Well, that was a bit unexpected

[wendyzski]

I've been laid off!

Thinking back, I can see why they need to - the company is down to 3 properties and probably one more will be in receivership within 3 months. They can't afford me.

Sucks to be me though - I have 3 weeks severance and 2 weeks vacation (provided that I sign the release which on the first glance looks reasonable). I'll be eligible for the COBRA subsidy, and I have recent refills on all my meds. My transit pass is paid up for the end of the month.

COMB is going to flip his shit, though - he's out of town till tomorrow. I told HR that I'd be willing to do some personal-assistant stuff at a "mutually agreeable" rate p/t. I'm thinking 25% over my old hourly rate woudl be appropriate, if I get paid by personal check and not reportable income.

So tonight I whine, and then tomorrow I start crunching numbers.
I wonder if it's too late to get added to the Windycon Thursday banquet?

Comments

[ladyniniane.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! I'm sorry to hear this!

Sending good job hunt mojo your direction...

[countessof-roth.livejournal.com]

SHIT! Andrew got laid off today too!!! *hugs*


OH just so you know! Thanks to our fabulous commander in chief's economic recovery plan there IS a "Cobra subsidy" you might be eligible for. I think how it happens is that you pay for the cobra, but you get a tax credit back on it for up to %65.

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/cobra.html

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

yes, I had heard about that - thanks for the link. They have a pretty good outsource company that handles that, so I should get all the appropriate paperwork in fairly short order.

[katexxxxxx.livejournal.com]

That's a bugger, even though you did want to move on. Good luck with the job hunting.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

As I just told someone in IM - "I won't miss the job. I'll miss the money".

[apocalypticbob.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! That sucks!!

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

yeps. but I'm certainly not the only one in this boat. Just need to keep bailing.

[dragonsblog.livejournal.com]

That sucks. I'm sorry. Good luck with the search.

[ashtalet.livejournal.com]

Wow, that was a surprise! Good luck with the new job hunt.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Thank you for expressing an interest in the following position(s)at Northwestern University submitted on 11/03/2009:

15242-Research Administrator 1
15242-Research Administrator 1
15241-Program Assistant 4
15239-Asst Coordinator CTD
15237-Program Assistant 2
15234-Program Assistant 1
15224-Admissions Asst Sr
15221-Library Assistant 1
15219-Department Assistant 1
15212-Program Assistant 2

[ladyariyana.livejournal.com]

Thumbs up on putting all those apps in already!! Go get em!!

[alliesutherland.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry, hon. (((hugs and pets)))

BTW, I'd love to chat on FB sometime!

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

ok - I'll look for you

[petmoosie.livejournal.com]

I hope that you are able to find something else good.

Why will COMB be able to have you do personal-assistant stuff? I don't get it, where is he going to get the money from?

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Levalon properties is the company that manages the 3 (soon to be 2) properties, and they were my employer. COMBjr is pres of that company and COMB is CEO.

Plato Foufas and Company is an associated company, and COMB is the president of that company. It deals with the ownership of the properties. COMB also owns 2 homes, rents a luxury condo and is scheduled to leave for a 3 week European vacation on the 11th. He can afford the odd hundred for someone to make his phones work.

[controuble.livejournal.com]

Did you email Phoenix about the banquet? He's the man

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Did and done. Yay free food.

You wouldn't happen to know anyone who might have crash space for that Thursday night? I really can't afford another hotel room night but I also really don't want to have to go all the way home and back in the morning.

[controuble.livejournal.com]

I need a second person to sleep in the art show room on Thurs night if you are interested.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

edited because I'm out of it - I meant that I would be delighted and that you can tell me where to go on Thursday when I get there.

Enjoy it - there are TONS of people who would love to tell me where to go....

[controuble.livejournal.com]

Wonderful - you just saved me some gopher hours that I had forgotten to budget for.

[sciffy-circo.livejournal.com]

How about 2 more, like Brice and I? Actually, I hear Art Show was being run by Logistics, and Taz wanted to make Brice staff. Only problem was that the position doesn't come with a Gopher Hole. I talked to a few people at chicago-sf.org and we should have crash space available though... I hope.

It's great that they'd like to promote him/ us, but it kinda sucks that we'd need to find our own place to crash. And Capricon? Those no-rollovers is killing me. I was forced to spend the check on something else, and now I don't know if I can afford to go.

And Wendy, yeah, the job situation sucks. :( Seriously, if I didn't have 2 cooking classes, I really would be starving. I'm really not doing well over here. Had a few job contacts this week, they want me to take a bus out to Schaumburg to start at 7:30am (not possible, already looked it up) or I'd have to do 40 hours a week (not possible, I'm a student). Unemployment doesn't exactly cover the storage, food, and a bus card, and/ or anything else I may need. Therapy, maybe? Doctor? Still waiting to hear back on my application for that.

I'm not even sure who to pray to anymore...

[controuble.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but we've all been put on a very strict gopher hours budget this year and I already have one Thurs sleep-in and am only allowed to use 2. I also have my regular sleep-ins for Fri and Sat nights.

[faireraven.livejournal.com]

EEK!

I'm so sorry, hon!

Good luck! If you need any help with online resources, look under my jobs tag, it has a bunch of online job hunting resources listed there...

*HUGS*

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Amusingly enough, I've had a couple of friends ask me for job hunting and interview advice recently, because as one put it "you've landed more jobs in the last few years than I've had in my life". It's unpleasant but familiar territorry.

[capi.livejournal.com]

Aw Wendy!!

*adds her to the prayer list*

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Thanks hon. It'll be REALLY tight but I should be able to squeak by for a while. I've been here before, and while it's certainly not any fun it is at least familiar territory.

[queenmaggie.livejournal.com]

bwa?! sheesh. Not even a decent prep period anymore. best wishes and hopes for something even better, soon.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

at my place I can understand it - I had all the passwords for everything, and they didn't want to risk any disgruntlement. And it's not like I was emotionally invested in that job as anything more than a source of income.

I've been fired before and this was about as "nice" as it's possible to be under the circumstances.

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

Points you at Corestaff. They got me placed at an okay rate. It is a temp company with the occasional temp-to-hire. Bernadette is the rep I've dealt with (312-578-9100). They have insurance, but it kinda sucks. Might be helpful, might not. It's a rough market. Frankly, I think you're a lot more placeable than me, so...

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

I will keep that in mind. I have the fiddly stuff to do this week - get new driver's license (i lost mine last week), then apply for unemployment, read and probably sign my severance agreement, get my H1N1 shot etc.

Then I update the resume and get those applications out there, as well as look at possible sources of p/t off-the-books income.

I'll be looking at this kind of stuff probably after Windycon.

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

yep. Paperwork and IDs first. (I can't find my SS card, sigh). And maybe, just maybe, you'll find something better before resorting to the temps. *fingers crossed*

Speaking of Windycon...
Due to my own uncertain employment situation, I'm not attending, but, I have stuff that people at Windy need. Would it be possible for me to give you a box to give to Vlad?

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

How big a box? I'm taking the train out on Thursday and sending most of my gear with Jacob to arrive on Friday. I have all my own gear plus everything for the Masquerade. If it's bigger than a shoe box I'm not sure I could manage it.

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

Stuff it in a side pocket big. Coupla hairsticks for Kyttin and a pendent for Plume. Less than a pound and could be packaged in almost anyway to make it most easiest.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

oh - that size I can manage. how do you want to meet up?

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

I'm still working on the hairsticks.... When are you leaving? I could drop after work. Take the 22 instead of the 147 and I'm at your place.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Going to the concom banquet on Thurs, so probably leaving around 4 that day. Monday and Wednesday evenings I'll be home, and Tuesday until 6:30 or so.

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

Hairsticks done, and I even remembered to bring them with this morning. So, is tonight better or wed. And where do I get off the 22 bus, anyway?

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Get off the 22 at Albion and cross to the west side of the street. Walk one block north to Wallen. The building is on the corner of Clark and Wallen, and 1655 is the furthest west door on Wallen before you hit the alley.

Coming from the south, the stops are Devon - Arthur - Albion - North Shore - Pratt.

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

Just got confirmation on an Intro to SAP class for tonight. How late is too late? Or would wed be better.

[wendyzski.livejournal.com]

Nowadays, any time before 11, as long as I can answer the door in my jammies!

[lisagems.livejournal.com]

Well. That did't workm I'm on the 22. Headed for you.

[anotheranon.livejournal.com]

Aw no :(

ning good job hunt wishes!

[woody-whistler.livejournal.com]

Black-hole level suckage!

Will send positive thoguhts and prayers for a better job soon!

[aedifica]

That's always a shock! But it sounds like it's about as good as it could be, all things considered? Good luck with the hunt for a better(!) job.

[ladyariyana.livejournal.com]

aww man.. {{{{{bearhugs}}}}} ok... a few days break, maybe (because you were just sick and might need it..) then back to job hunting big time right? oh.. maybe allowing for a few days to recover after windycon... though you might still need that Sunday's newspaper and at least put apps in. It would be sad to find out after there had been a really great job to apply for that you had missed out on.
{{{hugs}}}
let me know if you need anything I can help with. Love you

[liana]

Ugh! I know you were trying to leave anyhow, but it really sucks that the timing is theirs.

Best of luck with the hunt.

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Aw, damn. I wish you luck.

[cozit.livejournal.com]

:-(
Hope something great comes around soon... and that you can enjoy at least a bit of the "unplanned vacation".