6 ms·

Sadly this scenario is not uncommon even among bigger employers. I was with a big investment bank abroad when after a few rounds of redundancies that I somehow

Sadly this scenario is not uncommon even among bigger employers. I was with a big investment bank abroad when after a few rounds of redundancies that I somehow managed to survive over the few months I was with them, we were finally told the situation was now stable and we have lots of work planned for the next few years. Hooray. Tell wife, terminate nursery contracts for our kids in our country of origin, arrange moving our stuff to the country I was working in for good, commit to renting a new apartment for the next 12 months, buy airline tickets and lots of other expenses. Then I get the news. The remaining few people are being let go. No apology, no compensation. Just like that. To some degree it's a game of luck, I guess, but I've been actively refusing their offers ever since. Fool me once...

erikb 9y ago
I hope so much that as many people as possible read your story. Don't trust the word of people who profit from your trust. Don't bet your whole family on your boss.
- seasonalgrit 9y ago
  Agreed. This is part of why it's important to attend to one's own financial security -- if one doesn't have a safety fund (6 months of living expenses minimum) that should be number one priority. makes all the difference when navigating employment transitions. I also really liked the suggestion elsewhere in the comments to negotiate in the offer letter/contract 3 months of pay after the last day of work. I haven't tried that but it's something I'll consider in the future.
  - jorvi 9y ago
    The 'six months of living expenses minimum' plus 'fridge+car+laundry machine' fund get touted around a lot, but they ignore the reality that, while living expenses have only been going up, pay has stagnated. Most families are barely scraping by with only ~€300 a month leeway. Assuming €3000 living expenses a month and a combined income of ~€3500 (removing ~€200 a month for random expenses that always pop up), saving €18.000 would take 5 years assuming absolutely nothing bad happens in the mean time. Add to that the fridge+car+laundry fund and some bad luck, and you're looking at 8-10 years of no-fun-expenses-allowed saving. As one would say: get real.
    - brookside 9y ago
      I 50% agree with this, and 50% can't help notice (in the US) restaurants are full, it is common to have a recent iPhone, and 85% of vehicles on the roads are newish SUVs. Many people are scraping by on minimal income and have minimal expenses. Many others are scraping by because their spending is out of whack with income. Of course, reining in spending doesn't address the societal stagnant income problem. It only helps an individual not find themselves in a desperate situation because of job loss.
      - pc86 9y ago
        Come on now. Eating out a dozen meals a week, a new $800 phone ever 2 years and a 2-3 year old X5 are inalienable rights.
      - bluedino 9y ago
        >> and 85% of vehicles on the roads are newish SUVs. Average age of vehicles on road hits 11.6 years in the United State, which is a new record. When you have low/under-employment people aren't rushing out to buy new vehicles as they were in the past.
        brookside 9y ago
        That is a good stat. I also wonder what the median is (although there probably aren't THAT many vintage/classic cars skewing the average).
        rhizome 9y ago
        > Average age of vehicles on road hits 11.6 years in the United State This is like saying, "How bad could the favelas be? Brazil's population density is 64ppl/sq mi."
      - s73ver 9y ago
        Recent iPhones are cheap. You get them with the contract. And for most carriers, choosing not to get the subsidized phone doesn't affect the monthly cost of service. You'll need a citation for the 85% of vehicles are newish SUVs stat.
- wfo 9y ago
  You might get along with your boss, your boss might seem great and be a nice guy. You might even be friends. Hell, he may even mean well and genuinely want what's best for you. But always remember: 1) At the end of the day your boss' job is to take as much from you as possible and give you as little as possible in return. Same as customers. The difference the company makes there is literally the definition of profit. 2) If you're non-union in the US, you have zero power. Your only real recourse to any grievance or unfair treatment is to quit, forgoing your severance and losing your health insurance. Your only weapon is a freshly updated resume.
  - erikb 9y ago
    Agreed. Additionally 3) Even a geniune nice promise from your boss probably won't consider your risks. Human brains only are good to evaluate the risks to themselves, and if you don't get what the boss promised the risk to him may be relatively low.
FireBeyond 9y ago
Very true. My ex- was nervous about accepting a vet tech position for about a year before she started vet school. She was nervous because they "required"/"only wanted" someone who "was going to be there long term". I asked her: "They want you to make commitments to them that you will be there for a long term. Are they willing to make the same commitment to you? Or are you out the door the moment you are unneeded?"

erikb 9y ago

I hope so much that as many people as possible read your story. Don't trust the word of people who profit from your trust. Don't bet your whole family on your boss.

seasonalgrit 9y ago
Agreed. This is part of why it's important to attend to one's own financial security -- if one doesn't have a safety fund (6 months of living expenses minimum) that should be number one priority. makes all the difference when navigating employment transitions. I also really liked the suggestion elsewhere in the comments to negotiate in the offer letter/contract 3 months of pay after the last day of work. I haven't tried that but it's something I'll consider in the future.
- jorvi 9y ago
  The 'six months of living expenses minimum' plus 'fridge+car+laundry machine' fund get touted around a lot, but they ignore the reality that, while living expenses have only been going up, pay has stagnated. Most families are barely scraping by with only ~€300 a month leeway. Assuming €3000 living expenses a month and a combined income of ~€3500 (removing ~€200 a month for random expenses that always pop up), saving €18.000 would take 5 years assuming absolutely nothing bad happens in the mean time. Add to that the fridge+car+laundry fund and some bad luck, and you're looking at 8-10 years of no-fun-expenses-allowed saving. As one would say: get real.
  - brookside 9y ago
    I 50% agree with this, and 50% can't help notice (in the US) restaurants are full, it is common to have a recent iPhone, and 85% of vehicles on the roads are newish SUVs. Many people are scraping by on minimal income and have minimal expenses. Many others are scraping by because their spending is out of whack with income. Of course, reining in spending doesn't address the societal stagnant income problem. It only helps an individual not find themselves in a desperate situation because of job loss.
    - pc86 9y ago
      Come on now. Eating out a dozen meals a week, a new $800 phone ever 2 years and a 2-3 year old X5 are inalienable rights.
    - bluedino 9y ago
      >> and 85% of vehicles on the roads are newish SUVs. Average age of vehicles on road hits 11.6 years in the United State, which is a new record. When you have low/under-employment people aren't rushing out to buy new vehicles as they were in the past.
      - brookside 9y ago
        That is a good stat. I also wonder what the median is (although there probably aren't THAT many vintage/classic cars skewing the average).
      - rhizome 9y ago
        > Average age of vehicles on road hits 11.6 years in the United State This is like saying, "How bad could the favelas be? Brazil's population density is 64ppl/sq mi."
    - s73ver 9y ago
      Recent iPhones are cheap. You get them with the contract. And for most carriers, choosing not to get the subsidized phone doesn't affect the monthly cost of service. You'll need a citation for the 85% of vehicles are newish SUVs stat.
wfo 9y ago
You might get along with your boss, your boss might seem great and be a nice guy. You might even be friends. Hell, he may even mean well and genuinely want what's best for you. But always remember: 1) At the end of the day your boss' job is to take as much from you as possible and give you as little as possible in return. Same as customers. The difference the company makes there is literally the definition of profit. 2) If you're non-union in the US, you have zero power. Your only real recourse to any grievance or unfair treatment is to quit, forgoing your severance and losing your health insurance. Your only weapon is a freshly updated resume.
- erikb 9y ago
  Agreed. Additionally 3) Even a geniune nice promise from your boss probably won't consider your risks. Human brains only are good to evaluate the risks to themselves, and if you don't get what the boss promised the risk to him may be relatively low.

FireBeyond 9y ago

Very true. My ex- was nervous about accepting a vet tech position for about a year before she started vet school. She was nervous because they "required"/"only wanted" someone who "was going to be there long term". I asked her: "They want you to make commitments to them that you will be there for a long term. Are they willing to make the same commitment to you? Or are you out the door the moment you are unneeded?"