My Redundancy Diary

No_more_usernames

SlopingBird thanks for the post -it's always useful to hear from others who have weathered the storm ahead of you- glad that things are working out for you. I definitely won't be on a spree with my money either! I am curious as to what an "enhanced" payment they say they will make would actually comprise because the rumours are that they simply remove the £400 per week and 20 weeks cap - which would not give me any more than the statutory payment and would in effect constitute discrimation against lower paid workers. Were they to offer a multiple instead - even just 2 x instead of 1.5 x weekly pay then I could probably keep going six months before I absolutely needed to find work. Not that I would wait that long to look but it would provide a cushion. OH and as to workling right until the end and past it I really hope I don't end up doing that but it is in my nature too.... and the ludicrous thing is that I know they will hav eto get temp staff in as our team will not function after this latest round of cuts without extra help. It's really quite immoral.

daisyf_2

Sloping bird is right - I work for a local council until june and when I came out of there i realised I was a totally mug too!!! Try and find out what you can get and do as much research. Keep asking questions as they really cannot do any thing about it - can they. Always be positive - in the last session I completely detached myself from the job - month by month. It helped that I had been seriously ill in January and it made me realise that work is there for for money simple as that. I emotionally detached myself from the job - it was like retraining your brain in the nicest sense.

My manager kept asking why i was going on courses - which I was legally okay to do as i was working my notice - I did point out to him once that I wasn't going to be here in 4 weeks and that he would have to get use to it lol

Start your planning and write everything down and hold your head up here. I've decided that all the good people get made redundant and the others stay behind

Life is very rosy xx

No_more_usernames

I've decided that all the good people get made redundant and the others stay behind

I think you may be onto somethng there Daisyf lol!
I am already feeling much better than I was and once the uncertainty is out of the way I am sure there will be ups and downs but at least I can start to plan. Hmm detaching myself - not easy for me. I too have been redundant twice before - once voluntary and I was very glad to be going but the second time was when a firm I worked for did not get awarded a renewal of contract and that was a terrible time because we all faced losing our jobs at once - can't begin to describe how low morale was - I made everyone smiles on a stick to wear!

Andyboy

slopingbird and daisy...thanks for your comments. Food for thought for anyone reading this. There's enough negativity in the world and that is why we look for all the positives the big R can give.

No_more_usernames wrote: »

I think you may be onto somethng there Daisyf lol!
I am already feeling much better than I was and once the uncertainty is out of the way I am sure there will be ups and downs but at least I can start to plan. Hmm detaching myself - not easy for me. I too have been redundant twice before - once voluntary and I was very glad to be going but the second time was when a firm I worked for did not get awarded a renewal of contract and that was a terrible time because we all faced losing our jobs at once - can't begin to describe how low morale was - I made everyone smiles on a stick to wear!

what strikes me is that we all appear to have worked our socks off for the companies that let us go! it must be our reward to be set free :rotfl:

You (no more...names) Sound like you have stories to share from your past experiences. i have been told that every time you are made redundant is different.....i might have to re-read my own words in years to come if/when it happens to me again .

With over 20,000 views on this thread I am sure there are others in the same position who have just not started to post yet.

Come and share your stories, ask some questions or tell us something you have found useful to help through this process and your journey back to work.

No_more_usernames

what strikes me is that we all appear to have worked our socks off for the companies that let us go! it must be our reward to be set free

Just lately it has occurred to me that whilst I am hunting around for best value items to buy (I do the ordering for the building) and taking every precaution not to pay invoices twice that budget holders regularly sign off twice (because they haven't a clue and know I will pick it up) it matters not a jot that I am so scrupulous! I see vast amounts of money wasted elsewhere and yet it seems that my measly salary may well be cashed in to meet a job cuts target. So I am now trying to retrain myself to think just do your job becaue if they run out of money they will just cut another post...and don't even get me started on the scandal of consultancy fees - I could write a book. There that's my new job lined up "confessions of a local government officer"


:rotfl:

daisyf_2

You are dead right Andy - absolutely worked my soxes off for all companies and the lazy ones are always rewarded Shall we write one together no more user names as i am an ex government officer too lol

Andyboy

The tales we could tell!!

it is good to look at the lighter side of life sometimes and have some goals at the same time. If you want time off look at how you can finance it. If you are desperate to or just want to work ask "What could i possibly do quickly in this time of few opportunities"

The thing that has struck me is how low the wages are for the available jobs....there could be a link??

i have a meeting this morning to discuss an opening in a local company that may be just what I want. Whether this comes to anything or not it is definitely who you know! the what you know comes when they have opened the door for you.


Good luck to all reading this. Keep positive and try and gain something from every event (good and bad) as this will all be there to help when the time is right.

daisyf_2

How did the meeting go Andy? I was reading in the paper this weekend about the higher number of people applying for the temporary post as postman with royal mail over christmas. But surely its not rocket science that there are high numbers of people being made redundant!!!

Got some more contract work in so keep plodding along

xx

Little_Muvva

I've been reading this thread for about a month and am finally joining in! Today I've volunteered for redundancy and have used this thread both for info and inspiration.

Although I'm lucky enough to get the equivalent of a years pay, it's still not been an easy decision. I am very likely to have been able to stay on in a lower paid job with salary protection for two years. However, I've not been happy in my job for a while now and felt that with all the coming reductions in staff things could only get worse.

Obviously, I'll be applying for jobs (I'll leave early Feb) but I'm considering other options and won't necessarily apply for jobs in the same field.

I'm also considering taking a course in freelance journalism as writing is one of my passions. If nothing else, it may subsidise a lower salary.

I recently read a quote 'Jump and a net will appear'. Hope so!

daisyf_2

Glad you are finding this inspiring - Little Muvva - you have plenty of time to plan and I think that is required and a good attitude helps xxx Confidence and self belief is the way in self employment I have decided and at the moment - it is working very well xx