So... who's been laid off?

Update to my post above... after talking to HR, I was way off...

8 layed off today. There are 13 left on the payroll. One year ago there were 52.

(Again, not my company, but my "parent" company.)

Yeah I've been laid off for about a month now. I have worked at the place for 5 years being the sole person responsible for all of the framing design on the houses we build, with enough success to move into a new building and shop about 3 years ago. When major home builders like Richmond American and Pulte start leaving the Chicago market, that's a big problem for us. I've been looking for other CAD jobs but haven't had too much luck. I don't think the housing market is coming back any time soon.

was laid off twice last year and then decided to move up to Colorado.

I was informed that I would probably be laid off after Christmas. I've been at this company for 10 years. I did an interview with another company & am in salary negotiations for a position there. I hope it works out.... I'm getting too old to start over again, and I am the sole provider for a family of four. Plus, I will miss my co-workers... we were like a big family. It just sucks all around.

Add me to the list, fellows. Add me to the list.


TL

TexLaw said:

Add me to the list, fellows. Add me to the list.


TL

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Sorry to hear that Tex!

Man, this thread just keeps getting worse and worse. Every page someone is about to or has just been laid off. I knew the economy and job outlook was bad, but this is really an eye opener.

Makes me feel lucky; I'm with a company that actually increases our customer base in a bad economy b/c we can save them money. We're actually hiring! And it looks like my wife is about to be offered a position with better hours and pay (crosses fingers).

I'll keep my fingers crossed for all of you. Hope this is short-lived and for the better in the end.

I'm right there with ya Rhoobarb. I also work for a major consulting company that tends to do well when the economy slows down. I remember when I first joined, a lot of people jumped ship for more money during the dot com boom. Most if not all those people were looking for work 6-8 months later. We didn't get a raise that year, but we all still had jobs. My company took a unique approach... promote a bunch of people to senior execs who now have to sell the business. Those that weren't able to were let go, but the core people mostly hung onto their jobs. That year, during a recession, the company gained market share. I'm still fairly confident that my job is secure... but you NEVER know. I just met with one of my managers asking for more work. I have enough to keep pretty busy, but wanted to show a little more initiative. I think he saw my concern and said not to worry about lay offs... we are no where near that yet. The other bright spot is that my wife recently went back to work part time.

Best of luck to all you guys struggling out there, especially those of you supporting families. Hopefully things turn around sooner than later.

TexLaw said:

Add me to the list, fellows. Add me to the list.


TL

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Seriously? Damn, very sorry to hear that.

This is a tough time all over. Being Mr Goodwrench, I have been watching the auto industry woes with extreme interest. On one hand, the economic slowdown could be good for the auto service departments, there will be plenty of dealerships closing(obviously not good for service...) I am also looking to relocate to Buffalo and am having difficulty finding a dealership that is in a position to hire an A-level tech.

I hope that all of those who are out of work now are able to find work soon. Hang in there guys!

my sister's company is heading out the door. good company, starting to turn profits after a couple of years but the investors are all spooked because of the economy. bad times, man, bad times...

Sorry to hear about everyone who's been laid off. I don't think you can imagine the hardship until it's happened to you.

For me, not yet, but am just waiting. *fingers crossed*. I've survived two waves in the past two months of a total of 40 people nationwide with our company, about 25 from my office (Headquarters). They're giving 8 weeks severance and paying out all sick and vacation time.We've lost 1 from our department (Service), but he did it to himself. Young, openly used drugs, crashed cars and bragged about wreckless driving (a traveling tech none the less). Just got word that the big wig is back in town today from California. Never a good sign. I don't know what we'd do. My wife is a teacher, so at least something stable. But we have a 3 month old. As much as I'd love to be a stay at home dad, Just couldn't do it on 1 teacher's salary! I just keep waiting to come in some day and the key cards no longer work.

Well I thought it was happening today. The whole Service department was called in to the office. Everyone company wide world wide is being forced to take 5 days off. If you have vacation time you can use it so you're not out any money, but if not you're screwed. It sucks as I had used half my vacation time in August right when i time for the year rolls over for my sons birth leaving 1 week to use whenever I wanted (planned as our first family vacation) but am now being forced to use it now. But at the same time I cannot complain too much because, as of now, there is still a job to come back to afterwards and I get paid for it.

I hope you keep your job, IP. That does suck that you have to use your vacation, but it's better than than getting a box and directions to the door. I am also fortunate that my employer is paying me and providing me benefits through the end of January or until I find another job, whichever comes first. The way things are looking, I expect to collect that January pay, but we can save well.


TL

The last round, or so they say was yesterday. They aren't even laying off, they are firing and calling it a labor force reduction so there will be no call backs. If you do get rehired when things get better you have lost extended vacation, 401k vestment, and training ops. With 35% of the work force gone I hope its done. Yesterday I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Nobody is safe, they have fired from every level.

Came in this morning to have my boss tell me they've changed their minds already about the forced vacation. Not looking forward to the company meeting today. Bossman says he thinks it's a change for teh better over the vacation, but damn I'd just accepted that I was gonna have paid leave from 12/17 - 12/29 with my 5 days and the a Paid personal day on the 26th! But who knows, Maybe I'll still get that vacation. just unpaid indefinitely. Fingers crossed, I only have one keg on tap, with no more in the pipeline, This can't last long while un-employed!

Keep us posted, IrregularPulse. The anticipation is palpable. I'm hoping for the best for you.

I spent three years at my last job like that....Not knowing if today will be the day. It was the worst time of my life it was almost a relief when I finally got the axe. In hind sight it would have been better to get it in the first round and removed all the stress from my life. The kicker is everyone from round one found jobs easily and are all still working at them. I'm lucky my wife had just started a new job with a big raise when it happened. Now I'm a stay at home dad with 3 bosses making my life difficult instead of just one

I hope that you are able to make it through and keep your job. If not don't panic you'll be surprised how much your budget will stretch when you need it to.

Good Luck
John

Good luck to you IP. My job is secure for now, currently working in Blue Collar job as a machinist, have decent seniority and have the company paying for my papers (in final year of schooling and have another to go for work req.), and the company is in a situation in which foreign companies are actively pursuing our business, which is good. But you never know what will happen. Things, even though I am employed, are still very tight, and if I lost my job I really dont know what we would do....

The company is very profitable at the moment, and is an ESOP company, for whatever that is worth, and bonus time is in 4 weeks. I think I am going to bank the bonus entirely as well as divert my current amount of money going to 401K into a savings account for unemployment emergency.

This economy makes me nervous.

My girlfriend has been unemployed for the last 6 months. We bought a townhouse, and she was laid off about 8 months later. After responding to about 150 job postings, only 4 employers have called her. A strong resume in property management doesn't seem to matter. She didn't get 2 of the jobs because she doesn't speak Spanish, and she's competeing with thousands of nonworking South, FL real estate agents trying to find any kind of work. She would have been hired within a month if only we lived closer to Orlando. She just doesn't seem to be the same person anymore.

It looks like she will finally get an offer in the next few days, but it will be for 20% less pay. At least she finished paying off her CC debt the week after loosing her job, so she may have roughly the same amount of extra cash. This job seems to be just in time, as we've burned through nearly all my savings. I honeslty don't know how people with kids could keep their sanity. I feel for them.

Also, my father took early retirement from General Motors just this past summer. He worked at the Wilmington, DE plant for 27 years, and he's been a Tool-and-Die maker for much longer. Now his 401K is nearly worthless, and he's planning to find new work at 55 because the pension fund may get raided. He'll be fine, but he has several friends who aren't as well prepared.

I wish everyone the strength to keep it together until they arrive at the otherside of the bridge. I think it would have wiped me out if I had lost my job and not Nicole.

Thanks for everyone's kind words. It's really great to have this sense of community on an online forum. This place is so much more thana resource for beer (and wine and cheese). Turns out the meeting was just to explain the details and the Mandatory 5 days is still in effect. It sucks because now I won't have a week (took 2 weeks in august when my sonw as born and saved this week for a beach vacation) until next august (if I still have a job), but my boss said we'd figure something out to get our vacation time back. The service department at our company (my department) kind of gets a way with murder. I am grateful to still ahve a job and really think it finally sunk in how bad the economy is. I feel for those of you who have lost your jobs and wish you the best.