We extend our warmest congratulations and best wishes to Janet Griffiths as she retires. Janet has made an outstanding contribution throughout her career, and her commitment, professionalism and expertise have been greatly appreciated by her colleagues.
We asked Janet to reflect on her career in her own words.
‘How times have changed since my first day at work at B Sugden & Co Ramsey, 17 July 1972, at the innocent age of 16 (yes, I know, most of you were not born).
For my first day I was put in the poshest office used by the then MHK for Ayre, with the biggest desk and a full reclining leather chair, I could get used to this, I thought.
For my first job I was given an analysis pad with 52 lines and 52 weekly trading sheets from the local chemist to record an opening cash till balance, to which you added the daily takings total and subtracted the petty cash expenditure and monies banked to give a new closing balance. I had to analyse these 52 weekly sheets in date order and add up each column to match the closing balance – without an adding machine! Those were the days!
My second job was to take the trial balances from the latest financial statements for each client in the client base, which were all in £ S D and convert to decimalisation ready for the 1972 accounts preparation (history lesson here, decimalisation happened in February 1971). You young guns don’t know how easy your life has been adding up in tens. There were 12 pennies to the shilling and 20 shillings to the pound when I was at school.
At the start of my career, I was paid the grand sum of £8 per week (£2 a week more than many of my friends, I may add) which I supplemented by cleaning the bosses car on a Friday after work, for 50p, whilst he had a G&T in the Plough in Ramsey.
I remember being in my Bosses office one day, he didn’t realise it, but I can read upside down, and there in front of him was his monthly pay cheque. He earned a whopping £333.33 per month, and I said to myself……………one day Jan, one day………. you will earn that much money per month.
Without giving my salary figure away, I can confirm I managed to surpass my personal goal of earning £333 pm, so I am officially an over achiever!!!!!
In 1982, my daughter Michelle was born, and I came back to work full time one year later, which was pretty liberal in the early 80’s for the local village where I lived. It was definitely a topic for discussion at the local women’s institute meeting!! But over the years women working full time has become the norm.
My first boss Julian Harper & Moira McHarrie both probably had the biggest impact on my career as both encouraged me and trusted me to produce high quality, accurate and meaningful work.
Over the years I have seen the introduction of VAT in 1973, AEOI in 2016 and GDPR in 2018, and I have been involved in many of the projects to bring the IOM Financial sector in line with current Regs and Legs. When I was working at IQE, I did many late night and weekend stints and once worked a straight 24 hours to meet the deadline for the submission of files to court.
Pensions were not a thing in the 70’s when I started work so I would encourage everyone starting their careers to contribute to a pension and save hard whilst you are young.
I have been asked what kept me motivated at work and I have to be honest – I am not really a stay-at-home housewifey sort of person, and with our combined salaries Chris and I have lived comfortably without worry. We are both risk averse (hence me enjoying compliance!) and have never wanted to be too adventurous, but we are a team and are both proud of our achievements over the years. We have a fabulous daughter, and wonderful granddaughter Emmie. Recently back from dancing at the world championships in Belgium, Emmie placed 2nd, so is the current U13 runner up World Champion in Irish Dance. Being able to support Emmie in her dancing, fills my heart with joy.
I have been planning to retire for many years so it is a testament to Boston and the Compliance Team, especially Amanda, that I wanted to and have stayed past my official retirement date and as grumpy as I am in my old age, I will miss you all.
I do like the routine of work and am a bit worried that I will turn into a slob, lying in bed watching daytime TV until midday (not really) if I do not have a focus, but time will tell!!
I foresee the trouble with retirement being I will never get a day off – as a retired husband is often a wife’s full-time job!!
Thank you all.’