My company was bought by another not long ago and many are leaving on their own for new jobs, getting let go, or hoping and asking to be let go (severance packages, stock vesting, and unemployment actually being a net positive for the old timers)
I was at a happy hour for a coworker who is leaving on his own for another job and was talking to another coworker there. We were talking about how getting laid off was a good option for many of us, due to future lack of job growth at the new company (new company headquarters are thousands of miles away), announced pay cuts, new culture, stock payoffs for getting let go, etc.
So she said, “ and you get unemployment payments for a year or so on top of severance, so you make out even more, you don’t even have to rush to find a job, it just makes sense to get let go if you can, instead of quitting on your own. But…I hope I can get in on it on time, you know, before the election, cause then you won’t get the unemployment…you know, if Romney doesn’t get elected. Romney better get elected, or we are all screwed, we’d lose the unemployment benefits, no health insurance options, no job, and it will be tougher getting a new job. If he doesn’t take over from Obama people are going to rise up…I’m telling you, we are going to get our guns and rise up, right?”
This is Bergen County NJ. Phil Simms and Eli Manning live around the corner from where I work. There isn’t a house within 20 miles of where I was that isn’t worth a half million and most or worth several. This is home to 90% of every pharma company, plus BMW, Mercedes, and other large companies. Just saying, so you know the environment, and don’t assume this is a stereotypical hick town or something. She is making 6 figures and so is her husband.
This woman has it 100% backwards. At first I thought she got the names mixed up, drinking and all, but no. She thinks Mitt Romney is the protector of the unemployed and those looking for work, who need assistance and more unemployment benefits, and if Obama is reelected she’ll lose that. I pushed her just a little. She honestly thinks that Obama wants to limit and cut unemployment payments, and only Romney would extend benefits. (wait. who is the socialist?)
I walked away. It just wasn’t worth it, and 5 Guinness’s in it would have just gotten ugly if I did stay. And its NJ. Spending 3 hours arguing and getting kicked out of a bar I really like to try and convince her wasn’t changing the NJ results….but I just…how do people come to think this way?