Personal Finance

Why I Gave My Boss a 60-Day Retirement Notice After 40 Years in the Workforce

Maurie Backman

Published: March 16, 2025 12:47 pm

When I resigned from my high-pressured finance job in my 20s, I didn’t have another job lined up. Instead, my plan was to freelance for a while (I’d been building up a client base on the side) and see where it took me.

I had some savings and was living with my then-boyfriend, now-husband, who was extremely supportive and willing to cover our major bills while I figured things out.

The reason I resigned from my job when I did was that I was completely burned out and miserable at work. In fact, I had wanted to resign a year earlier but forced myself to stay longer and save more money since my salary was good and I was expecting to take a pay cut after moving into freelance work.

When I left that job, I gave my employer a month’s notice despite being more than ready to cut ties. The reason was that I figured I might as well leave on a good note. And since I didn’t have another job to start right away, I wanted to give my colleagues the courtesy of a smooth transition.

In this Reddit post, we have someone who just gave notice at their job that they’ll be retiring.

Rather than give their company two weeks’ notice, which is generally the standard, they decided to give 60 days of notice. And I think that was a great decision.

It pays to part ways on good terms

The poster above certainly could’ve gotten away with giving their company less notice. But since they’re retiring, they probably figured they have the rest of their life to enjoy that stage, and another month or so on the job won’t hurt them. If anything, it’ll make the transition easier for everyone involved.

The poster was certainly acting courteously. But I also think they made a smart decision.

The reality is that retirement can be a tough adjustment. With a 60-day notice period, the poster now has a good number of weeks to mentally get on board with that change. They also have a last-minute opportunity to bank some extra savings if they’re worried they don’t quite have enough.

The poster even said, “I am both excited and scared of what’s to come. The past 40+ years have been about saving and investing. Flipping that switch is hard.”

By easing their way out of a job, they’ll have time to wrap their head around the fact that their career is winding down.

You never know when you might want to go back to work

Another reason I’m a fan of this poster’s approach? It potentially opens the door for a continued relationship.

It’s common for retirees to decide to go back to work for a variety of reasons — financial concerns, boredom, or the desire to have more structure. Since the poster is leaving on such good terms, if they decide they’d perhaps like to return to their job part-time or on a consulting basis, they may be welcomed back with open arms.

Or, maybe not. But it’s never the wrong thing to be considerate of others, which is what this poster clearly was in the context of their resignation.  

On my end, it’s been many years since I left the job I hated. But I don’t regret leaving on a positive note.

Even though I didn’t love how I was treated, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to leave the door open. And that’s something retirees should consider doing, even if they’re convinced they’re ending their careers for good.