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Christi Diggs
on May 23 2013 - 06:00 AM
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I’m staring down the grim fact that on Thursday, I could be laid off. It’s bad. I am trying to stay positive, but I am a realist. I would say that I have a 30 percent chance of keeping my job.
The biggest concern is that I carry our family’s insurance. Insurance is really the only reason why anyone gets a full-time job. So what do I do now? The only thing I can do - supply a cost-savings analysis of my position, work on my resume and pray.
I will find out on Thursday if my job has been cut, but I won’t be released until April 30. If my position is cut, I hope to find another job within my organization. I have almost 10 years with my current employer – I’m hoping that counts for something.
What does a layoff mean for us?
It means staying in our house for a few more years. We have been prepping our house for sale. My husband and I were scheduled to have our house on the market by the end of the month. Our current house is not quite right for a toddler – too many stairs. If I loose my job, we will just have to make it work.
It also means rethinking our next baby. Originally, our plan was to try for baby #2 next spring. We are split between two different schools of thought here.
1. We wait. We wait until I find a new job and the economy evens out. The problem with that is that I would hate to find a new job only to “get pregnant” on them and be gone for 3 months. I do worry that I would be replaced very easily if that were to happen. I also don’t want to wait too long – I’m running out of time!2. We get pregnant immediately. I increase my hours at my second job (part-time retail) and we have all our kids back to back. The problem with that is my body is old and I was hoping to give it a chance to breathe between kids. I also don’t like the idea of losing my career. I have worked very hard to get to where I am and I fear that if I take a “baby break” that I won’t be able to get back to where I am now.
Tough times call for tough decisions. Is anyone else facing the same fate? Have you been recently laid off with the same concerns? I would love to hear from you if you are in this situation.
I’ll keep you posted on how it shakes out this week. I’m praying for a miracle.
I'm sorry about your job situation. The effect a job loss/change can be huge as is your case. It can mean changes to insurance, child bearing, housing, etc., it's so overwhelming. I just wanted to say good luck and I hope you fall under the 30%! Your son is adorable and I really enjoy reading your blog, keep up the good work!Oh how you sound like me a year and a half ago…. similar situation as my job was transferred out of state at a company I had been with for 10 years. Having baby #2 was my biggest factor as the timing just doesn’t work out when you are looking at a new job and your age isn’t getting any younger. I was also worried that at the level I was at in my career, starting a new job with a 1 year old and possibly a new infant in the near future would be difficult considering the time and effort a new job may require. Did I mention I am a super big planner and this wasn’t in the plans! So what happened? I waived my severance package took another job within the company. It was a position that I had previously done and I wasn’t super excited but it was a job and I spent efforts looking for another position on my terms. I ended finding a great job a few months later, not the same level but yet still challenging, stable and the best part it is manageable work hours with no travel. Oh and baby #2 is coming this summer. I know it is easier looking back but if I hadn’t found the job I did, I almost wish I would have taken severance package and collected unemployment. Thinking back, there are few opportunities where you get a break from work. I think any company right now would not question a year or two “break” with the current economy. I am probably going to be working straight for the next 30 years, maybe I should have enjoyed a few years off for a baby break since the option was forced there. Now if the thought of that just wasn’t so scary! I can say that now but in my opinion, if you can figure out the insurance part of it, use this time to take advantage of whatever situation you feel comfortable with. It will all work out!Well "life" doesn't always go as we plan it, sad to say. That's a fact ... one that is being driven home to lots of us in this day and age. I think anyone who has some sort of job / income coming in should count their lucky starts !!! I lost my job beginning Oct of last year, I too have always carried the insurance for my family. AND with my husband being self employed, I was always the "sure" paycheck coming in. Evaluate your expenditures, I think you might be amazed as the things you can put in the "luxury" column. Like the highest speed internet, movie channels you can do without (use $1 Redbox if you must have a movie for the night), every option on your phone service. Turn the thermostat down a bit, and make sure you turn off lights and anything electric that is not being used. Plan your meals according to what is on sale at the grocery store. Do not buy snacks and pop beverages. Stop eating out. If you drink coffee out, stop that and make it at home in your re-usable coffee container. Plan your trips out and runs errands back to back instead of running in and out all day, saves gas. As far as insurance that is a hard one. If you can afford the Cobra premiums, I think it's best to keep what you have. Many of us cannot and are forced to get the bare bones policies or do without. If husband can get his own insurance through employer, have him do that. Someone posted a link the other day to a resource that might help with insurance for you and one child. Evaluate all your finances. Do you have a new car with a hefty car payment / insurance / property tax? Consider selling it and buying something older and cheaper. Go through clothing and use a consignment shop for those things you no longer need or use. Then use those funds to buy clothes there instead of brand new at the mall. As far as your house, hopefully the mortgage you have now is doable. Stay put !!! and be grateful. See how the market goes in the next year or so. As far as babies, well you know what you can and cannot afford. Be grateful for the one you have and see how things go in a year. Many of us had babies older than we had planned ... life happens. Best of luck ... it's not the end of the world and you are NOT alone ... it's about rethinking priorities and cutting back. It's been sort of blessing in disguise to me ... we wasted so much !!! When I do go back to work, I'm going to have a lot of excess funds to stash away as I'm not falling back into those old routines.So many people are afraid for their jobs just now. Lots of worrying going on. Good luck to you on Thursday. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.I hope all goes well with your job. I know it is scary to be without health insurance, especially with a little one.I will be sending good vibes your way on Thursday! Oh how I know the insurance thing! I carried the insurance for our family for a long time until DH got a job with better benefits!Boy don't I know how you feel worring about a job. My last day is Friday, and I've only been part time the past couple of weeks. I'll send good wishes your way that you make it through Thursday ok. On insurance - you might look into the premiums for indvidual policies through Blue Cross Blue Shield or Assurant. I went through this last summer as well. It was much more affordable to get individual policies for my kiddos than to continue with Cobra. Just an idea in case you can't move the family onto your DH's insurance. You can usually apply online and get a premium quote pretty quick. Good luck to you and your family!I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!! I know exactly the feelings that you're going through..I just went through it and ended up with the short end of the stick....my actual last work date is march 27. I don't have the same stresses as you, but have my own......I NEED to work because my hubby doesn't make enough money for me to stay home and our bills require me to work! I'm stressing because of the job market being thin and stressing in fear of not being able to provide for my family!!!
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