I left the farm after almost 20 years, and although I was afraid to leave at first, it was the best decision I ever made! I make 25,000 more a year, I’m treated like an adult at my new company and I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. Although I still have moments of being stressed, it is nothing like it was at the farm were you were constantly told that you had to do mandatory overtime for the last six years, not to mention, all of your calls were recorded, and your screens were also recorded. The super micromanagement completely pushed me over the edge. I still have PTSD from this place, and I wish we could do a class action lawsuit, but I know little-by-little, it will get better each and every day, and eventually that PTSD will go away. To me leaving my pension behind was hard, but it wasn’t worth it to hang in there each and every day while my quality oflife is su-ked out of me. If you left the farm, are you much happier now?
13 replies (most recent on top)
I’m 4 years out from the farm now. I work remotely at a microchip distributor. I’ve been here 3 years now and the amount of freedom afforded to me to actually be a person is night and day different versus being a farm animal. Benefits are superior. I pay literally nothing (no deduction) for dental, health and vision coverage and then at most $10 for RX copay if ever needed. I think I’d have to pay something for glasses..can’t recall. I have a free life policy of way more than I’d ever need for really no reason, 7% 401k match. State Farm is literally the worst company I’ve worked for in hindsight. State Farm views it’s employees as liabilities. My current employer views me as an asset. I remember when I started at the farm back in 2013 a senior guy lost it because an estimatics guy kept getting away with some shady stuff I don’t remember the details of and he went out of his way to tell me the company was going downhill and he needs to get out fast. He was so angry his face was beat red and tears in his eyes. I’ve never seen anything like that. Well, he wasn’t wrong.
So happy I left. Healthier both mentally and physically.
I was a Claims Manager for 33 years, left and haven’t looked back. Other carriers will appreciate your talents and not manage via fear. I have peers that also left, and so much happier. It was scary
Happy to discover the salary shouldn’t have been the reason I stayed. Much happier making much less, and I can afford it because I wasn’t in the corporate one-upsmanship game.
I took the money and ran during the first big purge in 2018 after 27 years. I moved to a southern state far away from 309. With my minimal pension, I live a cheaper life on my acreage in the mountains and have a semi-serious agriculture business of my own. My wife had 20 years with the Farm and quit when I left. We now work solely for each other. It was terrifying, but worth the risk. The Farm would have driven me to an early grave. I only regret that I wasn't able to do it sooner. But it just wouldn't have worked out the way it did any other way or time. Things fell into place and I no longer hate my life at Corporate South and futile ridiculous meetings that never accomplished anything.
There's so much more I wish to say, but I really can't. But yes, life is good.
SF is kindergarten management. No leaders just bullies. I don't like bullies so I stop working after I meet ne self imposed daily goals then I cruise the rest of the day. Lov'n it.
@1by clearly the op said they just left after working 20 years at State Farm.
Anyone that claims they left 20 years ago and is posting on this site is just plain lying. That would include the OP troll
Me thinks you folks are lying.
People who are happy someplace usually stay gone. They don’t sit around commenting on an old employer on a message board.
Furthermore, I’ve seen too many walk out the door only to turn right around and come back citing, “the grass is not greener on the other side.”
They're facing BOREOUT now. LOL! Life is better outside.
Bought out in 2013, got a job where I am not micromanaged. There is a better life out there if you go look for it.
Ignore the sad, long term, resident troll below, whos posting super early in the morning today (needs to find a real hobby)
The most common feedback Ive heard from people whove left is about what you say. They love how there are no more silly games between management and employees, and there seems to be a tangible vibe at State Farm where your a petulant child in the eyes of second line leaders that seeps through to some first line leaders.
That "hatred towards the first line employees from executives" seems to be absent, there seems to be more of a "our employees want this lets make this happen" vs how it works at state farm "our employees want this and we cant let them just have what they want" attitude.
State Farm might be a better insurance company employer due to lack of salary work with mandatory unpaid overtime, but it ends about there. This company does not act properly towards its vital productive front line workers, and seems to be adversarial towards each other.
Bottom line, there is good reason turnover is outstandingly bad here, and has been since maybe 2015. The executives know it. The board knows it. If they wanted this to change it would. They do not want this to change currently. Simple as that. Until we get leadership motivated beyond bonuses for irrelevant metrics it will remain the same.
we're so glad you're gone