General Random Conversation..

[Dr Gloom 23963]

43 minutes ago, Meenzer said:

I got made redundant half an hour ago, so my answer to this question might be in the process of shifting.

 

No great surprise tbh, they've decided to just nix the entire UK team rather than doing things by half measures. I think the company is in trouble and, to a wider extent, the industry is too, so getting out of dodge with a decent chunk of redundancy while there's still any money to be had might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

 

I might go back to university, I've always liked lentils...

 

sorry to hear this mate. i hope this turns out to be a blessing in disguise and something positive turns up for you soon 

[Monkeys Fist 45838]

Aye, sorry to hear it @Meenzer. It’s a properly shit time to get news like that. 
 

 

 

 

 

Have you thought about investing in Bitcoin? 

[The Fish 11348]

[Alex 37302]

Sorry to hear that, Meenzer. 
I hope something turns up for you soon. 

[Howmanheyman 37175]

3 hours ago, Meenzer said:

I got made redundant half an hour ago, so my answer to this question might be in the process of shifting.

 

No great surprise tbh, they've decided to just nix the entire UK team rather than doing things by half measures. I think the company is in trouble and, to a wider extent, the industry is too, so getting out of dodge with a decent chunk of redundancy while there's still any money to be had might turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

 

I might go back to university, I've always liked lentils...

 

I hope it all ends up working out for you, meenz. 

 

 

 

[Christmas Tree 5222]

1 hour ago, Monkeys Fist said:

Aye, sorry to hear it @Meenzer. It’s a properly shit time to get news like that. 
 

 

 

 

 

Have you thought about investing in Bitcoin? 

Aye, stay away from Crypto   

 

 

[Holden McGroin 7771]

I’m doing an AI exam next week. If you can’t beat ‘em, then join ‘em.

[Holden McGroin 7771]

7 hours ago, Gemmill said:

 

Honestly, the best thing to do is to see a financial advisor. They'll do a "financial health" type review and make sure you've got sensible life/illness insurance in place to look after your family if anything happens to you. 

 

But then they'll go through current retirement plans (hopes!) and tell you whether a) you're on track or b) you need to do x, y and z to get there. 

 

It doesn't cost you anything cos they make their money from commissions on, for example, you taking out the insurances that they recommend you to. But they'll go through and show you how your pension would kick in post retirement and what level of lifestyle it would support and for how long etc. 

 

It just means you're informed - it might be that they tell you that you're set fair and you can get whatever car you like, but at least you know. 

 

I've got a mate who does all this shit for me if you were ever interested and didnt know where to go. My advice is get all the insurances in place when you're younger and definitely BEFORE you've got a pacemaker.

 

It doesn't matter how much I explain that my pacemaker cured my issue and I'm not at any risk, they have a box that they tick that says pacemaker and your premiums go WILD. 

I was debating this but read they charge ~1% of your investments so I went back to scrolling inane reels of hot beach volleyball girls. I think they’ve targeted me.

[Holden McGroin 7771]

4 hours ago, Meenzer said:

Cheers fellas.

 

It's been an increasingly miserable place to work since the takeover so I'm hoping I might end up looking back on this as a positive thing once it all shakes out. A masters in something useful definitely feels like the logical next step, I'm still young enough for it even if I don't feel like it most mornings. I'll also have a look around and see if there's any local opportunities that I wouldn't need to retrain for though, be daft not to.

 

And aye, ours is certainly not the only field that's going to be disrupted at best and decimated at worst by AI and the like. It's definitely worrying.

 

Good luck Meenz.  Opportunities always  pop up and something that initially gets you out your comfort zone ends up being worthwhile in the end. 

[RobinRobin 12675]

Sorry to hear that Meenz. If I win the 200m I'll drop you a few quid. 👍 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of you can fuck off though. 🙂 

[RobinRobin 12675]

14 hours ago, Dazzler said:

Plus you'll still have hundreds of millions sat in a basic savings account that you can look at and feel good about yourself whenever you want.

[Gemmill 51244]

How are you at getting jokes, would you say? 

[Kid Dynamite 7824]

15 hours ago, Christmas Tree said:

Aye, stay away from Crypto   

 

 

Bookmarked for the inevitable disaster 

[wykikitoon 23342]

Hope it works out Meenz. I know a good taxi lad to help you out in the meantime. 

[RobinRobin 12675]

28 minutes ago, wykikitoon said:

Hope it works out Meenz. I know a good taxi lad to help you out in the meantime. 

Has he finally going the hang of the taxi lark? 

[Gemmill 51244]

6 minutes ago, LongTimeAdmirer said:

I responded to your joke with a joke, look at this guy getting all serious.

 

 

 

[Alex 37302]

3 hours ago, LongTimeAdmirer said:

I responded to your joke with a joke, look at this guy getting all serious.

 

 

Nice to see the rarely used double whoosh manoeuvre 

[Renton 24199]

On 26/01/2024 at 12:41, Meenzer said:

It's been an increasingly miserable place to work since the takeover

 

Just picking up on this, but how do we all feel about our place of work now? Talking to my wife and mates, and from my own perspective, work just feels to be getting progressively worse.

 

I actually enjoyed working 20 years ago, never really got the dread, liked my peers for the most part, enjoyed the social life without it ever interfering with my private social life.  I remember other people felt the same. 

 

Now if you work in the public sector you've endured 1 1/2 decades of austerity, worsening pay, worsening t&c's, abuse from the tory party and press. If you work in the private sector, good chance you were in a boutique company which has since been taken over by a larger company, and ultimately you are now the bitch of a US private equity outfit (applies to both me and Mrs Rents). T&c's eroded as you adapt to US working culture which is SHIT. 

 

Everybody my age just wants to retire as soon as they can. Younger people are struggling to get on the housing ladder and aren't starting families. This in the NE, not London. Out of 30 in our office, only 3 of us has kids. Maybe that's choice, maybe it's necessity, I don't know. 

 

Anyway, maybe this is just my own bias clouding things. Genuinely interested in how people feel about their work at present. 

 

[strawb 4671]

9 minutes ago, Renton said:

 

Just picking up on this, but how do we all feel about our place of work now? Talking to my wife and mates, and from my own perspective, work just feels to be getting progressively worse.

 

I actually enjoyed working 20 years ago, never really got the dread, liked my peers for the most part, enjoyed the social life without it ever interfering with my private social life.  I remember other people felt the same. 

 

Now if you work in the public sector you've endured 1 1/2 decades of austerity, worsening pay, worsening t&c's, abuse from the tory party and press. If you work in the private sector, good chance you were in a boutique company which has since been taken over by a larger company, and ultimately you are now the bitch of a US private equity outfit (applies to both me and Mrs Rents). T&c's eroded as you adapt to US working culture which is SHIT. 

 

Everybody my age just wants to retire as soon as they can. Younger people are struggling to get on the housing ladder and aren't starting families. This in the NE, not London. Out of 30 in our office, only 3 of us has kids. Maybe that's choice, maybe it's necessity, I don't know. 

 

Anyway, maybe this is just my own bias clouding things. Genuinely interested in how people feel about their work at present. 

 

I like my job, work in a small specialised team at quite a large company. We get left alone to do our work and no real hassle. I work from home full time unless I am out on site or at in person meetings.
 

I did design my own job though so I’m sure that helps.

 

I’ve never been one to stress over work stuff generally, but I’m still looking to stop as soon as possible though. 

[Christmas Tree 5222]

As jobs go, pretty much love my job (at my age). Start at 4am finish at 9am so have lots of free time. Hours are great for avoiding all the negative side of taxi’ing. Recently started to doing a contract for the North east ambulance service which is taking people for dialysis and other appointments at the Freeman , RVI etc. All nice people and good craic.

 

I think it’s just natural as you get older to want to do what you want to do, not have to do, and working is way down the list.

 

Time is priceless and we all waste so much of it.

 

 

[Renton 24199]

29 minutes ago, Christmas Tree said:

As jobs go, pretty much love my job (at my age). Start at 4am finish at 9am so have lots of free time. Hours are great for avoiding all the negative side of taxi’ing. Recently started to doing a contract for the North east ambulance service which is taking people for dialysis and other appointments at the Freeman , RVI etc. All nice people and good craic.

 

I think it’s just natural as you get older to want to do what you want to do, not have to do, and working is way down the list.

 

Time is priceless and we all waste so much of it.

 

 

 

But you're in a privelged position allowing you to do this. Your taxiing and side hustles are pocket money (that's my impression anyway). You haven't really properly worked since you've posted on here. Fair play BTW. Most of us simply aren't, we've got mortgages to pay. You must be on the cusp of being a baby boomer too. It's progressively harder for gen x, millenials, and gen z's. 

 

"Time is priceless and we all waste so much of it." 

I know what you mean but howay, you're the master of this. Just wish I had more time to waste personally. 

 

[Holden McGroin 7771]

Is CT a lottery winner?

[Renton 24199]

3 minutes ago, Holden McGroin said:

Is CT a lottery winner?

 

He won the lottery of life. 

[NJS 4645]

I like my job in general but post-lockdown I despise commuting after we moved to 4 days in the office last year. 

 

They cite "collaboration" but it's nonsense - if I could be at all arsed I'd look for a more remote based job.

 

In September I'll finish my mortgage and I hope it spurs me into doing something as my paranoia demands not rocking the boat till then. 

 

I saw something written a while ago saying better health into older years was a godsend as it meant we'd be able to work longer which to me got it completely wrong - we should all be looking to finish earlier. The con known as pensions is the reason why I think. 

 

 

[Alex 37302]

I don’t mind my job at all but I’m fully aware I kind of lucked into it. I’d be sick as a fucking chip if I was still in the role I started in the civil service nearly 5 years back. In truth I hated the job I had before that. But I was comfortable and quite well paid and the company were nice enough too. Until I was made redundant anyway