Laid off--Support thread

[christianweecare]

We have known since last Dec. that the plant where DH worked was closing. As they were laying off in phases, DH was one of the last to go. His last day was around the end of August. He has been going to school all year to prepare himself for a new field and he has been sending out plenty of resumes. Fortunately, his company provided severance packages so we have not gotten any unemployment benefits. As of last night, he was offered a new job which he has accepted. We have put our faith in God!

We pray that all those that have lost jobs will become employed again very soon. This recession has been so devastating to so many.

 

[bzkds]

Yes!!! DH was hired last night for a new job!!! He starts Wednesday!!!

CONGRATS!! We're heading into 10 months now.. ugh
Beth

 

[christianweecare]

Best of luck to you!

 

[DebMcDonald]

My husband is at 7 months now has been offered two jobs at less than half his old salary, he has a third and a fourth interview scheduled this week, I'm keeping my fingers crossed, though they have not discussed salary at all.

 

[amykay9377]

So, I have to join this board too. I was blindsided back on August 19 and was laid off with about 8 other employees. I was the secretary for a construction company who had been there for 5 years. I thought that I was safe because there were 2 other ladies who were Admins that had been hired AFTER me....That didn't save me.

Luckily, he paid out all of our unused Vaca time and our health insurance lasted until 8/31. Other than that though, I got nothing. I signed up for Unemployment as soon as I got home and made the decision to put off looking for a job until we got back from our 9/8 - 9/15 disney trip.

See, last time I was unemployed in 2004, I got a new job within a month, so I didnt' think it was such a big deal! Man, things are vicious out there this time around!

I got laid off 7/3/09. I've been taking it easy this summer so far, but have to attend a manditory seminar this AM at the unemployment office.

Yep, I just got a letter yesterday telling me that I have to come 10/7. I can't wait.

Why would an employer penalize someone for their credit score?
Is this becoming the norm?
If so then I hope none of my friends get lasid off bc their cr's are in the gutter.

Yes, I've heard of this lots more lately - the thinking is: if you aren't responsible in your personal life you probably aren't responsible in your professional life either. I find it degrading and mean to compare. If our bosses paid us decent wages, we would have good credit scores, and when living on unemployment, there is usually no choice BUT to hit the CCs.

What types of fields or positions is everyone applying for?

My husband is in the IT field and we are not finding many job postings.

I am a secretary/assistant/clerical/whatever type gal. Though if I keep getting NOTHING, I'm gonna be a fry/burger type of gal!

Oh, and for those of you debating temp agencies: I've signed up with all THREE of them in my area (Kelly Services, TempForce and Wal-Staf) and NONE of them have anything. BUT, these services are FREE to employees (the employer pays the fee), so go sign up anyway!!!

Everyone hang in there. I'm ever an optimist - it can't get too much worse... (even though it keeps getting worse...)

 

[amykay9377]

Bumping this so others can see it, and to add a warning...

I have been scouring the internet for jobs and started surfing Craigslist. While you may find some great jobs there, it seems that more of them are scams! I've been getting automated emails telling me to go to such-and-such a website to give them more info but when I go there and fill out my info they want to sign me up for "go back to school!" and "do you need a loan!" type b.s.

However, the warning I give you for now is the most recent email I got - I opened it and my heart began to soar...It told me that I was one of 4 canditates for this job, but "due to economic times" the HR dept wanted a credit score and told me to go to an attached link. The link took me to freecreditreport! What's worse is that I was supposed to email them my credit report when I was done!

I replied to the email with a nice but nasty "screw you" (I was nice enough so that if it's a real job they will think I have good morals...).

Keep an eye out for these scams! They either want to sell you something or steal your ID.

So, I'm still looking. Nothing good in the newspaper, CareerBuilder or the FL Employee website....Very Very Frustrating!

 

[christa112]

Well it is offical, I will be unemployed by the end of next week. I had posted a few weeks ago about the possibility and it has come true. To be honest, I am actually glad, though I love my job, I really couldn't stand the company I was working for. I am hoping to try to go back to school after the 1st of the year. Living in MA we have really good umemployment, so I consider myself very lucky.

Hang in there everyone. Just remember all things happen for a reason.

 

[mamo-4-wdw]

I was laid off in sept 08 for 3 weeks and then in oct late oct 08 for 9 weeks and then perm. layoff feb 11th 09
I have applied for several jobs but with 600-800 people also applying I have not been lucky enough to get hired yet.
Then last week I called for my unemployment check and it did not get delivered. I am so bummed
I have to wait 10 days just to check on it and then 4 more days for them to run a trace on it.

 

[PrincessParty]

DH was laid off in June. He accepted a job yesterday that pays $30,000.00 less than his former job, but we have learned to live on less. to all those still looking.

 

[disneymarie]

Anyone have any luck with their job searches?

DH found temp work for three days a week and nearly half his pay per hour, that would pay the medical.
After three days he was told there was no work available again.....
I was so hopeful to at least try to keep afloat. I have had 1 hr consulting work, so virtually no luck there.

Getting scared. Even with dh eligable for retirement at 62 next year, he would not receive enough for medical and cover expenses. It would be $600 less then even UC.

I have SSDI, of a nominal amount, medicare cost are a killer.

I tried marketing for PI business for us, I have a license, but not a nibble. My employer is down to 1 hour a week consulting work....
This SUCKS so bad.

OH MY GOODNESS A HAPPY DANCE!!!! I GOT TAGGED~I have been so out of the loop I never noticed!
I tag faries for putting me on
When I had been so
Di

 

[Tree]

Well add my family to the laid-off. My husband got laid off yesterday-we knew that this was going to happen. We do have severence for 9 weeks but the wording of the severence states that if my husband get a job during that time the severence stops. Has anyone else had a severence package state that?

 

[sueh]

Add me to the growing list of folks laid off.
My last day was yesterday. I do get a severance package for 12 weeks.

 

[erisgirl44]

Add my husband too! He found out today...

 

[kfeuer]

Add us too, my DH got laid off last week with no warning. He'd been with this company 15 years, and they just paid to move us cross-country less then a year ago. We spent a few days in shock, but he's out doing everything he can right now.

We're going to meet with a lawyer tomorrow, they're wanting him to give up severance pay to get out of a non-compete that is written so broadly that he couldn't work in his field at all for at least 2 years. They sprung the non-compete on us when we were so far into the moving process we couldn't really say no. I'm really hoping the lawyer will give us good news tomorrow.

Here's to hoping everybody finds something soon. I swear, I think some employers are just using this downturn as an excuse to get rid of their more expensive employees--they know people are so desperate for work they'll find someone to take less money. I wonder how many years it's going to take salaries to recover from all this?

 

[pixie921]

Add us, too. I posted this on the October no-spend thread, so I might as well post here, too.

We were at WDW from 9/17-9/23. On 9/22, dh's supervisor called him on his cell all excited about new funding they'd just gotten that would keep the program he taught for going for at least the next two years.

So imagine our shock when halfway through his first day back (9/24) she came in and informed him that the organization had just completed an "internal audit" and learned they were several hundred thousand dollars in the red and the best way they could think of to fix it was to close the educational program and use the money previously allocated for it to pay the debt. My dh and his fellow instructors were laid off as of that moment.

We immediately scaled back our cell phone plan and called our mortgage company to let them know what had happened. There's a chance we can get a modification to our loan to at least reduce the interest rate. I'm not overly hopeful because our house is small and simple and we don't owe a whole lot (although we are one of the few families on the street that have managed to hold onto our home ... seriously), but we'll see. Dh dropped his gym membership that day, and we had his student loans put into forbearance.

Dh is still teaching at his community college job (3 classes per week) so I'm expecting that to reduce or completely eliminate any unemployment he might get. He's been selling his cherished photography equipment and I have several things on eBay right now to try and bolster our savings. We have enough to get through the next couple of months, but after that, things will start to look grim.

When he went down to pick up his things, there was mention made of a chance that they might receive additional funding allowing the program to start up again in a few weeks, but we're not holding our breath.

 

[DebMcDonald]

Add us too, my DH got laid off last week with no warning. He'd been with this company 15 years, and they just paid to move us cross-country less then a year ago. We spent a few days in shock, but he's out doing everything he can right now.

We're going to meet with a lawyer tomorrow, they're wanting him to give up severance pay to get out of a non-compete that is written so broadly that he couldn't work in his field at all for at least 2 years. They sprung the non-compete on us when we were so far into the moving process we couldn't really say no. I'm really hoping the lawyer will give us good news tomorrow.

Here's to hoping everybody finds something soon. I swear, I think some employers are just using this downturn as an excuse to get rid of their more expensive employees--they know people are so desperate for work they'll find someone to take less money. I wonder how many years it's going to take salaries to recover from all this?

My husband was laid off in February, he also had a non-compete for 18 months. We were not given the option of giving up unemployement because of the non-compete, but with a lawyers helps we got them to agree that we would not go to any direct competitors, which means he could not go to the orange and pink coffee company. Our lawyer did try to get our severance package extended because of the non-compete, but they would not budge at all. I have to say that my husband has had several interviews and two job offers, but both job offers were less than half of what he was making and factoring in childcare costs it was more beneficial for him to stay on unemployment at this point and be home with our girls. I went back to work as soon as we found out and I am currently providing the health insurance which was our biggest fear.

Good luck to your husband and remember, there's alot of people in the same situation.

 

[thelionqueen]

I just joined the world of the laid off last Wednesday myself. I was pounced upon the minute I walked in the door last week and informed. I wasn't given any severance and was told that my health insurance would end that day at midnight. I was beyond shocked. I'm not sure what I'll be getting for unemployment, but if it is 50% of what I'm making, then we should hopefully be okay since 50% of my salary went to daycare costs and now I don't have to worry about that right now. I figure I'm just going to try to take things easy, try not to worry and enjoy my two little ones.
In 3 weeks I'm off for Disney and while I've gone from being able to be frivilious on the trip to really watching our spending, I'm just happy that i'm going to still be able to go.

Good luck everyone!

Tigger, if you were laid off, you are guaranteed COBRA benefits, so your coverage did not end by any stretch of the imagination. You should be getting a package of enrollment information from your employer (should already have it by now). You will then have 60 days to elect coverage if you choose. Depending on the situation and timing, you may also be eligible for a 65% government subsidy of your COBRA premium, meaning you would only have to pay 35% of the premium (HUGE help). Also there is credible talk of the subsidy to be extended come 12/29. Nothing definite, but those "in the know" feel confident it is coming. Keep your head up, at least you will have COBRA subsidized insurance.

Also, keep in mind that you have the option of choosing a lower cost plan on your COBRA coverage if you want. You cannot choose a more expensive plan but you can switch to a less expensive one.

Best of luck all!

 

[mommymonster]

Add me to the list. My dh was actually fired (long story...he got a bad blood clot on a plane while flying for a business trip and filed workmens comp)..ever since then they treated him like crap and he had worked for the company for 20 yrs. They came and fired him and took away his company car, cell phone and computer. Now we still don't even have unemployment checks as they are investigating the firing...been 5 weeks without money. I don't work as I am a SAHM. I have been to interviews but only things right now are part time jobs like 12 hours a week. He is applying like crazy. I haven't paid our mortgage last month or now for the month of October. We are working on cutting expenses every way we can. We are getting food stamps and the girls have health insurance through the state but we can't afford the 580 a month cobra bill so we are uninsured. I am terrified. I just don't want to lose our home.

Lisa

 

[pixie921]

Add me to the list. My dh was actually fired (long story...he got a bad blood clot on a plane while flying for a business trip and filed workmens comp)..ever since then they treated him like crap and he had worked for the company for 20 yrs. They came and fired him and took away his company car, cell phone and computer. Now we still don't even have unemployment checks as they are investigating the firing...been 5 weeks without money. I don't work as I am a SAHM. I have been to interviews but only things right now are part time jobs like 12 hours a week. He is applying like crazy. I haven't paid our mortgage last month or now for the month of October. We are working on cutting expenses every way we can. We are getting food stamps and the girls have health insurance through the state but we can't afford the 580 a month cobra bill so we are uninsured. I am terrified. I just don't want to lose our home.
Lisa

Lisa! This isn't the first time we've been through a layoff at our house (my dh was in IT before he started teaching and was constantly getting his jobs outsourced) so I'm not in full-on panic mode yet, but I've been at the point that you are before and know how terrible it feels. Hang in there and don't give up. Keep exploring every option you can think of and tell everyone you know you're looking for work. A lead can come from the most unexpected place.

 

[johnGorski]

I have been unemployed since June of this year. I have been sending out resumes non stop but have only received 3 interviews. I have been hearing stories about phantom jobs where companies are posting jobs so they attract investors. Jobs=good prospects for the company. I was a operation manager for a company making candles and we all thought we were safe and financially solid but boom there goes all of our jobs, 88 of us without jobs. Thank you Bank of America they where the ones who held our Line of Credit and canceled it on our investors so they had to shut down.