# Time for another "I just got laid off" thread.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 12, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264 "2009-11-12T02:34:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/1 "2009-11-12T02:34:17Z")
It’ll be short, I promise.
The company lost a customer that constituted 25% of its business. I was one of the employees selected for the financial belt tightening.
What hurts is that I am…was the most senior employee aside from the VP. Five years of employment straight out of university. The company went through so many changes that despite my attempts at documentation, there are some procedures that only survive in my head. Our department worked primarily in document editing, and I was the only one who learned enough VB to create Word macros to streamline our work. The department went from a two-person operation when I joined to six people, the company similarly tripling in size and business. There was no grand, heroic gesture on my part that aided in this except long, tireless hours and a desire to produce the best work I could.
Yeah, I got burned out. I’ve been in a slump the last couple months, and I made the mistake of being honest with my boss, said VP, about it. My work barely suffered, but because I wasn’t putting in 110% effort, I got shown the door. I guarantee you it’s going to be harder for them to survive this hit without me than with. But then, this morning I was certain that I was indispensable. Go figure.
I’ve been wanting to leave the company for a while now. I needed to do something new. But I also needed to leave on my terms. I have nothing saved. Foolish, but I had hoped that once my roommate left in a month or two I could start putting money away. No chance now. I’ve got enough money to last me until the end of the year and that’s all. I only hope I’m luckier than my family members who’ve been laid off and haven’t been able to find work for over a year.
I just don’t know.
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### Author:  [@With\_Rye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/With_Rye)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/2 "2009-11-12T07:45:42Z")
Hang in there **Bosstone** , layoffs suck but there’s nothing like them to shake things up and forcibly move you forward to new things. I just left my job a week ago and my heart rate hasn’t been this high for over a year (take that how you will) 😉
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/3 "2009-11-12T13:56:11Z")
Sorry to hear your news. Fingers crossed that you find something quickly.
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/4 "2009-11-12T14:44:50Z")
Sorry to hear that, **Bosstone**
But even if you haven’t got anything saved you can start downsizing now. Ruthlessly eliminate anything you don’t _truly_ have a need for.
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### Author:  [@The\_Vorlon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Vorlon)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/5 "2009-11-12T16:04:36Z")
**Bosstone** , just remember when they come crying to you that they can’t figure out something, consulting starts at $100 a hour, 8 hour minimum.
Or more.
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### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/6 "2009-11-12T16:14:42Z")
What kind of redundancy package did you get? Not a very good one from the sounds of it. Does a company even have to give you one in the States?
Irish legal minimum is 2 weeks for every year.
My firm just went through a redundancy stage, 10% were cut over all but 30% of my dept(I.T) got the chop. If I’d have been one of them since I have 10years service I basically would have got 1 years salary tax free which in real terms would make it close to two years salary. We got more that the legal minimum.
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
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### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/7 "2009-11-12T16:15:44Z")
> [@The\_Vorlon](#):
>
> **Bosstone** , just remember when they come crying to you that they can’t figure out something, consulting starts at $100 a hour, 8 hour minimum.
>
> Or more.
Word!
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### Author:  [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/8 "2009-11-12T16:57:27Z")
> [@yojimbo](#):
>
> What kind of redundancy package did you get? Not a very good one from the sounds of it. Does a company even have to give you one in the States?
They don’t have to give you anything at all here (unless you’re covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which may specify some kind of severance package, but few of us are). That’s why we’re all so terrified of layoffs.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/9 "2009-11-12T17:22:15Z")
> [@Saintly\_Loser](#):
>
> They don’t have to give you anything at all here (unless you’re covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which may specify some kind of severance package, but few of us are). That’s why we’re all so terrified of layoffs.
Yep. I don’t even know what a redundancy package is. I’m getting paid for today and tomorrow, plus the vacation time I’ve built up, and that’s it. I asked if there was anything more they could do, but I’m not hopeful.
It’s a weird situation, though. I can’t help feeling shaken and depressed by the turn of events, but now I have to start whipping up my ego so I can sell myself to potential employers. Ah well. It could be worse. My dad was laid off and couldn’t find work for over a year due to his age. I’ve still got a fighting chance.
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### Author:  [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)
#### Post date: [November 12, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/10 "2009-11-12T18:00:28Z")
Wishing you a short layoff. Find something quickly!
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### Author:  [@moonstarssun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonstarssun)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/11 "2009-11-13T00:46:49Z")
Good luck with the job hunt! It’s rough out there, but there are jobs. Try to stay optimistic.
It’s hard to not beat yourself up and to wonder if you did something wrong. But it’s better to focus your energy on finding something new. Take the experience and apply it to whatever you find next, learn from it, and it’s not wasted time.
Take care–and may your job hunt be a short one. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/12 "2009-11-13T00:50:16Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> It’s a weird situation, though. I can’t help feeling shaken and depressed by the turn of events, but now I have to start whipping up my ego so I can sell myself to potential employers.
I don’t know if it helps or not, but _everyone_ who gets laid off feels exactly like that.
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### Author:  [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/13 "2009-11-13T01:25:00Z")
Well FWIW this part of your OP made you sound like someone I’d want to work with. Definitely an interview answer in there:
> [@](#):
>
> Our department worked primarily in document editing, and I was the only one who learned enough VB to create Word macros to streamline our work. The department went from a two-person operation when I joined to six people, the company similarly tripling in size and business. There was no grand, heroic gesture on my part that aided in this except long, tireless hours and a desire to produce the best work I could.
and remember that you were not fired, you were laid off. If they company lost 25% of it’s business in one fell swoop then it’s entirely possible you would have been gone, even if you were putting in 110%.
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### Author:  [@Neptunian\_Slug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neptunian_Slug)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/14 "2009-11-13T04:34:00Z")
> [@Bosstone](#):
>
> Yep. I don’t even know what a redundancy package is. I’m getting paid for today and tomorrow, plus the vacation time I’ve built up, and that’s it. I asked if there was anything more they could do, but I’m not hopeful.
>
> It’s a weird situation, though. I can’t help feeling shaken and depressed by the turn of events, but now I have to start whipping up my ego so I can sell myself to potential employers. Ah well. It could be worse. My dad was laid off and couldn’t find work for over a year due to his age. I’ve still got a fighting chance.
That’s unfortunate the company wouldn’t offer you any sort of severance (redundancy).
I felt like I was in the same boat as you around the time I was laid off. Miserable every single day. I had been looking around and dreamed of the moment when I could walk into the office and tell my boss that it was time for me to move on. The SoB beat me to the punch.
Nothing wrong with feeling depressed about the affair. Losing a job is tough, even if its a sucky job. I have been advising friends to not jump right into the job search right away to clear their heads. But it seems you don’t have that luxury.
But the good news is that you have five years more experience than you had the last time you were looking for a job. And you have (hopefully) five years worth of contacts. That’s the best place to start. Start mining those contacts and stay in touch with them. You never know who is going to hear about a job opening somewhere. And there are people out there who like you and respect you. The worst thing you can do is let them forget about you.
In the meantime, find something to clear your mind. Set a schedule to do resume/job stuff. But when that’s over, don’t sit and stress. If you enjoy video games, spend your days playing video games. People would tell me to get all of these different projects done around the house. But I didn’t enjoy that. I actually ended up spending my afternoons drinking beer in my local bar once I completed my daily goals. Hardly productive in most people’s eyes. But it helped me clear my head.
Good luck.
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### Author:  [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/15 "2009-11-13T04:55:32Z")
File for unemployment. You paid, so make sure you collect.
Clean up your resume, emphasizing the great work you did.
You were laid off, not fired!
Good luck and karma your way.
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### Author:  [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/16 "2009-11-13T14:24:57Z")
On the plus side, the economic indicators are all up - employment is a lagging indicator. People are hiring - not at high rates, but it isn’t the complete dearth of jobs that there was a year ago. People I know who had no interviews for six months had a dozen in a month and got jobs.
Best of luck
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### Author:  [@UncleNito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleNito)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/17 "2009-11-13T15:28:29Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#):
>
> On the plus side, the economic indicators are all up - employment is a lagging indicator. People are hiring - not at high rates, but it isn’t the complete dearth of jobs that there was a year ago. People I know who had no interviews for six months had a dozen in a month and got jobs.
>
> Best of luck
There are definitely signs of life. I’ve been a licensed attorney for four weeks. This afternoon I have my third interview, with another one scheduled for Monday. All advertised positions, to boot.
**Bosstone** , get the anger out and then use your ex-employer’s network. If they said anything along the lines of “let us know if we can do anything,” take it at face value and ride that horse as far as it will go. Tell then about every interview (informational or otherwise) that you get. Make sure they have a copy of your resume. Remember that they probably do want you to land on your feet as quickly as possible. The firm that rescinded my job offer has gone to bat for me again and again.
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### Author:  [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/18 "2009-11-13T16:21:43Z")
Hiya Bosstone. You were nice enough to respond to my job loss thread, so here I am replying to yours. Stay strong and vigilant. We both will. Hopefully, we’ll both find jobs soon, and may they be better ones than we lost.
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### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [November 13, 2009, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/19 "2009-11-13T21:36:52Z")
> [@Broomstick](#):
>
> I don’t know if it helps or not, but _everyone_ who gets laid off feels exactly like that.
Oh, I know, and I got over it pretty fast. It was a pretty repetitive job, and there’s a certain sense of wonder in thinking, “Well, I won’t ever have to deal with _that_ customer or _that_ asinine policy again.”
> [@sugar\_and\_spice](#):
>
> Well FWIW this part of your OP made you sound like someone I’d want to work with. Definitely an interview answer in there:
I appreciate it, and thanks for the tip. That’ll help refine my interview, if I can manage to get one.
> [@Neptunian\_Slug](#):
>
> And you have (hopefully) five years worth of contacts. That’s the best place to start. Start mining those contacts and stay in touch with them. You never know who is going to hear about a job opening somewhere. And there are people out there who like you and respect you. The worst thing you can do is let them forget about you.
Unfortunately it wasn’t a heavy networking job, and I’ve never been that good about making contacts in the first place. The only contacts I really have are my ex-coworkers. The clients I worked with the most were law enforcement, and that’s…tricky to get a decent job with. 🙂
> [@Algher](#):
>
> File for unemployment. You paid, so make sure you collect.
> Clean up your resume, emphasizing the great work you did.
> You were laid off, not fired!
Planning on the unemployment for sure, and it is a small comfort about being laid off. It’s a lot harder to make up a BS reason for leaving the job when you get canned for, oh, let’s say browsing message boards at work. :smack:
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#):
>
> Hiya Bosstone. You were nice enough to respond to my job loss thread, so here I am replying to yours. Stay strong and vigilant. We both will. Hopefully, we’ll both find jobs soon, and may they be better ones than we lost.
Amen to that.
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### Author:  [@Obsidian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obsidian)
#### Post date: [November 15, 2009, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/time-for-another-i-just-got-laid-off-thread/517264/20 "2009-11-15T12:03:40Z")
I was you six months ago. The company ended up loosing 1/2 million dollars in business as a result of laying me off. That felt pretty damn good, actually, no matter how morose I felt about being unemployed. I too had been a very hard worker who burned out. The company attitude was, we want everyone here filled with and motivated by fear. If you don’t appear completely desperate to keep your job, out you go.
I had four months of nothing, a slew of interviews in September and two job offers within days of each other in October. I started my new job Nov. 2 with a significant pay increase. It is getting better out there. Slowly, but it’s happening. Good luck! And file for unemployment right away, get those checks coming.
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