Rant : UC vs bureaucracy

Sometimes I get so fed up with petty hassles! I decided to submit a written notice of intent to retire from my longtime job on Jan. 1. My most pressing & pragmatic concern is to get the required Medicare Part B delayed-enrollment certification from my employer so that I can turn it in soon (as required) to the local Social Security office for processing. Once this gets underway, I have to return to my pension fund's office to set up their retiree Rx med insurance, which is supposed to be better than Medicare Part D-- but, of course, I won't know that for sure 'til I actually get to use it at the pharmacy! Anyway, when I asked to speak privately to my boss last Fri, which I rarely ever do, he listed a no. of conflicting activities for the rest of the day. So-- on Monday morning I put the notice of intent into his local mailbox, plus a copy into the mailbox of our dept. head. I could see later in the day that the envelopes were still in their respective mailboxes! Finally, around 10 AM Tuesday they each wrote me e-mail that they received my notice, etc. A couple hrs later my boss wrote back to say that the Human Resources clerk gave him an argument right away (when he turned in my notice) that Jan. 1 is not acceptable as a retirement date because it is a holiday (U.S.). I reminded my boss by return e-mail that the Director of Human Resources had sent all staff a notice (within the past 2 yrs) that retirement should take place on the 1st day of the month!!!!! (She made no distinction of workday vs holiday-- so where was the clerk getting that from?) My boss heh-hehed this in his e-reply & said he'll look into it further & get back to me. Today he called in sick! I mean, really, both my boss & dept. head know that I have UC-- so can't they imagine why I need to get official papers processed promptly? Peety-- are you reading this? (End of rant) Phew! / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Thanks so much for your supportive words, Judy! Of course I'm hoping that retirement will bring extra rest that helps me to stay in remission. RE Medicare applications: Part A went just fine for me-- I lucked out on interview with a very simpatico Social Security counselor who seemed to be nearing retirement age herself. She clued me in on the Part B enrollment issues with regard to employer certification & advised me to hand in the certification papers in person at the Social Security office-- so as to get a processing no. receipt. She said it's safer than mailing in the papers-- because one can't be sure where they'll end up ... possibly languishing on someone's desk. BY THE WAY, I see a changed moderator status in your sig; did you throw us over for thyroid? I hope you can wear 2 hats! (lol) / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Old Hat, I did step down from moderating UC. This forum is busy and can be contentious at times, and the stress was starting to affect me. I'm still moderating thyroid, and I'll be posting here, but no longer moderating.

My retired life is virtually stress-free, and my health is showing it. I absolutely love it!

Just wait, in 5 years all Americans will be on medicare. Then we get to start getting treatment rationing.

Are you in a union environment? Can't you just go meet with HR face to face? Seems to be way too much drama and red tape. This shouldn't be so hard.

Why didn't they fire the guy that was abusive in the workplace?

Sounds like a place that is a breeding ground for UC.

Thanks, UC Dude and ack2009! Yep, strangely enough, the place is more supportive of the behaviorally errant than it is of the physically ill! The abusive guy was obviously mixing Rx meds (possibly anti-psychotic) & booze, but the supervisor & dept. head kept letting him get by, probably thinking he'd retire sooner or later & (I suspect) they likely did not want to delve into his problems. It is a union environment & when the union finally got called in on his coerced retirement, they questioned why management covered this up for so long! (THEY wanted him in rehab!) The dept. head spends a huge amount of time weekly attending mandatory meetings elsewhere in the bldg + the supervisor has been obliged to help another dept. with a special project during the past 18 months-- that's part of the problem. HOWEVER, we just got notice yesterday that the HR clerical supervisor is leaving to take another job in a different state!!!!!!!!!!! Good riddance!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was about ready to speak to the Director of Human Resources myself, as I've had brief exchanges with her in the bldg elevator from time to time over several yrs, but I know she's busy right now preparing the annual holiday party for ca. 450 staff, a real chore on a limited budget. She's basically a kind lady who hasn't got a clue about some major mismanagement going on in the bldg because it's a big place with several divisional reporting lines in it. Our divisional head sits on a different floor than we do & he never comes to our workspace! In contrast, the divisional head of the depts. adjoining ours sits right there with her staff most of the time & runs a tight ship. So there you have it! / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Hi, I'm checking in after a while traveling.
Sorry you are having such hassles!

I guess I would suggest you choose your battles. It's probably not unreasonable for them to accept retirement on the first working day of the month, even if the memo didn't say exactly that.

I'm not sure I can help with your Medicare stuff but if you run into problems with that, ask your member of Congress' staff for help.

Just think, all this will eventually be wrapped up and not matter in a little while...

Old Hat, I understand your situation. Some (healthy) people do not consider UC a severe disease. At times, I really do not want to talk to those who are not helpful to me, especially when flares come. But there are always friends (or someone else) trying to talk to me, or to ask me to take their parties. I often go nowhere, because I have no idea when I need a restroom. My friends sometimes get angry since they think "why can't you be positive or take it easy?" More often than not, most of my friends think UC is common colitis and it is just like a cold. Having said this, I suggest you go and talk to your boss directly, and tell him/her your real situation. I know it is hard to explain how severe UC is. After all, UC is not like cancer that scares most.

Nope. Now they're all covering for one another & trying to get me to retire on 12/23 or 12/30! How much sense does THAT make? I hate them all. Petty jerks who just feel the need to bully someone to feel important. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Hey, everybody! They finally agreed yesterday to let me retire on Jan. 1. So-- amen to all the nonsense, I hope! Our dept. head told me quietly during one of the holiday parties that she experienced this situation some yrs back with another longtime staffer over HIS last day of official employment, when HR insisted that he had to come in to work though he requested a different schedule. Nasty of them to bug people at what is supposed to be a celebratory time ... I asked the dept. head not to circulate anything on my behalf. I'll just say goodbye quietly to the casually friendly and be on my way. The next chapter in my life will hopefully proceed in a better environment. Many thanks again for all your supportive posts, Forum buddies! / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC ... [etc.])

Good for you! The last I heard slavery was outlawed in this country, so you should be able to retire any darn day you want!