‘Do you want to come back to work?’ - YouLookFab Forum

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‘Do you want to come back to work?’

Runcarla

Veteran

We live in strange times! Wednesday I was talking to DH about the reported labour shortage in some fields due to factors related to the Covid pandemic. An article about a woman who had left acting to pursue working in a different field getting a call to return to Broadway to reprise a role for which she had been an understudy motivated the conversation: https://people.com/theater/bro.....cked-lead/

Thursday morning I get a telephone call from personnel at my old place of work. (I retired almost 4 yrs ago after 30+ yrs.) They wanted to know if I was interested in a contract! I said ‘thank you, but ‘no’. I’ve been having flashbacks and dreams ever since. Gah! Stress cleaning and baking up a storm!

DS#1 (who is in school and works part time) is off work for 3 weeks (or more) pending the outcome of a circuit breaker lock down. College courses have been pushed back by two weeks for both DS’s and will be on line when they start up later this month.

Has your employment/work situation been impacted by the pandemic? Have you retired in the past 2 years? Would you go back to work in any capacity if asked?

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33 replies

Latest reply was from Echo

Style Fan

Veteran

Ten years ago, I retired from the hospital where I worked for many years. I continued to teach at the university part-time. I still do the occasional teaching and would do more if available. I also do some private practice. Teaching and private practice have been impacted by the pandemic.
I have been asked to do contract work and part-time work at the hospital. If I lived closer, I would be there right now. I loved my job. I miss it every day.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

Things are really crazy again, aren't they?
I just started with a new agency this week. There were 3 others who started with me, and then another group later this week. When I was turning in my equiptment at my old agency, the HR manager told me that if I was ever looking for something, that he would welcome me back.
The new agency has an outbreak of COVID, and the office is closed for at least the next week.
Homeless services is a field where there is a lot of opportunity right now, and the pay scale is rising. It's also a difficult field. They have funneled some of the pandemic funds into housing, but they are having a difficult time finding enough staffing or actual units available. Even with extra incentives to landlords, it's tough to find people that will rent to our clients. More and more, the cities and county are building their own permanent housing sites to have somewhere to house our clients.
We are also seeing many restaurants closed due to staffing shortages, and stores with minimal hours or pick up only (or shopping by appointments). Several branches of my moms bank are closed for in person banking, and the city counsel is not allowing the public in to sessions. I don't think that our government will impose more lockdowns or school closures, but businesses and organizations are imposing their own restrictions.

Anonymous

I don't blame you one bit

I got to be wfh for over a year, but now, despite the Covid numbers, they won't let us. For some reason it's ok to sit in an office 8 hours a day, but they don't really want us helping clients in person. So hypocritical!
So many people left that they recalled several former employees to help with our busy season. I won't!

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Gosh,that’s a shocker isn’t it when you think you ve safely left all that behind.The DH was asked along with all retired medics to return in our first wave but as he pointed out it was critical care doctors and nurses they needed not his speciality , he was in the at risk group due to age and he had been retired for six years so all his insurance etc which he has to pay himself had expired so he declined along with a lot of his colleagues.Theyare doing the same with teachers in this wave but again people have pointed out that putting retired people into schools which are covid hotspots is possibly not the best idea.
No one has asked me!

kellygirl

Veteran

Wow! That's quite an ask! I didn't retire but my boss called a few years after child #2 to ask if I was ready to come back and I did--only 12 years later. I'd be surprised if anyone's work hasn't been impacted by the pandemic. I only experienced WFH for a few weeks and a day here and there but the supply chain and employee shortages have been felt since the beginning. I figured on retiring when DD#2 graduated from college (1.5 years but whose counting?) but I may do so sooner--or at least change jobs to something less stressful and closer to home. We can't retain employees and I'm not sure how much more I am willing to take on...

Sal

Veteran

Fascinating to hear these stories. I am still working in our business and can’t see too much changing for many years ( although we want to work abroad at some stage). My Dad retired at 79 and we have one 75 year old employee ( who is staying because he loves his job, not for financial reasons). I think people retire in general later here.

I would struggle to work more than I am (32 hours a week) nor do I want to. Between a board position, my son and my Dad I feel busy enough.

There are staff shortages so I guess businesses are looking at all the solutions available. It is a compliment to be asked but it’s a big ask.

nemosmom

Veteran

Oh wow! I gotta say, it speaks volumes of you as an employee (and as a person) that they would ask you to come back after all this time!

I retired(lite) almost a year after DS1 was born in 2012, but being in tech, I had worked from home off-and-on for years before that.

I picked up occasional contracts over the years, and the last contract I had in 2019 turned full-time when demand for our product increased due to the pandemic in 2020. Now the hours are long and stressful.

I like having an outlet of sorts... Work fills that for me right now, but I’m considering a major change in a couple of months.

JAileen

Veteran

I was called just today about working in the thrift store where I’ve volunteered for years. I said not right now. Omicron for one thing, but also because I have a resentful attitude toward the purposefully unvaccinated.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

So interesting, Carla. As are the rest of these stories!

I got hired on an emergency basis this fall to teach at UVic. I had to put my studies on hold and my creative work as well. I taught full time last semester, in person, and it was good to be out of the house in my new community. It also felt (and was) risky. UVic had a huge outbreak in December. Two of my students got Covid. Probably more -- though for some it would have been after semester's end.

I'm teaching again this coming semester, though a lighter load. And we are online for at least two weeks to start. I dislike online teaching but like in-person, so I will be happy to go back, Omicron or not. I'm boosted and we're all masked in the classroom and this semester I will be working with a much smaller number of students.

kkards

Veteran

How nice to be asked, and to have the luxury to turn it down.

we were wfh from March 2020 than hybrid starting in Oct. but we moved some depts were moved to wfh permanently, they are essentially the “back office’ depts like -parts of finance, IT and some parts of our e-commerce organization. Until last week, it felt ok, but last week about 40% of the team that I work with where out sick (One of the women I work with tested negative so it’s was definitely a combo of covid and flu, but still). I masked up every day at work, which I had not been doing. I’ll do the same this week, and then reassess.

If we had national health insurance I’d consider retiring at 60 or cutting back, but since we don’t, I’ll keep going for the next 6 years.

rachylou

Veteran

I took on an extra role during the pandemic but also had my schedule cut by a day. I’m not that keen on going back to five days; it would probably mean working the entire weekend. Of course I’m GenX and my retirement plan is to work until I drop dead. I do expect the stock market to wipe out again in my lifetime.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

I agree with Sal that in NZ a lot of people retire later. I am surprised at how early some Fabbers retire ( like well below 65 years which is the age that we qualify for a “pension” here.) One issue here in our country is a greater number of people who don’t own property or (if they do) still have a mortgage beyond age 65. The pension level is too low to allow paying rent or mortgage, they expect you to have a freehold home but not everyone does.
I have made a further change this year. I managed to sell the medical practice that I have owned for 30 years (ages 30-60) in October. I received a capital sum but am contracted to work for the new owners for a further 2 years. So far this is going well and makes me see an end in sight by late 2023. I may not retire then even but at least extricating myself will be easier. Now I have a granddaughter I wanted more freedom eventually. I still enjoy my work but begin to feel less passionate about it, although I still define myself by it more than is perhaps psychologically healthy?? Do any others of you partly define yourselves by your occupation?

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I’d love to get back to work in my profession! I’ve been out so long, it’s really difficult to return. The friend I just visited and I are doing a project together; if we get any grant money, it will be because of his work, not my degree. I hope that having the finished project on my cv will lead to real opportunities. I absolutely define myself by my profession—the research and publishing side, not the teaching part. My friend has known me since before the “time off” began, and even before my son was born, so he has no trouble seeing me in this role. I have a hard time getting up the self-confidence to do anything professional, so his expectations that that’s who I am and that I know what I’m doing are huge. Getting back to a research position is a goal.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

This is all so interesting! And Carla, I agree with what other said. It's obvious you are valued or they would not have asked you back. Though I can also see how the request could be unsettling.

Jenni, 65 is still the "pensionable" age in Canada as in NZ, but of course a lot of people don't have anything except the government pension which varies according to lifetime earnings and is not enough to live comfortably on. Anyway -- in some public service jobs it goes by years of service. vs. age, I think. So those who start work young can (theoretically) retire early. But this is purely theoretical for those of us who've spent a long time in the gig economy.

I most definitely define myself by my work -- mostly by my writing (creative work) but also by my teaching. I derive great meaning and satisfaction from both roles and can't imagine a life where I am not working. Teaching is secondary so I can and will give that up but I'll be writing until I'm comatose.

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Thanks for that Suz, that’s encouraging to know you also feel somewhat defined by your work. I am interested in the experiences of those who have retired as to how one navigates through that.
Our Government pensions here do not vary in amount, although those who had corporate or public service pensions get those on top. As a self-employed business owner for over 30 years I don’t get anything else although we have built up other assets as a couple and have also joined a more recent Government savings scheme, although nearly everything we have in that is contributed by us since neither of us is an employee (for decades). I will have sufficient money for retirement, however I think it won’t be easy to give up earning and to have to budget more perhaps!
Carla, you must have adjusted really well to retirement if the thought of working again troubles you so! But you must have been so appreciated at work to be asked back!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

This is a fascinating thread. Carla, I hear you — it’s nice to be wanted, but it is also very good to know that you are in a position to say no if it’s not what you need or want.

Yes, standard retirement age here in the states is 65, but you can start collecting Social Security benefits as early as 62. However, the longer you wait, the more you can collect.

Even though I haven’t worked full-time for an employer other than myself for 20 years, I actually will receive pension benefits from a job I worked in my 20s — I spent nearly a decade working for a private school, and they had a wonderful retirement and investment plan. Thanks to them, I have some guaranteed income later in life as well as a healthy IRA. I never would have thought on my own to start that when I was 22!

I can’t think of any offer that would lure me back into full-time employment at this stage of my life. Since I left my last full-time job (as a designer for a book publisher, in 2001!), I have been a part-time employee (design assistant at an interior design firm, and radio DJ), but never accepted offers to take those positions full-time. Full-time radio is not my jam — public appearances, lots of time doing production, interviews, office politics. I like just going in and playing music for 4 hours! A media personality is definitely a job that defines you, and that’s just not me — I’m too much of an introvert.

I do define myself as my current career. I spent enough years not feeling confident of calling myself an artist or a photographer because I don’t have a fine art degree in a city that boasts one of the best art colleges in the country, where it seems like everybody got an art degree (I have a MA from a different school, in graphic design, which is a completely different animal to the fine art community). I’m self-trained and now I own it.

I’ll never retire from being an artist, you know? I go through periods when I’m more or less active with my work, much as Suz describes, but I can’t imagine a day when I will want to stop creating. It is definitely a huge part of my identity.

It’s a little weird because my husband talks about retirement, using the word “we,” but it’s really just him retiring. He just turned 58 and has had a very unusual career path (he has been a business owner for over 18 years now), but is basically looking at retiring at 60.

Anonymous

I used to define myself a lot by my occupation Jenni, when I was a musician. I did it full time for 15 years. But I got really burned out, and have had traditional jobs for about 9 years. Flexibility and variety are essential to me- so I realized I'm best off doing entirely different things every few years.
The world is too interesting to stay with one career!

@kkards you would be able to enroll in insurance through the ACA- possibly with subsidies, depending on your income. Your state may be on the federal insurance exchange or it may have it's own.

Irina

Veteran

I definitely do not define myself by my occupation, it a job and not a profession (huge difference to me). Ideally, I would like to retire or semi retire in 2 years by the age of 58. It’s not that I don’t like my job, it’s a schedule that comes with it, that is what I’m tired of. 3 weeks vacation in a year (2 for my husband), Monday to Friday. I’m not a very spontaneous person but this rigid structure takes away any chance of it. I would like to travel, going somewhere for longer than 10 days and not feeling rushed.

Anonymous

DH , aged 62, took an early buyout from Air Canada last May , and then was called back with an offer to work for a short period of time to help with major staffing and flight schedule issues . He went back in December , working 4 days a week and will probably stop at the end of Feb . It gets him out of the house , which is a good thing It’s a financial boon too, because he’s receiving his AC pension , CPP ( Canada Pension Plan ) , and now this extra pay .

I like to say I retired from my long term sales career almost 2 years ago , but in reality , I’ve just changed jobs . Our industry has definitely felt the impact of Covid , and I’m working more than I want to ( staffing issues mostly ) . I DO NOT define myself by my job , something that was part of my desire to get out of sales .

rachylou

Veteran

I do define myself by my occupations - baking and tech com. They are things I have studied and continue to study and that occupy my time outside of work as well… and I really wish my mother understood being a writer does not mean I could be a journalist or ad writer, lol

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

On the job/profession distinction—besides the professional activity with my friend, I also need to get a job, to pay the bills and so I have a current employer who can say “she shows up on time and does her work” in a recommendation letter for professional positions. Rejection from those jobs is much harder for me to deal with. When there are 75-400 people applying for a professional position, it isn’t hard to understand that I may not be “the one”, but when the job ad looks like a cattle call and they still don’t accept me—oof. One issue is that the immigration dept has a minimum amount I must earn to be granted a work permit, so the job has to be at a level to warrant that, but not too high for somebody coming back after a (very) extended family leave.

Anonymous

StagF - would it be easier for you to get back on your feet professionally if you were in the US ? Or is your formal / post graduate education from Europe ?

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

LisaP, that’s a good question. I expect I probably could get a teaching job at a small college in the USA. But I’ve promised my son that I’ll stay here 4-5 years until he finishes college and decides where he wants to settle. By that time, I hope I will have moved up from “dayjob + unpaid freelance project with friend” to “temp professional position” to “actual professional position” and feel more in control of my moves on either side of the Atlantic, whether continuing the professional position here or getting one that is not teaching-centered in the US. Thanks for asking.

Barbara Diane

Veteran

I wrote a very long answer to this, and then rethought it.
If Covid was done, I would love to do some limited or very flexible work. I have been out of the workforce for a long time. I wish it felt safe enough to go back to my in person volunteer job

Gail

Veteran

I worked in public accounting in Manhattan until I had my family upon which time I left as I found the hours and the commute too much. I didn't work for many many years until I started work part time as a receptionist in a family practice . I loved the job but my husband took early retirement right before covid so I "retired" too. I thought we would be traveling and doing fun things - look how that turned out lol. I know I could go back as they are so busy but I'm not up for all the restrictions and virtually no patient contact which was the fun part of the job.

Runcarla

Veteran

I suspect the nature of the job or financial incentive would be a factor to lure a person back. In my case, I realized after retirement that I had developed some PTSD as a result of the work I performed. (I worked in disability management for a gov’t based accident insurance organization and my area of expertise was serious/complex injuries. 30 years of reading accident reports, medical reports, and hearing stories from clients took their toll. I still can’t tolerate graphic violence in movies or TV , or described in books.)

I can only guess how busy they must be - not only dealing with the influx of Covid related claims, but managing the ongoing medical needs of clients when the availability of medical services is restricted. I feel bad that I don’t have the emotional or physical energy to help out, and I’ve been having dreams (bad ones) since the call.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Oh, Carla -- that makes total sense. That's really hard work.

Debbie

Veteran

Karla please do not feel bad. Your mind is telling you that you made the right decision. Our bodies and minds can only handle so much. The mere opportunity is causing you stress.

I still work part time. My husband has been retired for years and does not like to travel and now his health permits a lot of It. I love to travel and to do new things. I work not to isolate myself. I define myself by being useful and needed and that fills that need. I only work 25-30 hours a week and would like to cut back to 20-25. The pandemic has increased my hours some because people are always out of the office with different health concerns.

Right now working is good for me with my husbands health it may not be an option much longer. Time will tell.

nemosmom

Veteran

Wow, Carla! No wonder you are stress-cleaning! Good on you for knowing it was in your best interest to decline their offer, too!

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