I'm 68 and chose 'soft retirement.' I work 3 days a week and keep my benefits.

Tina Bonanno relaxing on her deck during her "soft retirement." Courtesy of Tina Bonanno Unwell and fearing burnout, Tina Bonnano considered retiring from KPMG after 10 years in the job.

However, she wasn't ready to "jump off the cliff" and proposed a "soft retirement" plan to HR.

The IT specialist works 20 hours a week for half her old salary.

She has time to relax and reflect.

This story is based on an interview with Tina Bonanno, 68, a KPMG information architect, from Northern New Jersey.

It has been edited for length and clarity.

I was seriously ill in 2022 and 2023, which led me to having a knee replacement removed and a revision after being treated for an infection.

It meant five months of disability leave from my IT job at KPMG, but I pushed through and returned to my position.

However, the sickness had taken its toll.

I suffered extreme brain fog and was unable to concentrate.

It became harder to manage up to 10 projects at a time during my typical 50 to 60-hour workweek.

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I was heading toward burnout and considered full retirement when I reached my Social Security age of 66.

Bonanno put forward her proposal to her HR department.