Laid off--Support thread

[thelionqueen]

I have been unemployed since June of this year. I have been sending out resumes non stop but have only received 3 interviews. I have been hearing stories about phantom jobs where companies are posting jobs so they attract investors. Jobs=good prospects for the company. I was a operation manager for a company making candles and we all thought we were safe and financially solid but boom there goes all of our jobs, 88 of us without jobs. Thank you Bank of America they where the ones who held our Line of Credit and canceled it on our investors so they had to shut down.

Good thing Bank of America got billions of dollars in bailout money so something like this doesn't happen..that infuriates me! I'm so sorry to hear that!

 

[DisneyBrat]

My husband lost his job yesterday too so sadly we are in the laid off club now. Thankfully he is retired Navy so we have health insurance and some monthly income. We are going to hopefully hear about his unemployment by next week. He was fired because one of his employees said they had tested a machine and he reported to his boss that it was tested. In fact it wasn't and broke down after start up. His boss accused my husband of lying and fired him upon saying it wasn't up for discussion. His termination letter states the same thing. There is more to the firing because you don't fire your maintenance manager over something like this. I personally think they are eliminating the position and didn't want to give a severance package so they came up with a lame excuse. Time will tell... We should be ok for atleast 8 months..

Any links to frugal meal ideas?

Lew

 

[NHWX]

Any links to frugal meal ideas?

menus4moms.com has some.

NHWX

 

[blondietink]

He was fired because one of his employees said they had tested a machine and he reported to his boss that it was tested. In fact it wasn't and broke down after start up. His boss accused my husband of lying and fired him upon saying it wasn't up for discussion. His termination letter states the same thing. There is more to the firing because you don't fire your maintenance manager over something like this.

I hope I'm not the bearer of bad news, but in this state if you are fired you are ineligible for unemployment for many, many weeks. Hopefully your DH saved all of his documentation and the labor department will believe him. but, you might be in for an appeal which can take a long time. I hope you are lucky and your application for unemployment will sail right through! Good luck.

 

[briarrose]

Tigger, if you were laid off, you are guaranteed COBRA benefits, so your coverage did not end by any stretch of the imagination. You should be getting a package of enrollment information from your employer (should already have it by now). You will then have 60 days to elect coverage if you choose. Depending on the situation and timing, you may also be eligible for a 65% government subsidy of your COBRA premium, meaning you would only have to pay 35% of the premium (HUGE help). Also there is credible talk of the subsidy to be extended come 12/29. Nothing definite, but those "in the know" feel confident it is coming. Keep your head up, at least you will have COBRA subsidized insurance.

Also, keep in mind that you have the option of choosing a lower cost plan on your COBRA coverage if you want. You cannot choose a more expensive plan but you can switch to a less expensive one.

Best of luck all!

The company my husband got laid off from only has the cobra coverage if you or your family don't have insurance from another company. I was working at a company making less than $100/month when my husband was laid off but they offered health insurance so we have been denied his cobra coverage.
So now we are looking for health insurance on our own.

 

[DebMcDonald]

I'm so happy to be able to report that after 8 long months of unemployment my husband finally accepted a job! The salary was above our bottom line, so it made accepting it a little easier, unfortunately he'll do some nights and weekends, but with a little give and take we can make this work.

 

[disney1990]

The company my husband got laid off from only has the cobra coverage if you or your family don't have insurance from another company. I was working at a company making less than $100/month when my husband was laid off but they offered health insurance so we have been denied his cobra coverage.
So now we are looking for health insurance on our own.

I'm not 100% sure this is legal!

 

[wdwfan16]

I'm not 100% sure this is legal!

I believe BR is correct.


Deb - Great news.

 

[pixie921]

I'm so happy to be able to report that after 8 long months of unemployment my husband finally accepted a job! The salary was above our bottom line, so it made accepting it a little easier, unfortunately he'll do some nights and weekends, but with a little give and take we can make this work.

Congratulations!!

My dh also found a new job yesterday! It happened very quickly, within a week of his submitting his resume. He starts on Monday, and we are SO relieved. The best part is that for the first time in almost 5 years (the time of his last layoff, which lasted almost a year), he'll have real benefits like company-sponsored health insurance and paid vacation! Plus it's only 6 miles from our house, so it'll save on gas, too.

I hope our good news is a sign that things are starting to look up, economy-wise for everyone who's been laid off!

 

[MRDUCKIE07]

Congrats to those who found jobs. Unemployed myself for a year now and still looking, things will eventually turn around tho I'm sure. I hope so anyway.

 

[Mermaid02]

I am having surgery and losing my job- I have decided to take in an infant after I am recuperated. I am only replacing a part time income so it's not that we are without insurance or anything - we are very fortunate.

The recession sure isn't over up here in the NorthEast!

 

[disney1990]

I believe BR is correct.


Deb - Great news.

We were required to offer Cobra to every person that left our company whether they quit, resigned, or were laid off. It didn't matter whether or not their spouse worked and had access to health insurance. I would definitely check into this further.

 

[wdwfan16]

We were required to offer Cobra to every person that left our company whether they quit, resigned, or were laid off. It didn't matter whether or not their spouse worked and had access to health insurance. I would definitely check into this further.

You offer COBRA but the subsidy was what we are talking about. I remember when they were doing the 65% they said it was only for those who could not get insurance via the others employer.

 

[mum4jenn]

My Dh has just accepted a job!!! He will begin on November 11th and benefite will kick in 60 days later but we can get COBRA for a great price until then.

Not exactly what he was looking for but it pays better than what he has been making as a substitute bus driver for the school system.

I am very proud of my husband.

 

[pixie921]

My Dh has just accepted a job!!! He will begin on November 11th and benefite will kick in 60 days later but we can get COBRA for a great price until then.

Not exactly what he was looking for but it pays better than what he has been making as a substitute bus driver for the school system.

I am very proud of my husband.

Congratulations!!

 

[sl_underwood]

My husband also found a job a little over 2 weeks ago. It is half the pay but has decent insurance, which we desperately need. It certainly wasnt what he was looking for but it will put food on the table. We have a hearing to attend for the unemployment as his boss lied about his termination, telling him he was laid off but telling unemployment that he was fired for various reasons- we have received 3 copies of 3 different letters explaining why he was terminated or backing up their allegations. We were told by another employee that he was told to sign a paper without reading it or he would be terminated. This was one of the papers they are using as evidence. Unfortunately this employee is unwilling to testify on our behalf for fear he will no longer be able to support his family if he does. Does anyone know what to expect at one of these hearings? We really have no evidence that my husband was a valued employee and they are fabricating theirs. The only thing we have done so far is ask his current employer to write a letter stating that when she called his former employer he had nothing but praise and positive things to say about my husband. Any other suggestions?

 

[mum4jenn]

If he is turned down the first time tell him to appeal and also try to get some written statements telling the true situation. Most of the time the employee wins the appeal.

 

[sl_underwood]

he was not turned down. The employer filed the appeal but we were told if he wins, we will have to pay the unemployment back and in no way can we afford to do this, especially as he is making half his salary now. We have little debt so that is good, just a mortgage. We can make it on the income we have, just have no extra coming in. As for proof he was a valued employee, there is none except his word. It is a small company and only 3 employees total are not members of the owners immediate family. All three have told my husband that they were told if they testified for him or aided him in any way they would no longer have a job. Each of these men have been written up for various things in the last month or so just so the employer would have proof that they were fired for misconduct if they helped us. I just am not sure what to expect during this hearing, nor do I know how we can win without proof when 7 of the 10 employees have signed statements that he was doing various things, badmouthing the company, complaining about pay, and cheating the company. All we have is our word. I am just afraid that the truth wont be enough without evidence to back it up.

 

[wdwfan16]

I am glad to see that many are getting jobs. That seems to jive with the official end of the recession. Unemployment lags the end of the recession.

 

[golfgirl3613]

After 13 loooong months of searching I finally found a job making almost what I made before. Unfortunately it is too late to save my credit score, but I did it! I start in January, no I need a business wardrobe and have no $$ to get one, but I can deal with that frustration since there is finally light at the end of the tunnel.

Good luck and best wishes to all who are still searching!