Retirement Goodbyes (letters, e-mails or speeches)

Catatonic

Nine Lives
What did you communicate to your co-workers when you retired?

This is what I sent out in 2013 when I retired.
I got many good-feeling replies.

"Today was my last day in the office in my 40 years at UPS.
We had a nice lunch, talked about some good memories and had a lot of good laughs.
It don't git much bettrn dat ... at my age anyway!


I wanted to let you know I was gone in case you were expecting me to pay that money back, you missed your chance. I have had the pleasure to working with a lot of good people over my years at UPS and everyone getting this e-mail falls into that category. If you didn't get this e-mail, I probably just forgot you ... all UPSers tend to be good people, in fact, much better than my memory.


The fact that I worked for UPS for almost 40 years is something I really feel lucky about. I can't believe no one ever caught up with me!
I got to spend that time working with some very dedicated people making UPS a better company and taking care of our customers. Many people work for many different companies but still doing the same job. At UPS, I was able to work in many different areas getting a diverse view of the cogs and wheels that make a large corporation like UPS work. One thing for sure it was never boring and never easy and always a challenge, You can't ask for much more than that in a job. I always tried to make the job fun for myself and the people around me and because of that, I leave with many good memories and people I consider friends for life. For that, I am most grateful.


I guess you may want to know what Iwill be doing in retirement from UPS? Not retiring is my plan.
Photography is a side business of mine and I teach photography in the evenings at a local college.
I will extend my class schedule and increase my photographer for hire upon retirement.

I lead workshops around the local Atlanta area as well as the Tetons, Gulf Coast and the Appalachians.
I teach High School students after school hours to support their Photography Clubs or in some, generate an interest in a lifelong hobby.

I also am the president of the local photography club and the duties and responsibilities of that position will help fill my days.

In case you win the lottery and need a traveling companion to document your travels
... contact me.
Note: I will carry your bags.



Take care my friends and enjoy a fulfilling life
!"
 

728ups

All Trash No Trailer
I rather doubt i'll write a goodbye letter on my final day.I won't really miss any co workers and I doubt very much I'll be missed.I'm certain I'll be forgotten rather quickly as life moves on and I'm more than great with that
 

cosmo1

Perhaps.
Staff member
I really didn't give a speech, but I told my center manager that he better give me an easy day or I would very happily screw his numbers one last time.

He gave me an easy day.
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
image.jpeg
Left my boots and never looked back
 

Shiftless

Well-Known Member
Monkey Butt, cool exit letter/e-mail.

My exit was was very low tech. Being a feeder driver when I drove into the yard where my supervisor worked from ( I was based in an outlying center) he and the district Manager where there doing a BBQ for my last day. Handed me a plaque and let me even have a slice of cake. And did the pictures and handshake thing. The DM who I did not know, had to ask me "are you really on 49 years old?" He was very polite and said good for you! Then said, I have a lot of time left myself.

Here is the interesting part (at least for me) I had told guys for years I'm not working one day past what is needed to grab my peer 80 and SCRAM! During this last day with many drivers I have known coming in and out of the hub walking over saying "hey what's going on?" Then they hear I'm retiring and this is my last day. So many we're slack jawed and asking me how the heck did this happen? But offered sincere expressions of happiness on my retirement. Or if they were close to me during this period
(As we move in and out if each other's life's during our career) they just were very genuine with their comments. The common thread of our relationships thru out the years was a topic most brought up.

But the overwhelming comment was " I am no where ready to retire, I just haven't even planned this retirement thing yet" which just blew me away so many that were 10 sometimes 15 years older than I hadn't given purposeful thought to retirement.

I enjoyed my employment at UPS! Had its ups and downs. Worked with and for, some very nice people.
 
What did you communicate to your co-workers when you retired?

This is what I sent out in 2013 when I retired.
I got many good-feeling replies.

"Today was my last day in the office in my 40 years at UPS.
We had a nice lunch, talked about some good memories and had a lot of good laughs.
It don't git much bettrn dat ... at my age anyway!


I wanted to let you know I was gone in case you were expecting me to pay that money back, you missed your chance. I have had the pleasure to working with a lot of good people over my years at UPS and everyone getting this e-mail falls into that category. If you didn't get this e-mail, I probably just forgot you ... all UPSers tend to be good people, in fact, much better than my memory.


The fact that I worked for UPS for almost 40 years is something I really feel lucky about. I can't believe no one ever caught up with me!
I got to spend that time working with some very dedicated people making UPS a better company and taking care of our customers. Many people work for many different companies but still doing the same job. At UPS, I was able to work in many different areas getting a diverse view of the cogs and wheels that make a large corporation like UPS work. One thing for sure it was never boring and never easy and always a challenge, You can't ask for much more than that in a job. I always tried to make the job fun for myself and the people around me and because of that, I leave with many good memories and people I consider friends for life. For that, I am most grateful.


I guess you may want to know what Iwill be doing in retirement from UPS? Not retiring is my plan.
Photography is a side business of mine and I teach photography in the evenings at a local college.
I will extend my class schedule and increase my photographer for hire upon retirement.

I lead workshops around the local Atlanta area as well as the Tetons, Gulf Coast and the Appalachians.
I teach High School students after school hours to support their Photography Clubs or in some, generate an interest in a lifelong hobby.

I also am the president of the local photography club and the duties and responsibilities of that position will help fill my days.

In case you win the lottery and need a traveling companion to document your travels
... contact me.
Note: I will carry your bags.



Take care my friends and enjoy a fulfilling life
!"
TLDR
 

twoweeled

Well-Known Member
I rather doubt i'll write a goodbye letter on my final day.I won't really miss any co workers and I doubt very much I'll be missed.I'm certain I'll be forgotten rather quickly as life moves on and I'm more than great with that
You sound just like me and my case leaving. I looked at UPS as a hell hole in the last years. I some good times in the first years, but the last few were just filled with a bunch of trivial crap flying around, looking for someone's face to land on. Nit picking and looking for the next super important act to bitch about. Followed by; well that's the way it's always been. It wasn't too difficult to look down the road and see where we are headed, and it isn't good for anyone - except for the people near the very top. The pride in the company is scarce, soon to become extinct. Only the very new, will brag about the company, and mean it. But that won't last long. As soon as the newby learns what is really happening, what's expected, what loyalty he'll experience for accomplishing the expected. He'll start to realize, there's no love in this place. Love being synonymous with loyalty in my context. He'll probably realize too late to do anything about it. Old timers (if he meets any) will tell him about the way it was, and it'll probably be like trying to explain Einstein's theory of relativity to a 10 year old - He may really wanna understand it, but just too difficult to understand or believe.
And as you alluded too. No one is missing me either. Well all said or thought: good riddance! It was a damn good company. We were able to adapt to virtually anything and everything, to get what had to be done, DONE! It was was freaky well oiled machine. All the cogs had a mind to calculate and solve on their own, along with the will to do so. Now all the cogs act according to a main processor. Many have realized, it's best not to contribute (because you'll only be told why your wrong) but just to do as your told, right or wrong. The processor processes wrong and sends out the wrong information - well all the cogs will act on that wrong/bad call.
Although I'm one of a few conveying these thoughts, rest assured there are more than a few who view it the same way. Right or wrong, the adage; perception is reality, carries a lot of weight in this context (as in most context).
I wonder where the company will be in 15 years? I wonder if there will still be uniforms? I doubt it! It was a good company!! But I don't miss it one iota.
Not one!!! Says a lot to me!
 

twoweeled

Well-Known Member
Monkey Butt, cool exit letter/e-mail.

My exit was was very low tech. Being a feeder driver when I drove into the yard where my supervisor worked from ( I was based in an outlying center) he and the district Manager where there doing a BBQ for my last day. Handed me a plaque and let me even have a slice of cake. And did the pictures and handshake thing. The DM who I did not know, had to ask me "are you really on 49 years old?" He was very polite and said good for you! Then said, I have a lot of time left myself.

Here is the interesting part (at least for me) I had told guys for years I'm not working one day past what is needed to grab my peer 80 and SCRAM! During this last day with many drivers I have known coming in and out of the hub walking over saying "hey what's going on?" Then they hear I'm retiring and this is my last day. So many we're slack jawed and asking me how the heck did this happen? But offered sincere expressions of happiness on my retirement. Or if they were close to me during this period
(As we move in and out if each other's life's during our career) they just were very genuine with their comments. The common thread of our relationships thru out the years was a topic most brought up.

But the overwhelming comment was " I am no where ready to retire, I just haven't even planned this retirement thing yet" which just blew me away so many that were 10 sometimes 15 years older than I hadn't given purposeful thought to retirement.

I enjoyed my employment at UPS! Had its ups and downs. Worked with and for, some very nice people.
GOOD FOR YOU!!!! I try to stress saving money to everybody. It's so important. You don't have to leave early. But you have to be in a financial position to leave, if you have/want too. We may decide to leave earlier than planned.
Good job, Shifty!
 

oldupsman

Well-Known Member
They wanted me to give a final safety tip. I told all the drivers standing there to do 2 things every day. First get your butt
back here in one piece every day. Next get the package car back in one piece every day. As far as the rest of the things
that go on around here, and we all know what those things are, don't worry about those things. Those things come and go.
It's been a pleasure. I got a standing O.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
What did you communicate to your co-workers when you retired?

This is what I sent out in 2013 when I retired.
I got many good-feeling replies.

"Today was my last day in the office in my 40 years at UPS.
We had a nice lunch, talked about some good memories and had a lot of good laughs.
It don't git much bettrn dat ... at my age anyway!


I wanted to let you know I was gone in case you were expecting me to pay that money back, you missed your chance. I have had the pleasure to working with a lot of good people over my years at UPS and everyone getting this e-mail falls into that category. If you didn't get this e-mail, I probably just forgot you ... all UPSers tend to be good people, in fact, much better than my memory.


The fact that I worked for UPS for almost 40 years is something I really feel lucky about. I can't believe no one ever caught up with me!
I got to spend that time working with some very dedicated people making UPS a better company and taking care of our customers. Many people work for many different companies but still doing the same job. At UPS, I was able to work in many different areas getting a diverse view of the cogs and wheels that make a large corporation like UPS work. One thing for sure it was never boring and never easy and always a challenge, You can't ask for much more than that in a job. I always tried to make the job fun for myself and the people around me and because of that, I leave with many good memories and people I consider friends for life. For that, I am most grateful.


I guess you may want to know what Iwill be doing in retirement from UPS? Not retiring is my plan.
Photography is a side business of mine and I teach photography in the evenings at a local college.
I will extend my class schedule and increase my photographer for hire upon retirement.

I lead workshops around the local Atlanta area as well as the Tetons, Gulf Coast and the Appalachians.
I teach High School students after school hours to support their Photography Clubs or in some, generate an interest in a lifelong hobby.

I also am the president of the local photography club and the duties and responsibilities of that position will help fill my days.

In case you win the lottery and need a traveling companion to document your travels
... contact me.
Note: I will carry your bags.



Take care my friends and enjoy a fulfilling life
!"



Where's the part about smoking weed and going to concerts----You never talk about photography anymore---just partying. :-)
 

brown bomber

brown bomber
forced to retire after disability,...never any recognition....after 32 yrs.,....34 yrs., was my official retirement date. I never emptied out my locker, never got the contents of my locker. By the way

i was on disability for that 2 yr. period before I officially retired. I wish all current UPS workers all the best.
 

Billy Ray

God, help us all.....
I rather doubt i'll write a goodbye letter on my final day.I won't really miss any co workers and I doubt very much I'll be missed.I'm certain I'll be forgotten rather quickly as life moves on and I'm more than great with that


Just another ass in the seat, and I don't mean that to be derogatory.
 

twoweeled

Well-Known Member
I rather doubt i'll write a goodbye letter on my final day.I won't really miss any co workers and I doubt very much I'll be missed.I'm certain I'll be forgotten rather quickly as life moves on and I'm more than great with that
I'm certain your right! Just think back to your earlier years, when drivers were retiring. "I'm moving up another spot"! And we'll be forgotten within the first hour of the workday. FORGOTTEN BY EVERYBODY!!
I know it was a disappointment to some drivers, when they realized the company's most important point of their retirement, was getting the uniforms back.
 

twoweeled

Well-Known Member
Monkey Butt, cool exit letter/e-mail.

My exit was was very low tech. Being a feeder driver when I drove into the yard where my supervisor worked from ( I was based in an outlying center) he and the district Manager where there doing a BBQ for my last day. Handed me a plaque and let me even have a slice of cake. And did the pictures and handshake thing. The DM who I did not know, had to ask me "are you really on 49 years old?" He was very polite and said good for you! Then said, I have a lot of time left myself.

Here is the interesting part (at least for me) I had told guys for years I'm not working one day past what is needed to grab my peer 80 and SCRAM! During this last day with many drivers I have known coming in and out of the hub walking over saying "hey what's going on?" Then they hear I'm retiring and this is my last day. So many we're slack jawed and asking me how the heck did this happen? But offered sincere expressions of happiness on my retirement. Or if they were close to me during this period
(As we move in and out if each other's life's during our career) they just were very genuine with their comments. The common thread of our relationships thru out the years was a topic most brought up.

But the overwhelming comment was " I am no where ready to retire, I just haven't even planned this retirement thing yet" which just blew me away so many that were 10 sometimes 15 years older than I hadn't given purposeful thought to retirement.

I enjoyed my employment at UPS! Had its ups and downs. Worked with and for, some very nice people.
I recall when I first started in package, there was a driver in his late 60s retiring. This driver was sooo pro company. He would defend the company when someone spoke against it. Must have been in the 80's. He felt UPS was the best company ever started, and it treated it's people great. Pro company, as you get!
Well when this man finally decided to travel, the crap management team didn't even get him a damn cake. Just a notice at the PCM, he was retiring. Then rush the package drivers out the door. I have no doubt that memory was an anomaly of the company. This was indicative of this particular crap management team, and not of the company (AT THAT TIME). But it never left my mind. Throughout that day, I mentally gave the finger to the company, when it obviously should've been directed in these two holes. I was furious, and it still get's me when i think about it.
Sounds like your retirement send off was nice. I'm glad to hear it. Even a lot of drivers convey well wishes to managers leaving. Even if 20 minutes before that, we were M friend'ing each other in the office. lol
The company should really take a better look at how retirement is handled. right or wrong, management teams are a reflection of the company.
 

rod

Retired 22 years
Not even a mention at the a.m. on my last day--I wasn't expecting it so it wasn't a surprise. Turned out to be just another day at Brown. Punched out and went to the bar. Did have one hell of a retirement party (paid for by my wife and me) about a week later. Four 16 gallon kegs of beer, a 265 pound pig on the roaster, a burning of the brown clothes in a humongous bon-fire and all night camping for the guests (somewhere around 200 of them). As my good-bye present to UPS I put all my party trash (including the pig carcuss) in the UPS dumpster on Sunday afternoon. Found out later they didn't like that.
 

twoweeled

Well-Known Member
Not even a mention at the a.m. on my last day--I wasn't expecting it so it wasn't a surprise. Turned out to be just another day at Brown. Punched out and went to the bar. Did have one hell of a retirement party (paid for by my wife and me) about a week later. Four 16 gallon kegs of beer, a 265 pound pig on the roaster, a burning of the brown clothes in a humongous bon-fire and all night camping for the guests (somewhere around 200 of them). As my good-bye present to UPS I put all my party trash (including the pig carcuss) in the UPS dumpster on Sunday afternoon. Found out later they didn't like that.
Love it! I had my own retirement party too! Glad I worked there, and glad I'm gone!!
8048618_f248.jpg
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
I recall when I first started in package, there was a driver in his late 60s retiring. This driver was sooo pro company. He would defend the company when someone spoke against it. Must have been in the 80's. He felt UPS was the best company ever started, and it treated it's people great. Pro company, as you get!
Well when this man finally decided to travel, the crap management team didn't even get him a damn cake. Just a notice at the PCM, he was retiring. Then rush the package drivers out the door. I have no doubt that memory was an anomaly of the company. This was indicative of this particular crap management team, and not of the company (AT THAT TIME). But it never left my mind. Throughout that day, I mentally gave the finger to the company, when it obviously should've been directed in these two holes. I was furious, and it still get's me when i think about it.
Sounds like your retirement send off was nice. I'm glad to hear it. Even a lot of drivers convey well wishes to managers leaving. Even if 20 minutes before that, we were M friend'ing each other in the office. lol
The company should really take a better look at how retirement is handled. right or wrong, management teams are a reflection of the company.
United Parcel Service was a great place to work ... It was like family and Dad was always ready to kick you in the butt if needed.
UPS is a different place and the story as you related it was probably the exception back then but it is the norm now.
Remember, to UPS, management is just another employee except no Union to protect them.
The company stills allows some funding for retirement parties but local management is so beat up to care.
It is still up to local management.

I could understand local UPS management not doing anything for [B]Rod[/B] if he actually did half the things he says!
 

burrheadd

KING Of GIFS
United Parcel Service was a great place to work ... It was like family and Dad was always ready to kick you in the butt if needed.
UPS is a different place and the story as you related it was probably the exception back then but it is the norm now.
Remember, to UPS, management is just another employee except no Union to protect them.
The company stills allows some funding for retirement parties but local management is so beat up to care.
It is still up to local management.

I could understand local UPS management not doing anything for [B]Rod[/B] if he actually did half the things he says!
That's the way anybody worth a :censored2: did it back in the day
Boxes still all got delivered with nobody lookin over your shoulder
 
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