A reader is looking for Gannettoids who were recently laid off or bought out, to help current employees about to lose jobs in the newspaper division layoff now underway. "Any advice at all -- from the spiritual/psychological to the extraordinarily practical and everything in between," the reader said in a comment last night.For example, the reader wants to know how to:
- Behave on the day of layoffs
- Deal with former co-workers
- Get out of bed the next morning and soldier on
- File for unemployment
- Freelance/do whatever they found before landing a new job
Earlier: Laid-off Gannettoids recall getting the bad news
[Photo: photographer unknown. I found it on this site, but it's clearly an older photo -- perhaps from the Dust Bowl. Do you recognize it?]
View it as an opportunity to start over. Be gracious, celebrate, and realize it could be worse. You could have choosen to quit and gotten nothing to show for it.
ReplyDeleteIt was the best thing that EVER happend to me.
Not sure if this will be to long a post or not, but when I found out I was being laid off (through a friend in the know), I set about trying to figure out how to save money. Below are the results.
ReplyDeleteStudent loans were easy, I just contacted them and told them I was unemployed. I filled out a form online and that should hold them for the next 6 months and I can get a 6 month extension after that.
Savings: $240/month
Satellite. I told them to cancel (always tell them to cancel, they'll transfer you to someone who can make deals). I went with just local stations.
Savings: $40/month
Car. I've decided to put the car up for sale. I should be able to get enough to pay off the balance and buy a good used one for cash and maybe have a little left over. In the mean time, I asked my auto finance company for an extension. Hopefully the one month reprieve will be enough.
Savings: $260/month
Auto Insurance: After I sell my current car, the one I want won't be as much to insure
Savings: $20/month
Internet. I called Time-Warner to cancel (again, always say you want to cancel). They gave a me a cut on my current plan. I'll need Internet to look for a new job.
Savings: $15/month
Lunch: I can eat at home now.
Savings: $100/month
Coffee: Turns out I spend A LOT on starbucks doubleshot coffee drinks. Sometimes having 2 a day. I also stopped by McDonalds almost everyday for an iced coffee. Yup, sometimes all in one day. This will be the hardest, but that's a bit much.
Savings: $100/month
House Payment. This one is tricky. They have programs that can lower my monthly bill for a short time, but if I go on one of them they'd suspend my home equity line of credit. For the time being, I think I won't worry about the house payment. That HELOC could be much more useful later.
Savings: $0/month
Savings so far: $766/month these and a few other small ones.
I still need to see about getting the gym membership down. I'm not canceling that, I think it will help me keep my sanity. Cell phone is another place I might be able to save a couple bucks.
Hope this helps. You'd be surprised where you can save money when you need to.
I thought I might be laid off so I had my desk pretty much cleared out already. I basically just tried to take the layoff professionally and left.
ReplyDeleteI contacted other reporters, both people who were still working and others who had been laid off for advice on what to do next. I filed for unemployment, appplied for health insurance and sent out resumes.
I was very fortunate and found another job in about a month with a substantial pay raise over what I was making at Gannett.
I'm still pretty shaken by what happened, but I'm trying to realize that this is happening everywhere and to try to adjust.
10:39, those are awesome suggestions.
ReplyDeleteI mean it. We all do stuff every day that we can cut back on.
I have a left-field suggestion for folks in NJ:
The state just mandated preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds throughout the state, with implementation over the next 5 years. There are not enough preschool teachers or enough space for districts to handle the influx of kids. If you like kids at all, see what you need to do to become a preschool teacher. If my school district is any indication, there will be a lot of teachers needed (the maximum class size under the law mandating this is 15 kids). Better yet, see if you have enough money to open a private preschool. Those will be used in some districts to help meet the demand.
I know it's off the wall, but it's a field where there will be jobs unless somehow the taxpayers convince the state to back off. Not likely though.
Something I've been doing is ebaying. Get rid of JUNK. Great time to learn how to use Ebay and sell all the crap that you haven't used in a year and will never use. Might get some money out of it and pay some bills off.
ReplyDeleteGraphic Designers start looking for some freelance opportunities. Call your local print shops or send a letter telling them you'll do work as they need stuff done. Might be a small amount of money here and there, but if you work towards paying stuff down then each month you'll have less to worry about.
I'm still working and I've been busy since Saturday lining up some freelance work. It's going to be a busy hectic two weeks, but I'm hoping it will make losing the job easier.
ReplyDeleteLook as this as an opportunity. As hackneyed as they may be, old sayings have a basis in fact. My favorite: God writes straight with crooked lines.
ReplyDeleteSit down with a legal pad and make a list of all the things you've always wanted to do but never had the time to do, then prioritize. Do the same thing with what kind of work you're interested in.
Start looking into rollover IRAs, etc. and (I cannot emphasize this enough) GET YOUR MONEY OUT OF THERE ASAP, especially pension. Double and triple check your pension figures and hold on to ALL your paperwork. If you don't have it handy, start digging!
Get a hobby or volunteer gig. It will keep you occupied while searching for work. It also might lead you to a great -- and unthought of -- employment opportunity.
Keep in touch with others from work who were laid off, bought out and even still there.
And (thank you Jim), keep reading Gannett Blog. No matter how long you've worked for your paper, it has been an integral part of your life and I find this to be the best way to keep track of what's going on.
ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE: If you are young or on the younger side, in good health with no family history of any major problems, consider carrying on with NO HEALTH INSURANCE! Remember this: if you or your child needs well-care (inoculations, etc.) or have some other minor illness/injury, there are always clinics. Any injury resulting from a car accident wIll be paid for through your car insurance. If you need an emergency room or hospitalization, there is no hospital in the entire USA that can turn you away! You will be considered a "charity case" and will pay according to what you can afford. THINK LIKE AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT!
ReplyDeleteThose looking for freelance work, call the smaller colleges and universities in your area and ask about writing for the alumni magazine. It usually pays pretty well and is not difficult stuff. Alum profiles can usually be done over the telephone. Just a thought for those looking for additional cash.
ReplyDeleteWow. That is some incredibly bad advice on health insurance, especially for a child.
ReplyDeleteThink like an illegal immigrant? Yeah...in a health crisis, I bet you really want your child to get the level of care illegal immigrants get at the one hospital near you that can't figure out a way around the no-dumping rules to get rid of them.
And, unlike an illegal immigrant who will disappear, you will get another job and someday have money again. Hospitals now hire collection agencies to hound you till your dying day for a nickel.
One medical crisis with no health insurance can ruin the rest of your life physically and financially.
Do you have an emergency cash stash? Then maybe get catastrophic coverage, something with a $10,000 deductible. It's likely to be cheaper than other plans and COBRA.
This is a great thread. Very creative ideas (well, except for the health insurance one - keep at least moderate coverage!), but the rest is great. I hope more of you contribute your insights and experiences, it is hugely helpful and will be a lifeline for anyone who gets the rug pulled out from under them. Thank you again, Jim! I would bump this one up each day with a fresh link.
ReplyDeleteI took a computer applications course at the local community college. An unforeseen, added bonus was the student discount on software -- I got Microsoft Office 07 with Access (a $600 package) for less than $100, which more than made up for the $300 I spent on the course and the books. Plus, I have a basic working knowledge of how to use all the applications.
ReplyDeleteI also invested in the APA stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style and picked up some freelance work editing grants. For seasoned editors with any specialized knowledge at all, I think there are more opportunities in technical writing and editing--and technical fields will generally pay better.
Research what the going rate is before you start looking for that sort of work. I got a full-time writing/editing job four months after I took a buyout, and I promptly got a big raise for my freelance work.
Good luck.
These are great suggestions, but one (@4:20) confused me. Why rush to move your money out of a rollover IRA? If I'm understanding your suggestion correctly, that's bad advice -- investors don't realize any losses until they move their money. Now is a good time to put money into the market. Everything is on clearance. And if you're young or youngish, there's no need to rush for a solution.
ReplyDeleteI've collected the email addresses of my friends at work, and those people I respect. If I'm out, I want to leave on a good, gracious note, and thank them for their time and wish them well.
ReplyDeleteIt does no good to burn bridges, when we may travel in so many of these same circles again.
Should I find a great new position, I want to be able to bring along the people that made my days with the newspaper enjoyable - and in a few months, who knows who else may be looking for a new opportunity?
Also on Health Insurance. If you have any sort of desire to go back to school and are worried about health insurance. Don't be. Most universities require students to have insurance or show proof of insurance. So go back and take some classes and get insurance cheaper than COBRA and possible a whole new career. School insurance (at least at my school) is just a bit more than what I'd be paying for through gannett and it looks like the benefits are even better. So don't be afraid to go back to school.
ReplyDeleteTake out student loans; Bite the bullet and just do it. You'll be glad you did. AND your never too old.
Good to see some helpfull words here instead of bitter arguments.
ReplyDeleteBack up your data you need NOW! Once they show you the way you can't go back and get it. They'll shut off your access immediately.
Purchase a hard drive and backup anything and everything you think you may need.
i started looking for a job while still employed. found one, quit before they had another round of layoffs that would affect me(decided to plan my future instead of having it planned for me), took my pension, paid off all my debt. starting over from scratch in my mid 30s - and it feels great!
ReplyDeleteJust keep in mind that if they are laying you off, there is nothing..NOTHING...you can say or do that will get them to change their mind.
ReplyDeleteI brought a gun to work but decided not to use it.
ReplyDelete11:02... Wow. I hope you are kidding. Even then, that's not something to joke about.
ReplyDeleteEat Ramen noodles till you get a new job.
ReplyDeleteif you get laid off, it is your best and only opportunity to touch the famous "blue ball" in Gannett tower :-O
ReplyDeleteYep, back-up your files NOW!
Yes, burn your bridges. It does no good to retain emails of work buddies because you will feel miserable hearing from them after being frog-marched out of the building. Think of how those still working feel from hearing from the newly unemployed. Forget your GCI days, and break all relations with your drinking buddies and those left behind.
ReplyDeleteMy 2 cents
ReplyDeleteMake a copy of your e-mail adress book so you have all those contacts. MS outlook will let you export all your contact to several formats. Also grab hard copy or pdf versions a few of your favorite clips.
I see an unfortunate band of web-trolls are starting to proliferate in the comment areas here. Oh, well...that always happens. Ignore them.
ReplyDeleteReal advice: This is not the time for revenge. Children on the playground get revenge. You're not a child; you're a professional.
I've laid off staff in the past because of an economic downturn (not for Gannett). I also subsequently helped place several of them in other jobs within weeks/months. Remember that your immediate supervisor probably had no role at all in the layoff, and if you burn your bridge there, you've likely lost your most powerful and important ally in the search for a new job. Not only might your ex-supervisor help you find a position -- prospective new employers love the opportunity to talk to your last boss.
Keep in mind that you have done nothing wrong. In this economic environment, being laid off is almost a badge of honor. You very likely will find that potential future employers are sympathetic to your plight and may give you a 'leg up' in competition (in good economic times, 'layoff' actually can be a red flag).
Handling your layoff properly is one of the most important things you can do if you value yourself as a professional. Want to be mad as hell and throw a fit at work? Want to break things so your former co-workers will talk about you in the decades to come? Want to, say, start a critical blog about your ex-employer while simultaneously receiving payments from that ex-employer? That's your right, but you probably have just ended your career. It's your call; just understand the consequences.
At your layoff meeting, get details and ask lots of questions. If you don't throw a fit at your severance meeting, you'll find that your HR department may be in a position to offer quite a bit of help to you. Make sure you completely understand your 'payout' -- what you're going to get, how long you're going to get it, what kind of assistance might be offered. Take your time.
After you leave, approach your former co-workers cautiously, but don't ignore them forever. Your friends will still be your friends, but understand that a big layoff is also accompanied by a lot of survivor's guilt by those who still have a job -- especially people who have never been through a wrenching layoff cycle before. Your co-workers feel badly for you, too; some of them might even tear up if they see you right away; give them a little time. After a few weeks go by, things get a lot easier on that front.
can someone help me understand how to export old emails and transfer them to a home pc.
ReplyDeleteThough time-consuming, a simple method - and also, as far as I know, undetectable by IT - is to copy and paste them into a master document, and then e-mail the file to yourself.
ReplyDelete1:28 PM
ReplyDeleteYou forgot to mention the part about "Know your rights under the law and make sure your employer gives you all the required documents and notices."
I agree on the health insurance. Way too risky to go without. One catastrophic illness or surgery will wipe you out now and for some time down the road.
ReplyDeleteOn the 401K stuff, I agree that not having any in Gannett stock is the way to go, but to take it out and roll it over now with all the losses is not a good move, unless you have no choice.
You can keep the 401K and still manage it after you have left. And hopefully the market will improve eventually and some if not all of the losses will be made up.
I left Gannett a year ago voluntarily and then got laid off after 10 months at my new job, with no notice, nothing. I did not even know anything was wrong. So I had no opportunity to back up files, save good notes from readers, etc. I had to leave the building immediately and all my computer access was cut off.
Don't let this happen to you. Start copying everything you think you might want and either print it out or email it to yourself.
Drag your emails to a flash drive - as long as you have the same program at home, open right up for you. Don't have to mess around trying to burn cd's every week, just pop it in and copy the new ones in. Keep it in your pocket.
ReplyDeleteActually, if you do get laid off, it will not be as bad as the anticipation. Once it happens, you regroup and figure out what happens in the rest of your life. There will be anger, bitterness, sadness, tears - all this is to be expected. But you have plenty of company. No one will think less of you because you have been laid off.
ReplyDeleteCould Jim maybe start a thread about what questions we should ask during our layoff meetings, a subject that someone alluded to earlier? It might be of help to a lot of people...
ReplyDeletePut your resume on Careerbuilder. Apply for job after job. I did that and had 8 interviews, some are already second interviews. Expect that it is going to take 60 or more days to find another job and there are always temp jobs to do.
ReplyDeleteFor the record: I do not advocate violence of any kind in Gannett workplaces. The layoffs now taking place are tragic, and emotions are understandably running high. But that's not an excuse for even joking about taking extreme steps.
ReplyDelete