What should I do for the next few years before retirement?

Ok that’s useful to know,

Might talk to the doctor. She’s advised a break, I can get a few months paid sick leave but of course I will have to be taking steps to cope with stress etc. That might not be a bad idea.

Annieindublin said:

Might talk to the doctor.

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You don't need anything from the doctor for the JB claim if that's what you mean. Just cite workplace stress or burnout on the application. But you may want to see your doctor in any case given what you've posted above.

Paid sick leave would be better than quitting and signing on though as it would give you some more time to try to figure things out.

Good luck - I went through something very similar a few years ago but decided (and thankfully could afford) to just effectively retire early when my JB/IB claims ran out.

100% don't hit the nuclear option yet. Talk to your GP about a break from work. Having returning to work hanging over you might not help but also it sounds like you don't necessarily have to if you choose not to. So try this first.

Paid sick leave is attractive of course but it probably comes with a few requirements to attend company doc etc. But the scheme we have is 6 months. People have stayed out longer, theres another long term scheme for that.., rumour is that someone was off for a decade.
But it could kick the can down the road for a bit. And of course… paid .. is good. And it’ll keep the pension contributions rolling in.

I took the nuclear option and don't really regret it but if I had been a little less impatient, burnt out and disillusioned, then I probably could have strung things out a bit longer which might have been a bit more prudent. But, in my case, the overall benefit would've been marginal to my overall situation and I really just wanted to get out of that job in particular and corporate life in general. Good luck, hope it all works out for you.

Annieindublin said:

So I’m thinking of walking out. The stress is going to make me ill, already on BP meds and I can see my alcohol level increasing as the weeks progress. (I am aware of that and being careful, it’s a symptom of the stress I’m under).

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Will walking away reduce your BP and alcohol intake? Will you be genuinely be happier? Can you afford it financially? If so then I'd just walk away, making sure to milk the company sick leave scheme for every penny it's worth on the way out.

Sad to say, but if you die at your desk in 6 month your colleagues of decades will have basically forgotten you in a fortnight. Your employer will forget you even faster beyond any residual paperwork.

You owe them nothing. Me feiners generally nauseate me but in this situation you need to be looking after yourself.

Any chance of changing employers in your industry at this stage of your career? That could be an alternate exit strategy.

I think I’ve hit the age ceiling… most companies in the industry shed people at 60.

Might look locally see if there’s anything less stressful and maybe part time.