So, who got made redundant this week? (Read 49730 times)

erm, sam · January 28, 2009, 10:52:14 pm

Seeing as how it is very much the trend right now, and seeing as I am strictly on trend after my 2pm meeting today, I thought we should have a redundancy thread. This thread is for people who have just been made redundant to discuss settlement packages, numbers of co-workers sythed off, moving house plans and so forth. Woooooooooh.
I think I have a pretty good deal: 4 months notice which will give me exactly 1 year at the company which means I get one entire months salary extra. Not bad and kind of not good either. I have been wondering wether I should try and find another job for about 4 of the last 8 months there, so I guess I am a bit narked they beat me to it. Ah well.
Any tips on how to maximise begging income from the kids welcome. And if anybody needs any sportswear designing: I give you good rate, good rate sah.

robertostallioni · January 28, 2009, 11:02:08 pm

I know I need to be paying mortgage payment protection insurance for 4 months before they'll pay out for redundancy. Which would be the first thing I'd wish I'd done if I got laid off. Even though I refuse to do it now.

tommytwotone · January 28, 2009, 11:06:57 pm

Count me in - nearly...

My work is currently in the throes of the final stages of redundancy proceedings, right now we're in the middle of the (illusion of) consultation period. At least 6 of the team of 18 are getting the chop, and by the end of next week I'll know what side of the line I fall. From the criteria that'll be used to judge the 'pool', it's not looking good - a heavy bias towards knowledge / experience of the firm's systems, and I'm the most junior member of the team by a good 5 years.

My situation is pretty precarious - I've only been at the firm for 3 months, if I get my P45 next week I'll work until end of Feb and the pay packet I get then will be the last one.

I don't have any savings, as I spent them taking 4 months off travelling with ex-Mrs Twotone back when we moved up here in Dec '07, so if I get made redundant, my only option will be to stay up here until mid-March when my flat contract runs out, and then I'll be moving in with my sister until I can sort a job. In East Anglia. At the age of 30.

Back in Dec '07 I had a great, well paid job in London and I sacked it all off for what was meant to be a better life up in Sheffield.

Funny how things turn out eh?

NB: If anyone knows of any Business Analyst jobs going in Sheffield / Manchester / London, holler at me.

Darren S · January 28, 2009, 11:20:54 pm

Quote from: erm, sam on January 28, 2009, 10:52:14 pm

Seeing as how it is very much the trend right now, and seeing as I am strictly on trend after my 2pm meeting today, I thought we should have a redundancy thread. This thread is for people who have just been made redundant to discuss settlement packages, numbers of co-workers sythed off, moving house plans and so forth. Woooooooooh.
I think I have a pretty good deal: 4 months notice which will give me exactly 1 year at the company which means I get one entire months salary extra. Not bad and kind of not good either. I have been wondering wether I should try and find another job for about 4 of the last 8 months there, so I guess I am a bit narked they beat me to it. Ah well.
Any tips on how to maximise begging income from the kids welcome. And if anybody needs any sportswear designing: I give you good rate, good rate sah.

Hey Sam,
Not good news on the redundancy but as you said, you were possibly looking to move on anyway so a fresh challenge awaits you with the cushion of 5 months wages to help you decide where your future lies.

Maybe time to start your own agency?

erm, sam · January 28, 2009, 11:25:12 pm

Shit. Sounds bad TTT. Hopefully they will keep a bit of the fresh blood, though I can't help but notice that I am/was both the newest and most expensive member of my team. The missus and I were discussing how we are pretty much in the best position we could be though. Rented house (rent too much to stay without a decent job though), some savings, skills that can be used globally (eg not coalminers, or willow lathers). Oh, thats it.
A lot of uncertainty ahead, but I still think we did the right thing when we made the change and moved here last July. You just can't say it would have been better to stay with what was . My old work is also in tail spin with peeps getting rid, resigning, new consultants/freelance nobs etc. A big mess. So whilst I might still have had a job if I had stayed, it would have been a right shit one.

Dazza: I do think it will be for the good one way or another, and as nobody wants the headcount but does need the work doing it is a fine time to be a freelancer, but as it is all a bit fresh I also think:

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGHHHHHHH SHIT WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW? FUCK SHIT ARRRRGHT BOLLOCKS SHITE.

philo · January 29, 2009, 12:09:23 am

hmm on a smaller scale, as a part time employee of a company on the edge of administration...
we seen it coming tho, we were taken over by a company who i dont think know 100% what they wanted in the first place, and when stock started to slowly come in with deliveries we knew something was up.
they are talking about the whole (illusion of) consultations with saving bla bla bla
but i think we will be bought back after the administration, new name etc
but with the new name comes lower taxes or what not but also lower wages probably and worse contracts.
for me its part time ill be ok it would just be an inconvenience but to some good friends now its life

Sloper · January 29, 2009, 12:15:02 am

Not redundant but I have lost a £15k pa contract in the last week, so if you need a cvnt on retainer at £250 per day let me know.

Houdini · January 29, 2009, 01:46:50 am

Oh, down to your last 40K P/A, Judge Pickles? Shit, it'll be Le Piat D'Or 'n' roadkill this winter...

slackline · January 29, 2009, 07:54:53 am

Not myself, but a friend emailed yesterday to say he and another 10% of the workforce at his company (based in Hope) had just been made redundant. He's just moved house to Crosspool and he and his wife had a second child about three months ago, not good at all

SA Chris · January 29, 2009, 08:10:21 am

All I can say is I wish you all good luck and pray the oil price doesn't drop any further. Judging by my workload at the moment the Oil sector of the company I work for appears to be doing OK (touch wood), but unfortunately our marine division accounts for well over half our business and the shipbulinding business has fallen painfully on it's arse, which means belt tightening all round.

Bubba · January 29, 2009, 08:27:38 am

15 drivers made redundant at our other depot in South Wales - I guess it could happen at any time to us as well. If it does I'm fucked.

tommytwotone · January 29, 2009, 08:31:53 am

Quote from: erm, sam on January 28, 2009, 11:25:12 pm

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGHHHHHHH SHIT WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW? FUCK SHIT ARRRRGHT BOLLOCKS SHITE.

My thoughts exactly...

Adam Lincoln · January 29, 2009, 09:31:25 am

Quote from: Bubba on January 29, 2009, 08:27:38 am

15 drivers made redundant at our other depot in South Wales - I guess it could happen at any time to us as well. If it does I'm fucked.

Have you still got the option to fall back on your IT?

Bubba · January 29, 2009, 09:36:41 am

I doubt it now - been out of the industry for about 5 years. I think I'd go mental if I had to work in an office again.

tomtom · January 29, 2009, 10:33:27 am

Sorry to hear your news Sam & TTT.. not good...

I was thinking about these sorts of things last night after watching a particularly pessimistic news at 10. Both me and the fairer half work in the public sector - probably where the squeeze will be felt last.. so maybe thats a place to look..

But after seeing the news and hearing how britain may take ages to recover from this recession (depression? wonder when they'll start using that word?) two other options are training and leaving (as in emigration..).

Here prospective student numbers are up 15% and I've been writing considerably more references for students going into teacher training after their degrees - so looks like people are doing that instead of looking for jobs.. certainly if you can get some govt money for training its an option.. I know one or two people who are thinking of becoming teachers, esp in the hard sciences where there are real shortages.

Emigration is somthing I've thought about if the shit hits the fan.. I have friends in Australia, and from what they say things are not half (considerably less) bad than they are here... more locally will france? Germany be the same? was in Italy 10 days ago and no-one there seemed fussed about it when I bought it up in conversation. I'm sure there are people on this board much better informed than me, but thats what I've heard...

Hope that helps a little, I suspect its not much help but best of luck for getting something sorted out..
Tom

slackline · January 29, 2009, 10:48:51 am

Quote from: tomtom on January 29, 2009, 10:33:27 am

Emigration is somthing I've thought about if the shit hits the fan.. I have friends in Australia, and from what they say things are not half (considerably less) bad than they are here...

The thing about Oz is that it can be tricky to get a Visa. I was offered a position and sponsored, and my wife was on my Visa, if I'd wanted to change jobs my Visa wouldn't have been valid. That said they seemed to have a big shortage of hair-dressers (my wifes forte which she teaches & assesses), but you'd still have to re-train as they don't recognise the UK qualifications (my wife never bothered and worked "illegally").

Oh and they don't have enough water yet insist on watering their lawns and roses daily

Anyway a bit

sorry to hear about peoples redundencies. If anyone has statistical training there are a couple of positions where I work (Cancer Registry) due to be advertised.

butters · January 29, 2009, 11:14:12 am

Quote from: tomtom on January 29, 2009, 10:33:27 am

... more locally will france? Germany be the same? was in Italy 10 days ago and no-one there seemed fussed about it when I bought it up in conversation. I'm sure there are people on this board much better informed than me, but thats what I've heard...

France's unemployment rate is somewhere about 10% at the minute and they are all on strike about it today and I have no idea about Germany but I suspect that it is not a pretty picture. With regard to Italy - speaking to a friend a while back who lives there the job situation is a law until itself where a job is still for life a lot of the time regardless of how magnificently incompetent you actually are due to red tape and the like so my guess would be that it's probably no different to normal.

bluebrad

erm, sam · January 29, 2009, 12:25:10 pm

I have allready played the emmigrate card, though I didn't think of it like that when I left. I live in Holland where pretty much the headlines seem to be the same as in the UK. For me at least any company that would need me and be English speaking is a global company, so is affected every bit as much by eg. a UK down turn, as a UK company.
I have had a chat with a solicitor chap who thinks I've got a pretty good deal, and a mate who has got some good leads, so I feel ok at the moment. You know, ok and a bit sick.
Thanks for the support though. I hope the thread isnt too much of a downer for everyone, after all isn't UKB somewhat a refuge from the world outside its hallowed portal?

Iesu · January 29, 2009, 04:41:33 pm

Commiserations and good luck to you all. right i'm off to check my contract.....

stom · January 29, 2009, 05:11:23 pm

Yeah you can count me in on this one! Got put on short term working layoff 2 weeks before Christmas for a minimum period of 13weeks!!! this means currently no redundancy pay but also no guarantee of a return to a job unless things pick up at the company. On the upside however my bouldering's improved by about 2 grades over the last 6weeks!

Quote from: tommytwotone on January 29, 2009, 08:31:53 am

Quote from: erm, sam on January 28, 2009, 11:25:12 pm
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGHHHHHHH SHIT WHAT AM I GOING TO DO NOW? FUCK SHIT ARRRRGHT BOLLOCKS SHITE.

My thoughts exactly...

This was my first reaction as well.... however I'm trying to take this as an opportunity to further my career. I've got a couple of interviews next week and have been working hard at job hunting to secure more. There are plenty of jobs out there for those that want them you just have to search for them! Don't get drawn into the media hype that its all doom and gloom and just try and keep a positive attitude on it all. Oh and in the mean time get out and climb loads.... it does wonders for taking your mind of things!!

erm, sam · January 29, 2009, 09:19:07 pm

I've been talking to peeps still at work and I can honestly say I think I am one of the lucky ones. The place sounds like a fucking mad house. Crazy levels of reorganisation, with almost every single person mightily pissed off at the new (mostly increased and more chaotic) workload.
Thank God.
What ever happens next can't be as bad as spending another 8 months trying to make that work.

tommytwotone · January 29, 2009, 09:28:34 pm

Same here Sam - I wasn't that happy working there anyway so perhaps there's some karmic shit going down that's forced me to look for a new job....and lo and behold, I got a call about one today. Some good news at last

Falling Down · January 29, 2009, 09:35:10 pm

TTT you have mail.

Carnage · January 29, 2009, 09:56:26 pm

Quote from: tomtom on January 29, 2009, 10:33:27 am

Emigration is somthing I've thought about if the shit hits the fan.. I have friends in Australia, and from what they say things are not half (considerably less) bad than they are here...

Depends on where you are. Not all wine and roses really - We seem to teeter on the edge and are heavily reliant on the far east - If they go tits then so do we.

I wouldn't worry about the water issues. Its boom and bust all the time. The desalination plant was an extremely unpopular knee-jerk reaction by the NSW Government. The Dams are at some of the highest levels they have been for the last 4 years.

Iesu · January 30, 2009, 12:45:53 pm

alert

reservoirs may be full now, but in the long term you're buggered if what i have heard about GROUNDwater levels dropping by 10m in some areas is true (too many private residential abstraction wells going in, and going deeper with every new development to tap the dwindling resource).

Friends of mine have just shipped off there for a mid-long term stay, not sure if i would be so keen (no offence, Carn).