It's not quite the "final" curtain for me - but it's getting close. It looks like it's also close to the final curtain for the company.
They had another round of layoffs today. 9 people. Considering there were only about 14 of us left, that's a pretty clear sign they're going down, don't you think?
I got a temporary reprieve. I'm here until April 10, during which interval I'm supposed to 'transition' all of the accounts to outside management. Then I get two weeks' severance, which is generous. (A company doesn't have to give you severance if they give you two weeks' notice of a layoff.)
Jason called me in for a special one-on-one meeting because he didn't want to have to tell eight people they were out of work today and then turn to me and say, "but not you." Also, rather surprisingly, to say many nice things about me and the phenomenal job I've been doing. !! It's even possible he meant part of it--he came up to me later and mentioned that if I do freelance work, he has a friend who wants to small PPC campaign. !!
I have too many thoughts to organize them properly.
It's hard to walk around the office and see everyone crying because they're losing their jobs today and not be a part of it, you know? The fact that I'm going to be close on their heels notwithstanding. (I have trouble with Survivor's Guilt.)
But I'm grateful for the extra two weeks because it's another paycheck. Also, I have accumulated "vacation" time they'll be paying me for, which will help.
I've been very careful, financially, for quite a while now. I don't have a lot of savings, but with this much notice, I can scrabble together enough money to live on for two or three months. And then, if I haven't found gainful employment yet, there will be unemployment.
But! Jason is still sneaky. I mean, he can talk airily about 'transitioning' the accounts but I got the real story from Vela. The locations are being given the choice to go with outside management or to manage their own accounts. The idea is that I will teach the people who choose to manage their own accounts. Me! Teach the Assorted 'Nuts how to 'manage' their own accounts. !!
By the way. I got an email from Webstrainer this morning that they're rolling out an entirely new interface and everything is going to be new and special in a couple of weeks.
*brain explodes*
I can't talk about this now. I keep getting interrupted by people coming over for "goodbye" hugs.
posted by AnneZook on 03.24.09 at 01:48 PMVery sorry to hear it. I've done the "dead man walking" thing . . . .
Practical question: why wait until your savings have run out to take unemployment? Why not take it once you're actually unemployed and make your savings last longer? Or is there a means-test issue?
posted by: Jonathan Dresner on 03.24.09 at 04:56 PM [permalink]Please apply for unemployment on April 11. And then use all of your sick time between now and then. Those bastards are trying to wring everything they can out of you!
Thanks for the support folks.
In fact, you can't begin collecting unemployment until all payments from your former employer are used. For instance if they give you two weeks' severance pay, then you can't collect unemployment for those two weeks.
If they pay you for a week or two of unused vacation time - you're not eligible for unemployment during that week or two.
Since it takes about six weeks to start getting payments, you can go ahead and file as soon as you're unemployed. You just mark the box that you received X hours/days of pay and then unemployment payments kick in after that number of days have passed.
Fortunately, your personal savings have nothing to do with unemployment - you don't have to use up your savings before you get unemployment. Unfortunately, I've been so focused on paying ofs my credit card over the last year that I have essentially no savings.
But I'll be ok.
posted by: Anne on 03.24.09 at 09:15 PM [permalink]Ruth - This company doesn't give you "sick days." I had a bank of days I could take for vacation or sick time - whichever I wanted or needed. At this point, I'd rather have the cash than days off.
Never burn bridges. :) I've had too many jobs to take a chance.
posted by: Anne on 03.24.09 at 09:17 PM [permalink]Well, that makes sense, OK.
Now, are they going to pay you extra if you get out without throttling anyone? They should, you know.....
posted by: Jonathan Dresner on 03.24.09 at 09:56 PM [permalink]Heh. I wish.
I was talking to Vela yesterday and she said she went through her email and just deleted everything from people whose projects she didn't intend to finish.(Laid-off mangement were given until the end of the week.)
posted by: Anne on 03.25.09 at 08:16 AM [permalink]Well, that sucks. Not entirely surprising, though, from what you've been telling us. Grit your teeth, last it out, get out with the potential of them writing you good letters of recommendation.
posted by: Dail on 03.25.09 at 11:41 AM [permalink]