Of course I'm going to start worrying at this point since I'm technically just about a month and a half out from RE (or at least the date I originally intended to give notice). Scroll to the purple for the TL/DR.
So here's the situation:
Been working for my employer for just under 12 years. Have hit a wall as far as advancement since I don't want to be management, and I've got an excellent rep for speed/accuracy that is known company wide. And have been hating my job for most of the last 3-4 years and thought I was really looking forward to quitting. Now having a bit of anxiety and second-guessing.
I'm having surgery in December, and will be out on vacation (ha! recovery) for the last half of that month. When I come back the first full week in January, I was intending in turning in my notice and letting my boss know that I'd stick around through the end of January to train someone on all of my projects, so roughly 4 weeks' notice instead of the standard.
This also was to ensure that any complications that arose from said surgery were still under the workplace's insurance too. Also, will be getting all my yearly crap (well woman/mamm) out of the way that month.
My employee handbook states that to be eligible for the employee match for our 401k, you must be employed through December 31 of the year in question. So on paper, I'm good to receive my match for 2014, but they don't get around to figure them until March (!) and I wonder if I'm not employed March 2015 if they'll still pay me my match for 2014. Obviously, I can't go ask anyone because that would be a flashing neon sign that I'm thinking of leaving and I know it will get back to my boss. So I now wonder if maybe I shouldn't just work through March...
And if I do that, then I should just stay through April as that month is the worst time to leave in my department. My biggest yearly project hits in April and if I leave during that, the coworker that gets that job dumped on them without having worked on anything like it before will be cursing me for the rest of the year. I generally like my immediate coworkers, and would feel guilty if I left then.
And then at that point, I might as well just work until July, when I'd hit my work anniversary so I could round out my year and quit during the summer too... (see what is happening here? I can't figure out a good stopping place because I'm starting to overthink all of this and worry about the consequences)
I had thought of going in January, sitting down with my boss and laying out my list of demands requests for making me happy at my job (sort of getting it across to them that I am thinking of leaving). I'm not asking for much considering how long I've been there and I am the ONLY one in my department that other departments specifically request to work on their projects (I've been told this MANY times due to my speed and accuracy and creativity).
What I'd want would be flexible hours/work from home a few times a week, not having to work on one specific department's crap (there are plenty of others to choose from, just don't want it to be me), and a 10% raise. I think the last one is going to really be a sticking point, but it isn't actually a whole lot of money (I make waaay less than 6 figures) and the company can afford it easily (we are growing like crazy - easily doubled in size in the last 4 years and profits are often discussed in our company meetings).
And yet, I'm almost afraid that my boss will agree to all of these things. Cause that means I might have to stay longer. And I'm actually really tired and burnt out and just bored to the point of hating some of the jobs I do every month. Part of me feels like getting all three of those things would improve my overall morale and make it easier to squeak through another year maybe... but then I think why the hell do I care about working another year when I'm FI?
So if I'm feeling trapped at the idea of them meeting all my requests, isn't that a good sign not to make any and just LEAVE??? But I am torn about walking away from this job since it technically has been good to me and for my overall (no matter how burnt out I am now, I did use to enjoy it and they had pay and benefits most of my friends couldn't even imagine).
TL/DR: Planned to quit in January 2015, starting to have second thoughts/doubts about leaving work - not money-related specifically. Hilarity ensues.
Gah. I hate this. I'm probably worrying over nothing and I still have some time to work through everything, but I'm interested in opinions or insights from anyone contemplating RE (or having already gone through it).