{"id":14873,"date":"2014-01-18T11:27:17","date_gmt":"2014-01-18T16:27:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/?p=14873"},"modified":"2025-02-14T08:12:27","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T08:12:27","slug":"expect-get-retirement-farwell-party-saturday-weekend-review-55","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitalskyweb.co\/canadianbudgetbinder.com\/2014\/01\/18\/expect-get-retirement-farwell-party-saturday-weekend-review-55\/","title":{"rendered":"Do you expect to get a retirement farewell party?"},"content":{"rendered":"

NOT ALL EMPLOYEES VALUE RECOGNITION THE SAME
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You would think after spending countless years with a company that they would throw you a retirement farewell party<\/strong> but that’s not always how your last days may end.<\/p>\n

Spending years with an organization and seeing how employees have been treated certainly paints a picture for any employee when it comes their time to step down and retire.
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In one sense they already know what’s coming but in another, they know that change is inevitable because they’ve seen it happen over and over.<\/p>\n

If for example every year you get a Christmas bonus at work of $1000 you might come to expect that every year to pay for the holiday festivities.<\/p>\n

However, once the employee bonus is taken away or minimized some may feel less than the employee they were from the year or years before.<\/p>\n

If you don’t explain to your employees the reasons why they may just feel you aren’t appreciating them as much as you did the year before.<\/p>\n

In most instances, it’s just a simple business decision based on budget and other reasons.<\/p>\n

Recognizing Employees Is Important<\/span>
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When someone works for any company and I don’t care who they are they MUST be recognized.<\/p>\n

If an employee is doing a good job for the organization or even when they leave for retirement, show them they will be missed.<\/p>\n

Even if someone is doing less than a stellar job it’s important to focus on the positives that the employee brings to the company.<\/p>\n

However, you must also communicate ways to improve the areas in which they need to improve on.<\/p>\n

No one likes to be told when they are doing something wrong all of the time without recognition for what they do right.<\/p>\n

That is a big problem for many companies because they forget to recognize their employees for work well done.<\/p>\n

It seems to be the norm to only talk to employees when they are not keeping up to speed with-in their role or there is a need for reprimand.<\/p>\n

That in itself is not motivational for any employee because who wants to come to work every day when the leaders don’t know how to properly motivate and lead a team to do the best possible job.<\/p>\n

I’m sure there will be many leaders who read this and say “I motivate my team”<\/strong> but do you motivate individuals as well?<\/p>\n

The point is no matter where you land on the pay scale we all like to be recognized for a job well done.<\/p>\n

It doesn’t have to be from a monetary standpoint either, just a simple pat on the back, handshake and push in the right direction with a smile.<\/p>\n

Many bosses who forget to smile forget about their employees.<\/p>\n

If you haven’t watched the show Undercover Boss<\/strong> before I encourage you to do so because those bosses are true leaders not only for the organization they own or run but to the employees who think they are forgotten.<\/p>\n

Retirement Farewell Party<\/span><\/h2>\n

When retirement<\/strong> time comes for many long-standing employees they, like anyone else, want to be recognized.<\/p>\n

They may not want the big fancy party like Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) employee who posted a video on YouTube<\/strong> under the name Ron Mitchell who was disgruntled after he got nothing and I mean nothing.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There was no good-bye retirement farewell party,<\/strong> no handshake, no thanks for coming out and spending 31 years with us, zilch.<\/p>\n

In my opinion, that is harsh although the TTC said it was over the holidays and it got missed which should never have happened but the reality is, it did and it will continue to happen all over the world.<\/p>\n

Some people say he was whining in his video because he had a “cash for life job”<\/strong> but they are failing to see that this was not about money.<\/p>\n

This was about pride, dedication and building a relationship with an organization, its people and the customers over many years.<\/p>\n

I guess it depends on the person and how they value themselves as an employee.<\/p>\n

You’d have to consider whether they liked their job or stuck around because there were slim pickings in the job market.<\/p>\n

Some employees are simply retirement ready and don’t often care if anyone says, good-bye.<\/p>\n

However, walking out the doors of an organization you dedicated your life to is a big deal to many people especially when there is a bond with the company.<\/p>\n

You didn’t just work for them you felt a sense of ownership and part of a family over the years.<\/p>\n

You’ve seen it all, done it all and know there is more to come but you won’t be around to see it.<\/p>\n

The TTC has since reached the retired employee who tossed his work gear in the bin on the way out on his last day to make things right.<\/p>\n

I felt that the TTC did the right thing and to at least acknowledge someone who has given the time and dedication to an organization is imperative.<\/p>\n

Like I mention at the beginning of this post ideals are formed in our heads as we see what happens with other employees over the years.<\/p>\n

Unless you like a high turnover which most companies do not due to the high cost it’s important to take care of your employees and vice versa from an employee standpoint.<\/p>\n

Make sure they have a voice and listen to them whilst recognizing the work they do even if it is in the form of “job well done”.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Retirement Expectations<\/span><\/h2>\n

Everyone values recognition differently so what one person feels is important another may find it’s not so relevant to them.<\/p>\n

For example, not even a goodbye during their last day of retirement would phase them.
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Do I expect to get a retirement farewell party when I leave my company?<\/p>\n

To be honest, no I don’t but I haven’t seen anyone retire yet so I don’t know what the protocol is for my organization.<\/p>\n

In my mind, when I walk out those doors for the last time a handshake, good luck, thank-you for your years of service is good enough for me.<\/p>\n

If I’ve planned my retirement<\/strong> properly I certainly won’t be thinking about what I was doing at work all those years even though I would have been dedicated to my role.<\/p>\n

I’ll be soaking it up with a drink in hand somewhere hot on a beach far, far away or roaming the streets visiting countries around the world.<\/p>\n

In all seriousness, no one likes to feel left out or that they meant nothing to an organization.<\/p>\n

We are all human and we have feelings even if some of us hide it well.<\/p>\n

Dedicating your life’s work to an organization should count for something if even a pat on the back and ‘thanks for coming out’ rather than a ‘don’t let the door hit you on the way out’.<\/p>\n

If you’re a boss be a leader at the same time and you’ll be surprised at how much further ahead you might get with employees.<\/p>\n

Discussion: Do you expect to get a retirement farewell party at your organization?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Canadian Budget Binder this week<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you missed any of my posts from the week here is the list of posts you can catch up on reading!<\/p>\n