Let’s hear your job burnout stories

[Westtown Willy]

yes, we max out the HSA and save it, it will be used to bridge the couple/few years we retire before mediscare kicks in.

or, cash flow the premiums during that gap and just let the HSA ride, you're simply not going to get that kind of growth any other way & you're going to be taxed either way because as far as I know you can't pay health insurance premiums with HSA funds, or at least the premiums don't qualify for the zero tax withdraws from the HSA, at a certain age they do permit withdraws for any purpose without penalty so it becomes akin to a traditional IRA, not sure if that's 59 1/2 or 65, regardless it's ideal to let it ride - some Medicare premiums can be paid from HSA, can't recall if it's Part D or an Advantage Plan, I need to brush up on all of that at some point when it becomes relevant.

Also if you're both retired but not yet 65 your premiums should go down under the ACA, so it may not be as bad as you think.

By the way I misspoke above, I actually already had a high deductible plan prior to 2014 for many of the same cost reasons, I think the difference was when the ACA kicked in the deductible also tripled along with the premium. Prior to 2014 my 'high deductible' was somewhere in the $2000 range, maybe $2,500, it surged to $7,000 overnight. Bastards.

 

[DaveC]

or, cash flow the premiums during that gap and just let the HSA ride, you're simply not going to get that kind of growth any other way & you're going to be taxed either way because as far as I know you can't pay health insurance premiums with HSA funds, or at least the premiums don't qualify for the zero tax withdraws from the HSA, at a certain age they do permit withdraws for any purpose without penalty so it becomes akin to a traditional IRA, not sure if that's 59 1/2 or 65, regardless it's ideal to let it ride - some Medicare premiums can be paid from HSA, can't recall if it's Part D or an Advantage Plan, I need to brush up on all of that at some point when it becomes relevant.

Also if you're both retired but not yet 65 your premiums should go down under the ACA, so it may not be as bad as you think.

By the way I misspoke above, I actually already had a high deductible plan prior to 2014 for many of the same cost reasons, I think the difference was when the ACA kicked in the deductible also tripled along with the premium. Prior to 2014 my 'high deductible' was somewhere in the $2000 range, maybe $2,500, it surged to $7,000 overnight. Bastards.

HSAs are the bomb. We're doing the same; maxing out, not touching and investing the funds. You can withdraw from it at 65 for any reason with no penalty, but whatever you withdraw will be taxed as regular income. Pulling any out prior to that for non-medical brings a 20% penalty and tax as income

 

[suicideking]

I work in IT and had worked for a small company for 14 years, most of it good. The last 4 it really went down hill and had me burnt out. The two owners/partners that were running it when I started, were no longer. The one I usually worked with, and somewhat my mentor, retired. The other owner that used to do a lot of work was having health problems, so hired the son of a previous partner (also retired).

In short the new guy running it was a douche that knew everything. Hired a few of his friends. Slowly started firing anyone he didn't hire. Meanwhile promoting his friends into jobs that delegated everything. So anyone on the 'in crowd' did not work and wasn't on call. The on call list started shrinking while the number of calls were increasing.

Add to the above, my clients were disgusted with new management and would call me directly and he really didn't like that. Tried to split up my clients and force other techs to start showing up, causing complaints.

As real workers were either quitting or getting fired, my quarterly reviews were getting worse even though my clients were happy. More on call work because there's wasn't anyone else qualified to get things done. Word got out that I was looking for a job (phoned in a couple times to go to job interviews) and they fired me.

I worked a temp job for a few months and then picked up, a government contractor job where OT and on call WERE NOT ALLOWED because they didn't pay OT. About 1.5 years in, I was hired as a federal employee at the place I was working making significantly more money and essentially no boss (boss lets me do my thing). As long as things get done and people are happy, managment is happy, staff is happy.

So going from a job where I was on call (even when I wasn't 'on call') to a job that was 40 hours / week, no douche boss, no stress about profit from clients, etc. It's been a much better situation. So finding the 'right' position can have a huge factor on burnout. Also going home and not having to worry about the phone ringing is important when the OT pay isn't worth it.

I've been at my current job for 3 years. Old job owner sold the company 2 years ago and there's very few original people left. So even though I didn't really leave on my own terms, I got out at the right time. Maybe 4 years later than I should've.

 

[DuckNut]

I have been self employed my entire working career except for my very first year out of college.

I was an S&P floor trader. Had 17 traders and 44 support staff. Days started at 4am and ended at midnight. At the age of 33 my blood pressure was through the roof. Eating medication like Skittles. Doctor said leave or die. I left. Wild and free, retired at 33.

Took a year off and traveled the world. Had to completely immerse myself in my travels so I wouldn't think about work. After a year I came back to my company and set up an ESOP plan for them to buy it.

For the next few years I practiced my putting and casting. Finally met a gal and got married. One day she told me to get a job because I was getting grumpy not being around people. So I got roped into corporate America. I became a financial regulator. A few years later my son was born. Two weeks later I was on the road again. When I flew back that Friday, I called the people I worked with from the airport and told them I was done.

I spent 2 years doing nothing again. Then decided I needed to be a good example for my son and go to work. So I started several companies and ended up working 100 hours a week for the next 5 years.

Enough. I take him to school everyday at 7 and pick him up at 2. I only work between those hours and no more.

I have found I can be more productive if I have a set parameter of time. I am a good teacher and enjoy teaching others to do what I do. I run 4 businesses in 4.5 hours a day.

I was burned out working. Then burned out being retired. Got burned out of working again. Now happy because work related stuff never leaves the office and follows me home. All my employees know not to call me after 2pm, period. They have learned to handle the problems and that is why I hired them.

What have I learned? Without question, my son is the most important thing in my life. I have one shot of raising a human. Have unlimited chances to make money. Although it may appear that I work part time, I have molded my employees to handle what I used to do which led to burnout. Made enough money not to care 20 years ago. Now my work affords those cars in my garage. At some point you simply have to ask yourself, how much is enough.

Took way to many years to learn how to properly delegate. Took way too many years to learn the meaning of quality time of work. Took way too many years to learn to turn my problems over to others.

Life is good.

 

[zebra12]

...Now, I'm at a smaller company with just 15 people across two offices. The job is rewarding, the pay is good, and the benefits are "average." However, the office culture is non-existent. The people in my office are great, but it's strictly business—no beers after work, no hanging out. We’re just coworkers, and that bums me out...
​

Agreed. I retired from a career I really liked about three years ago. I liked the work and had many co-workers who would have run through walls for each other if asked.

Now, I have a good "retirement" job, but man I miss the folks from my old career. I have maybe 1% of the stress that I had at my old career, but the new gig is just a job. My current coworkers are very nice, but there's no future there. People/comradery make a tremendous difference for me.

 

[TRevs]

Since the acquisition, things have started to become very "corporate". I was told I need to bump my hours up to 45-50 per week "to get a big bonus" and "its now all about the bottom line". Words like "synergy" are being used a lot...
​

Hear the words of the great post-modern American philosopher:

 

[TRevs]

@AndyG hit a nerve, 100+ posts in a week and “Savvy” isn’t mentioned once!

Just a couple comments from another middle-aged guy:

• - Spiritually, this problem is to be expected:

“And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭19‬

But the remedy comes later,
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬ ‭

• Economically speaking, we’re all more or less free economic actors. We don’t have to stay at a job we hate, or accept wages we find too low. Of course the grass is often browner on the other side of the fence, but testing the market is our prerogative.
• As others have said, examine the motives and then prioritize. Contrary to popular myth, you can’t have it all.

 

[AndyG]

@AndyG hit a nerve, 100+ posts in a week and “Savvy” isn’t mentioned once!

Just a couple comments from another middle-aged guy:

• - Spiritually, this problem is to be expected:

“And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.””
‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭17‬-‭19‬

But the remedy comes later,
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬ ‭

• Economically speaking, we’re all more or less free economic actors. We don’t have to stay at a job we hate, or accept wages we find too low. Of course the grass is often browner on the other side of the fence, but testing the market is our prerogative.
• As others have said, examine the motives and then prioritize. Contrary to popular myth, you can’t have it all.

Very True.

Will explain in detail soon.

Good results so far. Have much to tell.

Also committed to better rest and not on forum at all hours. Chris will adjust my pay.

 

[NDSpeed]

there is burnout in every job. i’ve run into it in a few times. and my jobs are far from boring.
I’m looking forward to reading more of the posts, and contributing when i have a little bit more time.

 

[techjeeper]

I’m currently 38, at 32 I was given the opportunity to run the family business’ 2nd location that will eventually become the bigger location and corporate office. It’s 106 employee company so I take it very seriously and know the weight of 106 families relying on our business including my own family. After watching my dad do it for 25 years there were a few things I put in place as my company role changed to handle it all. I knew I had to get my health right from the beginning or I was headed for a life of meds and doctors, I knew I had to make time for my family, and I had to make time for myself. I coined the phrase with my wife, who I could not do this without, “work doesn’t get it all.”

A week before I really stepped into that role, and moved my family to a new city. I was volunteering as a kids church camp volunteer for 4th graders…I’d agreed to do it about 10 months earlier not having any idea it would land at that time. I’ve always tried to do what I say I’ll do so I kept the commitment. While there God spoke to me, “bring me your burdens or they’ll crush you.” I realize not everyone reading this will believe that, but it is and will always be an experience that really showed me God is real and was a turning point in my life. It’s also an idea in the Bible in a few different places. That has been a key to staying ahead of the burnout although I have been close a few times this summer during our phase 2 expansion, doing my normal job as VP and adding GC of a manufacturing plant to that. That one concept of bringing my burdens to him continuously through prayer has brought me peace time and time again.

Week to week, I now ride my mountain bike(it’s my 2 hours or so of me time), eat waaaaay better although there’s still room to improve, I drink next to no calories and coffee in pretty limited quantities, I make 90% or better all the kids activities, I actively pursue my wife and knowing her more, serve at church, meet biweekly with a small group of men to talk about life, faith, etc, and I work as much as possible inside those constraints. I think without all of that I would have cracked. Legitimately just said screw all this and sold the company.

These changes to my life took years to implement and the fruit of that change was not evident immediately either. I changed how I ate and started exercising but it took nearly a year and half to lose 50lbs, and increase my fitness where it’s unrecognizable to where I started. I have only in the last year found the group of men I actually like to be around and trust. I’m still what consider young, and have 30 more years to go so I’m trying to lay the ground work now for avoiding a complete burnout at any point in that time. I fully expect lows and highs but hoping to keep it all generally in the middle.

 

[DuckNut]

There are a lot of heart felt stories above. But not one of them even remotely comes close to this one. I'm not posting this to make fun of the situation rather how little people actually care.

 

[JEEPSTEVENANAIMO]

I could write novels about the auto industry, but to summarize: don’t do it.

i enjoy my life in the parts department.

 

[Mhass]

There are a lot of heart felt stories above. But not one of them even remotely comes close to this one. I'm not posting this to make fun of the situation rather how little people actually care.

That's possibly the saddest way to die that I can think of...at your desk at work and nobody missed you for FOUR DAYS.
God, please don't let me die at work.