in Brisbane and drive down the 3 hour drive.
I have set up with a B&B for $100 a night two to three nights a week.
unfortunately our HO in Sydney is in a very expensive area, I would need to cover my own flights every week down and back and also have a car at both locations.
Plus Sydney is a horrible city unless you are rich.

i never give up and know everything will work out just fine

Life does, stick in

 

[Tazzieman]

i never give up and know everything will work out just fine

Edd China "Never give up"
Me "It'll be alright in the end and if it's not alright - it's not the end"
Something about making lemonade when life throws lemons at you.
You've got a lot more going for you than one of my miserable older colleagues who when I was an intern told me
"Life's a shit and then you die!"
Rationalising needs and wants is difficult, but part of the compromise that we all have to live with.
Best of luck Dave!

 

[crimson]

Sorry to hear @DaveB , we've just done the move out of Sydney and got no desire of going back. If we did, I personally feel the Grenadier wouldn't be getting the time it deserves and I'd be less happy to receive it.

I also feel for you because it's the worst time to sell a house, if you're looking to get anything decent out of it. An option to consider is don't sell now, withdraw enough equity to purchase the Grenadier and see your 20% salary through for the next year. Thinking time in the Grenadier is sure to provide great ideas from your beach house, whilst enjoying the rent you receive from the Gold Coast. Just an idea, but something I would be considering personally if I were in your shoes.

P.s thanks for the Grenadier magic mushroom video on YouTube. We could make some seriously cool prints from them. Imagine this super enlarged and wrapped in a nice frame

 

[globalgregors]

Well I just had a curve ball slammed my way
My company has decided they want all senior managers to be based in the Sydney office which is a short 1,200km drive away
Kind of makes the daily commute a pain.
So I need to relocate or take a redundancy package of about $60,000, before tax.
I left Sydney in 1987 because it was too crowded and too expensive
Since then the population in Sydney has gone from 2.5 million to 5.2 million
Now I really need to sell my house
Difficult getting a job when you are over 60

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-reedy+creek-141193888

View attachment 7803266

How inconvenient! Sent you a connect.

 

[DaveB]

Sorry to hear @DaveB , we've just done the move out of Sydney and got no desire of going back. If we did, I personally feel the Grenadier wouldn't be getting the time it deserves and I'd be less happy to receive it.

I also feel for you because it's the worst time to sell a house, if you're looking to get anything decent out of it. An option to consider is don't sell now, withdraw enough equity to purchase the Grenadier and see your 20% salary through for the next year. Thinking time in the Grenadier is sure to provide great ideas from your beach house, whilst enjoying the rent you receive from the Gold Coast. Just an idea, but something I would be considering personally if I were in your shoes.

P.s thanks for the Grenadier magic mushroom video on YouTube. We could make some seriously cool prints from them. Imagine this super enlarged and wrapped in a nice frame


View attachment 7803291

Thanks.
Once we sell the house we will be completely debt free so I just want to get it all done.
4 moths ago it was predicted $2 -2.5 million for the house now they are saying $1.8 million
I think those are the best series of videos
Episode 8 is a ripper

 

[Stu_Barnes]

Well I just had a curve ball slammed my way
My company has decided they want all senior managers to be based in the Sydney office which is a short 1,200km drive away
Kind of makes the daily commute a pain.
So I need to relocate or take a redundancy package of about $60,000, before tax.
I left Sydney in 1987 because it was too crowded and too expensive
Since then the population in Sydney has gone from 2.5 million to 5.2 million
Now I really need to sell my house
Difficult getting a job when you are over 60

https://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-reedy+creek-141193888

View attachment 7803266

Wow, that’s a gut punch for sure Dave. Hope you work something out.

The traveling sausage salesman does have a certain panache to it.

 

[klarie]

In my company that could get difficult with the workers council- not to easy for management to deal with 6 digit employees.
But even in Germany with strict laws on employment there are ways to get rid of people..
I consider the decision as a method to get rid of certain staff. This is not because of having senior management at HQ permanently - but to get rid by offering a compensation package what is way to low. Today where Zoom and Teams and other digital methods of communication allow a quite good communication - physical presence of senior staff is rarely needed - So once a month, or say twice a quarter is sufficent. Its a waste of energy, driving patterns and so on.
In my spouses company they demand 1 - to 2 days a week on site rest from home.
In my company no presence required at all - except certain meetings - if customers may need it or special event.
Thats it- perhaps 3 -5 days in a year. - rest from home.

@DaveB Good Luck.. and all the best.. that you can resolve this topic.

I do not know if you have the possibility to consult advice in works law .. if the method of your employer is permissible.. this is what I would do.. -

 

[Wayneos]

Thanks.
Once we sell the house we will be completely debt free so I just want to get it all done.
4 moths ago it was predicted $2 -2.5 million for the house now they are saying $1.8 million
I think those are the best series of videos
Episode 8 is a ripper

Shameful that your place struggles for 2 mil, (and it looks beautiful) when rat infested shit holes sell for 3 here in Sydney.
My partner and I can’t wait to get out into the country.

As someone mentioned, are you able to work remote?
Best of luck with it all in the meantime Dave!

 

[Nocrays]

Best of luck with your decision.

Life’s too short to continue to bend to corporate demands. 60 is enough. Then You’ve got a good 15 years to make hay assuming health continues to hold up. And going Sydney, I couldn’t think of anything worse.

I was made voluntarily redundant a year or so back and was the best thing I’ve done. Ended up walking into a new place on better package and more money than the one I’ve left.

places are looking for experience when recruiting. I think ppl are getting sick of those ppl just trying to pad out their resume and do a 9-12 month stint before moving on. In fact They are trying to talk me out of ramping down the number days I want to work a week.

Good luck with decision.

 

[trobex]

Dave... Toogoom and the ''Fraser Coast' region is where I grew up and frequently visit family / holiday etc. I wouldn't move from there to Sydney - not even for $500K a year. I would buy 100 acres on the side of a mountain and let Sydney be.
If we get the chance, I'll be taking up some property north of there're in the future - beach one side and mountains the other!

PS Dave: My business partner is close to 60 than I am for sure, and I wouldnt have anyone else replace him - especially not the young generation... simply useless and I am generalising but you can when the VAST majority who have worked for me are too woke & completely unaware of the condition of the world/are highly consumerist and utterly senseless as to its affects/totaly careless/whingy/entitled etc etc

 

[grenadierboy]

Dave - interesting your company has gone in a direction different to many - i.e. permitting or even promoting MORE work from home.

Could you not negotiate some sort of compromise arrangement with your company; i.e. 2 or 3 weeks in Sydney, 1 or 2 weeks from home?

My family moved back to Australia from many years in Europe (for schooling) but I stayed for work. but, returned to Australia every quarter for 3 weeks. I did this for 2 years. I could have done another year or so.

Keep skin in the game. Rent something in Sydney - fly back to QLD every second week and in 12 months the company policy (to all be in Sydney) will probably change again or you will have more leverage.

 

[ADVAW8S]

Dave, what do you do for work? I think most of us have global connections.

 

[DaveB]

Dave, what do you do for work? I think most of us have global connections.

Hi
Thanks
Currently National Product Manager til the end of the week responsible for flowmeters, level pressure and Gamma instrumentation

Field instruments designed to control automation processes

Discover our field instruments for process measurement

www.au.endress.com

I have previously been National Sales Manager, State Manager, General Manager, Managing Director and Sales Rep mostly in the Electrical/Instrumentation sales industry

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveboreland/

 

[Stu_Barnes]

Maritime Executive Search & Executive · Faststream Recruitment

We are experts in Maritime Executive Search and specialise in the search, recruitment and selection of senior executives and directors for the global Maritim...

www.faststream.com

Hi Dave,

Have a chat to fast stream, they're in the global shipping and maritime sector for recruitment, they do executive placement and your skillset may be transferrable to something they're working on. Also they basically pimp you out and still get a cut if you're appointed by another head hunter and they get a whiff of a job for you.

The instrumentation and control aspect of your resume is pretty applicable for the maritime industry.

I'll think about some more.

 

[DaveB]

Maritime Executive Search & Executive · Faststream Recruitment

We are experts in Maritime Executive Search and specialise in the search, recruitment and selection of senior executives and directors for the global Maritim...

www.faststream.com

Hi Dave,

Have a chat to fast stream, they're in the global shipping and maritime sector for recruitment, they do executive placement and your skillset may be transferrable to something they're working on. Also they basically pimp you out and still get a cut if you're appointed by another head hunter and they get a whiff of a job for you.

The instrumentation and control aspect of your resume is pretty applicable for the maritime industry.

I'll think about some more.

Hi
Thanks
Dave