Every month, I paid roughly equal percentages of my salary into both the state employee retirement system (ERS) and Social Security. The state paid part of my monthly health insurance premium, and the rest was taken out of my paycheck, along with federal income tax. During my working years, I tended to fret about the substantial difference between my gross monthly income and my net monthly income, but as a retiree I'm glad the retirement contributions were mandatory withholding -- I probably would've lacked the discipline to save for retirement during hard times.
As a state employee, I was required to participate in the retirement system. I had access to effective, affordable health care, and I got to take off work on designated state and federal holidays in addition to the annual and sick leave I earned every month. My first day on the job was March 1st, and my new boss told me the office would be closed for a state holiday on March 2nd. I thought "Man, this is one terrific job."
Paid leave, holidays and health insurance were benefits, but those were offset by a state salary schedule that was substantially lower than private sector salaries. Most of the time I'd have preferred fewer holidays and more take-home pay.
I always thought working in the state's public welfare bureaucracy was a high-stress, thankless job. There were more negative aspects to the daily routine than I want to list here, and most days I woke up dreading the idea of going to the office.
The lady who was my boss at the time I left the state later asked me what retirement was like. My answer: "When I was working, now and then I'd have a really great day. As a retiree, now and then I have a really shitty day."
At the time I retired, I'd spent more than half of my life in public employment. Looking back on it as things stand now, I'm glad I did.
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