It has been longer than I would have liked to get another post up. The last few days at work were a bit of a mad house. As a little recap, I put in my notice of resgination in December based on feedback from our Pay and Benefits person (at the time). My supervisor needed to accept it - which was done via email. Here is a bit of advice if you do not already do this, start a file either electronically or hard copy - both would also be good.
So the Monday before my retirement day of Wednesday I phone Pay and Benefits just to remind them that I was leaving on the 27th. I had sent a note around the 11th of the month to which I never received a reply.The note outlined that I would be leaving the country on the 29th and I was wondering if there was someway to get that final letter prior to then. After all, they knew how many years I had in, they knew what my wages were - how hard could it be to calculate serverence?
The women on the other end seemed surprised and immediately asked me if I had phoned the 1-800 number. "Yes." I replied., "a couple of months ago. All the forms are there and I did a file review on the 15th while waiting for you to call me back. The only thing missing is the form from PC." She assures me that she will back to me in a half an hour. Wednesday I call her back - she informs me that she is not the one to talk to, another women was in charge of my file. Hmm. I get her number, apparently they do not know how to transfer the phone. The new person - is not a happy person. Nothing can possibly be done for at least two weeks. I don't get it. Nothing can happen until the day after my last day and she will be on holidays. She will send something to my personal email and will allow me to fax it back. The original will still need to be mailed. That is the best she can do, after all it wasn't her decision to go on a holiday the day after retirement.
Well it was ours, and we are having a great time!!
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Sunday, 24 March 2013
Is it all together??
Time is going along oh so quickly. Under the advisement of Public Works I phoned their office two weeks before my last day to make sure they received all my paperwork and that I had filled it out properly. So forms:
ADM 365E -PF - Supplementary Death Benefits - check
ADM 219B - Public Service Health Care Plan - check
ADM 486B - Pensioner's Dental Services Plan - check
ADM 465E - Coordination of Contributions and Benefits - check
PWGSA-TPSGC 2011-E-PF - Pension Benefit Options - check
PWGSC-TPSGC 2265 - Pension Information Release - check
PWGSC-TPSGC 1422 - Deductions from Annuity or Annual Allowance - check
TBS-006492 - Public Service Health Care Plan - check
PWGSC-TPSGC 439-E - Pensioners Dental Services Plan form - check
HLTH 167 - BC Health Insurance application - check
Copy of my Certificate of Birth - check
Copy of my husband's Certificate of Birth - check
Certificate of Marriage - to prove my change of name - check, check and double check
Now the only thing missing is the letter signed by Parks Canada entitling me to my pensionable service and severence package. This normally is mailed the day after the last day of work. Public Works will not hit the 'GO' button until they have received the letter signed by me. Pension payments will begin 4 -6 weeks after Public Works receives this letter. It is so important to keep on top of this with whatever department you work with. It only takes the Pay & Benefits folks 15 minutes to produce this very important piece of paper. I will be calling them on the 27th - my last day just to keep things moving along.
ADM 365E -PF - Supplementary Death Benefits - check
ADM 219B - Public Service Health Care Plan - check
ADM 486B - Pensioner's Dental Services Plan - check
ADM 465E - Coordination of Contributions and Benefits - check
PWGSA-TPSGC 2011-E-PF - Pension Benefit Options - check
PWGSC-TPSGC 2265 - Pension Information Release - check
PWGSC-TPSGC 1422 - Deductions from Annuity or Annual Allowance - check
TBS-006492 - Public Service Health Care Plan - check
PWGSC-TPSGC 439-E - Pensioners Dental Services Plan form - check
HLTH 167 - BC Health Insurance application - check
Copy of my Certificate of Birth - check
Copy of my husband's Certificate of Birth - check
Certificate of Marriage - to prove my change of name - check, check and double check
Now the only thing missing is the letter signed by Parks Canada entitling me to my pensionable service and severence package. This normally is mailed the day after the last day of work. Public Works will not hit the 'GO' button until they have received the letter signed by me. Pension payments will begin 4 -6 weeks after Public Works receives this letter. It is so important to keep on top of this with whatever department you work with. It only takes the Pay & Benefits folks 15 minutes to produce this very important piece of paper. I will be calling them on the 27th - my last day just to keep things moving along.
Tuesday, 12 March 2013
Waiting and reminiscing
While waiting for the paperwork, I have been ever do slowly taking my office apart, but without it looking like it is being taken apart. The books have gone home, gave away my beaver collection to a collegue. You know stuff like that. There is fifteen years of accumalation in that space.
It's been fun going through photos remembering the different places I've been, people I've met across this big old country of ours. 2011 was particularliy a busy travel time for me. Calgary in July working at the Calgary Stampede.
From there it was Jasper in August, teaching a course in Managing for Excellence.
From there it was Jasper in August, teaching a course in Managing for Excellence.
Then in September I was lucky enough to go up to Wood Buffalo National Park, this time teaching a course on effective communication.
In October I was thrilled to head to Beddeck, Nova Scotia. The fall colours were incredible and a Celtic music festival was happening. It's also home to Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site. Canada's Leonardo da Vinci.
Saturday, 9 March 2013
Why is no one listening to me......
Next step and it's a big one. Resignation. Once that puppys put in you are pretty much committed. So, early December 2012, I send the note to my supervisor. I've chosen my date, March 27th, 2013. It's the last payday of the fiscal year. That should make it simple for everyone - one would think.
I wait, surely someone will send me something to sign. It's close to Christmas so maybe everything is caught up in the great bulk of seasonal mail. Mid-January, still nothing. Our Pay and Benefits office has been combined into units. The person I've been dealing with has disappeared. Hmm, maybe I should send an email - no phone numbers have been given out. I send a note, everything okay I ask. Did my information get transferred over? I am assured that everyone is aware. Will I get papers? Not to worry we have lots of time. Do we??
Next up - we need to vote on a new contract. Yeah! We`ve been without since August 2011. Retro-active pay will help the cause. After the vote a collegue comes to see me. Hands me a booklet entitled ``Retiring from the Public Service`` - some useful tips. Have you seen this - why no I had NOT seen that. It has been like a bible to me. A step by step booklet provided by the union. How nice is that. Suddenly I am finding answers to questions I`ve been asking but no one has been able to provide. And looky here a phone number to call.
I make the call - and a very lovely women answers the phone. She is so excited for me me. She congratulates me. Tells me the thing I`ve been longing to hear - this is what you needed to do. You needed to call me. Now I`ve been pondering this for months. I`ve spoken with our Human Resource people. I`ve spoken to our Pay & Benefits people. No one, not one, told me to call the number in the booklet.
The booklet explains it all! Medical, dental and death benefits. What options are open to you. What the consequences of some of your decisions could be. Information to help you make the right decisions. How you can get out of bad decisions. The women on the other end of the phone has answers too. This is exciting. Then the magic words `` I will put a package in the mail to you. There are forms to be signed``.
Yeah - I`m getting a package. Stay tuned!
I wait, surely someone will send me something to sign. It's close to Christmas so maybe everything is caught up in the great bulk of seasonal mail. Mid-January, still nothing. Our Pay and Benefits office has been combined into units. The person I've been dealing with has disappeared. Hmm, maybe I should send an email - no phone numbers have been given out. I send a note, everything okay I ask. Did my information get transferred over? I am assured that everyone is aware. Will I get papers? Not to worry we have lots of time. Do we??
Next up - we need to vote on a new contract. Yeah! We`ve been without since August 2011. Retro-active pay will help the cause. After the vote a collegue comes to see me. Hands me a booklet entitled ``Retiring from the Public Service`` - some useful tips. Have you seen this - why no I had NOT seen that. It has been like a bible to me. A step by step booklet provided by the union. How nice is that. Suddenly I am finding answers to questions I`ve been asking but no one has been able to provide. And looky here a phone number to call.
I make the call - and a very lovely women answers the phone. She is so excited for me me. She congratulates me. Tells me the thing I`ve been longing to hear - this is what you needed to do. You needed to call me. Now I`ve been pondering this for months. I`ve spoken with our Human Resource people. I`ve spoken to our Pay & Benefits people. No one, not one, told me to call the number in the booklet.
The booklet explains it all! Medical, dental and death benefits. What options are open to you. What the consequences of some of your decisions could be. Information to help you make the right decisions. How you can get out of bad decisions. The women on the other end of the phone has answers too. This is exciting. Then the magic words `` I will put a package in the mail to you. There are forms to be signed``.
Yeah - I`m getting a package. Stay tuned!
Friday, 8 March 2013
The decision
March 8th, 2013 International Women's Day
It must have been about nine years ago when I attended a retirment seminar when things started to form in my mind that 'yes' one day soon I would be retiring. Through the course I jotted down many different bits of information that was being handed out. I was always of the mind that "Freedom 55" was a great thing to work towards, so the money has slowly been building in the RSP account. At the time I started my RSP I was actually working at the CIBC, had taken my Canadian Securities course so felt confident that freedom was indeed within my grasp and that I had the right tools to make it so.
Up until going to work for the Federal Government I didn't have a superannuation and my RSPs were to carry me through. Then I went to work for Parks Canada and suddenly there would be a pension in addition to what I had already been saving. But still would it be enough?
After taking the retirement course I realized that what you needed to have put aside was what you would need for the life you wanted to live once you were no longer working. If you wanted to live like a millionaire then you would need a milllion dollars. If I want to keep living the way I have been living then I would need enough to be roughly equivalent to what I was making at the highlight of my career. You also need a good investment advisor to help guide you through making the wisest decisions on how to invest your money. That I had!
He brought me and my portfolio through the recession which was extremely disconcerting. I'm sure some of you went through the same thing. Pick up your monthly investment report and "oh great I lost $8,000 last month. Hum, add that to the $5,000 the month before and the $2,700 the month before that and I was starting to think Freedom 65.
But with patience both my RSP and I survived and have more than recouped the losses. Yeah! back on track. So after everything is said and done, my retirement is now only weeks away.
Everyone is saying - You must be excited - well I am, but I am also terrified, happy, sad, the list goes on. This is probably the biggest decision of my like, but it is also the most planned event of life. And that is because I started early. In my mid-twenties, just putting a little aside each month, every month come hell or high water. And I have never in thirty years taken money out of my RSP. To me, once it went into my self directed RSP I basically did not look at it as an option if cash was short. This has been a good decision!
It must have been about nine years ago when I attended a retirment seminar when things started to form in my mind that 'yes' one day soon I would be retiring. Through the course I jotted down many different bits of information that was being handed out. I was always of the mind that "Freedom 55" was a great thing to work towards, so the money has slowly been building in the RSP account. At the time I started my RSP I was actually working at the CIBC, had taken my Canadian Securities course so felt confident that freedom was indeed within my grasp and that I had the right tools to make it so.
Up until going to work for the Federal Government I didn't have a superannuation and my RSPs were to carry me through. Then I went to work for Parks Canada and suddenly there would be a pension in addition to what I had already been saving. But still would it be enough?
After taking the retirement course I realized that what you needed to have put aside was what you would need for the life you wanted to live once you were no longer working. If you wanted to live like a millionaire then you would need a milllion dollars. If I want to keep living the way I have been living then I would need enough to be roughly equivalent to what I was making at the highlight of my career. You also need a good investment advisor to help guide you through making the wisest decisions on how to invest your money. That I had!
He brought me and my portfolio through the recession which was extremely disconcerting. I'm sure some of you went through the same thing. Pick up your monthly investment report and "oh great I lost $8,000 last month. Hum, add that to the $5,000 the month before and the $2,700 the month before that and I was starting to think Freedom 65.
But with patience both my RSP and I survived and have more than recouped the losses. Yeah! back on track. So after everything is said and done, my retirement is now only weeks away.
Everyone is saying - You must be excited - well I am, but I am also terrified, happy, sad, the list goes on. This is probably the biggest decision of my like, but it is also the most planned event of life. And that is because I started early. In my mid-twenties, just putting a little aside each month, every month come hell or high water. And I have never in thirty years taken money out of my RSP. To me, once it went into my self directed RSP I basically did not look at it as an option if cash was short. This has been a good decision!
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