Staying Put or Moving on

Gail Oliver Cambridge | September 1, 2021

I saw an interview about three women who have worked together for over 50 years at a hospital; the oldest was 86 years of age, wow! Most marriages don’t last that long! Some of you may be wondering why they haven’t retired. The reporter asked the obvious question and they replied that they enjoy working with each other and their coworkers appreciate their special skillsets and good attitudes, which all lend itself to a great work environment.

It did occur to me that younger people may be missing out on employment opportunities at this hospital. However, I was glad to see that the hospital didn’t practice ageism. Also, it must be a good place to work as I am sure those three women would have been “outta there” long ago otherwise!

Financial planning gurus prefer that we retire at age 70 to reap the most from our Social Security benefits. While there must be many reasons for staying in a job for that number of years, I imagine one would be personal inner satisfaction and contentment. Some people wouldn’t be able to remain at one company for so long, while others would take pride in such an accomplishment.

This phenomenal may be generational. Those from the Boomer generation are more likely to stay longer. Most Gen Xers, Zers, and millennials, by contrast, wouldn’t work for the same company past 10 years. They move on to broaden their skills, gain exposure and other experience, and make themselves more marketable.

The choice to stay long at the same company or to move on comes down to loyalty and passion. In the case of the three ladies, it’s not about hanging on for a paycheck and counting the days until they can leave their miserable jobs. Rather, they are enthusiastic about what they do and where they work. Before you judge them, and if you are someone who likes to move around, I hope that you also experience the joy and satisfaction of doing what you love. We should all be grateful that we can choose our own paths.

Now, regardless of when we were born, some of us would see the beauty in leaving it all behind right now! Of course, it would help to have a plan in place where we are debt-free and have savings, health insurance, and a great social network and activities we enjoy!