How has the economic crisis affected your workplace?

[many a good man]

Massive belt-tightening where I work in an attempt to prevent job cuts.

* Announced NO raises or bonuses next year AND the year after.
* FREEZE on head count - no new hires, no replacement of retirees or terminations.
* Have to find $1 million to cut from currently approved projects.
* Need to find ways to trim $100 million over the next two years.

The head honchos obviously are expecting two years of dire misery.

What is happening at your place of work?

[Earth_First]

1. Two words: Landscape Contractor.

Do the math.

[sellitman]

2. Lost my job 4 weeks ago.

Today was my last severence check.

Next friday is going to suck.

Cobra payments = $1200 / month.

[glowing]

3. Total fear.

[TomInTib]

4. Hunkered down, over here, boss.

But, at least, we can morph.

[Pale Blue Dot]

5. Budget cuts have already been announced,

and are expected to be worse by the fall.

[NMDemDist2]

6. I have a fairly safe Government job now

and I know how lucky I am.

[no_hypocrisy]

7. I'm being laid off next Friday.

It hasn't hit me yet, but it will the first Friday w/o a paycheck.

[many a good man]

9. Nothing sucks worse than unemployment

I've been on death's doorstep in the ICU and still think unemployment was worse. It's been 13 years since I've been unemployed and I never want to be there again. Are you going to be able to cope? Do you have any savings? Any support network?

[no_hypocrisy]

11. Thanks. The only saving grace is at least I'm not being "fired".

You're just as poor, but you have your dignity AND unemployment.

Yeah, I put something aside, and I'm torn between filing for unemployment, returning to substitute teaching, and starting a business venture.

I'm not angry, just resigned to this. I've been fired four times and laid off three times and I'm kinda getting used to the cycle, y'know? I figure it's getting back in the game as soon as possible. I hate doing nothing.

:hi:

[Taverner]

8. Everyone is scared shitless

Including yours truly

Survived one round of layoffs

[YvonneCa]

10. I don't know. I'm no longer...

...there.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

12. A new building is on hold, but we continue to hire

Until fairly recently I was ready to quit because I am spending far too much time abroad, i'm really glad my family talked some sense into me. I wouldn't want to be looking for a job now.

[Trajan]

16. I had been a disappointed worker until the market tanked ....

Now I am a VERY happy worker, working my tail off for the man ...

[WeDidIt]

13. I survived the first RIF

I don't think I'll survive a second.

[hughee99]

14. The usual stuff...

A few layoffs, mostly inventory reduction, no new hires and no replacements. As far as no replacements goes, though, no one wants to go anywhere right now. Better to be in your current job at times like this than to be the "new guy" at another job when they start their layoffs.

I should be okay, I have a "golden handcuffs" job, but a few of my old friends have been laid off.

[Trajan]

15. Yes ....

1) Layoff of 10% of the workforce

2) No raises for all but workers in operations (Only because other divisions have already given raises to same job classifications) - My boss and the direct management team are NOT getting raises.

3) Terminate contractors

4) Freeze on hiring

5) Spending restrictions on capital projects

I am pretty sure I would make the first cut ... and the second cut, should one come .... after that all bets are off ....

[Imalittleteapot]

17. Small advertising company.

Really small, just 3 of us. We have the work but the problem is that some clients are paying in 90 - 120 (and more) days. The biggest offenders are big corporations. They set the terms and have revised them recently to their liking. We have 2 big slow pay corporate accounts and we are over performing for them because if they go we die. Our smaller accounts are pretty good about paying in 30 to 60 days. There will be no raises or Christmas bonuses. It's hard to make payroll on time and to pay taxes. And so, we're dealing with penalties and interest. I'm frightened.

[FarLeftRage]

18. 13 people were terminated 1 month ago...

I was one of them... I don't expect to be going back to work for them any time soon...

[lib2DaBone]

19. My Workplace has become more trivial and child-like......

.. everyone is tattle-tailing on everyone else... thinking that they can gain favor with the Boss and save THEIR job.

It has become like a prison camp. One minute over on bathroom break.. and the snitches are everywhere.

It's almost comical to see adults acting like 3rd graders... all spurred on by REPUBLICAN family values.

As long as you can stab your neighbor in he back before he stabs you... you will survive. Less work is being completed (less productivity) .. but that is a small consideration as long a "Christian Values" dominate.

[many a good man]

25. People are walking on egg shells all over

Docility is in maximum mode - no one wants to give anyone an excuse to terminate for cause - no matter how far-fetched.

Life sucks during hard economic times.

[kcass1954]

41. Same here. We've been "assured" that there are no more layoffs planned,

but we're still very nervous. We've had 2 layoffs - the first was 3 weeks ago, the second was 2 weeks ago. We've lost 45-50 of a total of 300 or so. It's an automotive-related business.

[IDemo]

20. Many of us are laid off for all but two weeks through the beginning of the year

after having given back vacation days and medical benefits next year. It doesn't look to get any better next year.

[crispini]

21. What workplace?

:hi: I'd sure like one.

[Doremus]

22. Self-employed. I've been up nights.

Already poor sales have ground to a halt. I don't think we'll be able to last much past the first couple of months of the new year.

Don't ask me what we're going to do cause the options are pretty dismal.

Ohio sucks. Winter in Ohio in the middle of a depression really sucks.

[prolesunited]

23. I no longer have a workplace

:-(

[SpookyCat]

24. I work IT for a Utility.

So the business itself is safe-ish...we had our bankruptcy a few years ago...but we're always being reminded that we can be outsourced at any time. Rule by Fear is the general motto.

[walldude]

28. I worked at a place like that, even the high level techs(I was one) always

had to watch their backs. Look into freelance, lots of companies need non-permanent IT people and will pay through the nose for it. I went freelance a few years ago and am now making triple what I was and I have more work than I can handle.

[Sheltiemama]

26. We had about 50 layoffs two weeks ago.

Including 13 in the newsroom. I've been there 18 years, and I've never seen anything like it. The rest of us are still shell-shocked.

[MazeRat7]

27. I work for a high-tech startup. Funding runs out in June 09.

Most likely we wont get any more unless we sell product. And our product is a high-end device for sharing PCI devices between server blades. Something that is not likely to "fly" out of mfg.

Oh well.. guess I'll be looking for something starting Jan/Feb just in case.

MZr7

[leftofthedial]

29. laid off in 2005

no "real" job since

[sknabt]

30. I'm lucky but know some who aren't

My job is secure for the foreseeable future. However, my boss announced we likely won't get a merit pay increase next summer and our cost of living increase is in doubt.

A hiring freeze where I work started about a month ago.

Of course, my retirement investments are a total mess.

My next door neighbor was a construction foreman. He got hit early losing his job and lost his house about a year ago. Last I heard from him he was working any part-time, minimum wage job he could find. His wife is disabled and unable to work. I don't know what he's going to do without health insurance. That's why he lost the house. The medical bills bankrupted him.

I have one close friend who got hit early by the recession and lost his job. Maybe he was lucky because folks were still hiring at the time so he picked up a 2-year contracting gig. I hope it outlasts the recession for his sake.

Another close friend survived 1 round of deep cuts and just found out she's survived the second round coming early in 2009.

I'm lucky I live in a state with a relatively low unemployment rate. Was it Michigan I heard is well over 9%?

[AngryAmish]

38. Question about the cost of living adjustment

If one gets a cost of living adjustment when prices go up, does one get a pay cut when prices go down? 'cause that is a real (and real scary) possibility.

[Blue_In_AK]

31. I'm self-employed,

and have voluntarily cut back since I'll be receiving social security starting next week, so it's not affecting me much, thankfully, at least not at the present. I never get too comfortable, though. I've been broke too many times in my life to take anything for granted.

[gizmo1979]

32. losing jobs by

the day.Those that still have a job are on reduced work schedule.Not much call for plumbing products these days.

[erinlough]

33. I'm in Michigan........nuff said....

Husband laid off at 58, DIL's business just shut their doors, Me? I am a teacher and trying to negotiate a contract which is going like shit. Our contract expired in June of 2008, no progress in negotiations and only cuts and roll backs on the table. I fear that I won't be able to save the jobs we have and we will lose our great insurance for an HSA, which would be a huge cut to us. OTOH, I am glad at least my son and I are still employed and that my son and his wife have no children.

[Ex Lurker]

34. nothing yet

my job isn't the greatest, but it's basically secure unless the company goes under. That could happen, but I think the possibility is fairly remote. I don't expect to get a raise anytime soon, though. I feel for all those getting hammered.

[Franzia]

35. Freeze on hiring, new projects put off until at least 4Q 2010.

No layoffs yet, but I work in R&D, so I expect them to begin sometime next year.

[AngryAmish]

36. I suppose I should feel bad, but this is going to be my best year ever

I'm self employed but I have already made more money than I ever had and if things work out right then I should double that before the year's end. I am just hoping to get it in 08 because while I support uncapping the SS taxes, it would screw me.

[Franzia]

37. That's great! It's nice to hear encouraging stories amidst all the bad news.

:)

[sniffa]

39. Well....

As a surveying company we felt the crisis in the fall of 2007. By the end of the year it was a massacre. Well over half of my Boston office was laid off on December 1, and a couple more in the coming months. We're still struggling but we have a little bit of work to keep the 7 of us (+ the owner's son on loan from our Lakeville branch which is barely hanging on) employed. This winter is going to be tough but we're in good shape as most of our competitors have closed their doors. We're going to last as we have state and municipality contracts that consistently keeps us busy.

My boss told me recently (a couple months ago) that we're always the first industry to get sacked because of the economy. However, we're always the first ones out (compared to the rest of the economy). Made sense as I haven't been sleeping over employment for a lot longer than others it seems.

This recession is somewhat comparable to the early 90's one for us - companies started failing and laying off workers before others even knew it was going to hit. Many of those out of work Surveyors started their own companies then and did fairly well in the rest of the decade and beyond. Those are the companies that no longer exist. I'm guessing the credit crisis will starve them more than longer established and larger companies.

[davidthegnome]

40. Unemployed

For almost five years now. I'm lucky I've got good parents who are doing reasonably well. My mother is a nurse, my Father is a PR Director for the hospital she works at... I'm the guy that takes care of the pets, the house, the laundry and such. No jobs up here in my neck of the woods, though I've never given up searching.

[rainbow4321]

42. None at my clinic...

Luckily not much in my area is covered by the hospital's general budget...we are covered by Ryan White funding so as long that funding is safe, so are we and, more importantly, are the patients at our clinic.
We got an across the board merit raise a few weeks ago..mine came to 3% raise (when I figured it out on an annual salary level).



I don't know how else they could do cutbacks at our place even if they tried to..we are all crammed into tiny spaces, people have offices that were once storing closets (literally)...our nursing station is just a tad bigger than a storage closet, our patients wait HOURS for an empty room so they can see the doctor, and our building is infested with rats and cockroaches. Someone tried to drown one of the rats after it was caught but it was given a death penalty pardon by a more compassionate person in the room.
It still died later from other problems, I was told.

And we try not to think about what is in the air vents, newbies (including me back when I first started) first are told about our place being labeled a "sick building" after you hire in. We all start out on a few rounds of antibiotics when we first start there (respiratory illnesses, etc..) Scary part is, this clinic/building is home to the HIV/AIDS clinic..so you can imagine what those patients are exposed to whever they come to see us.

It was built in the 1950's and has an original bomb shelter beneath us.


The GOOD news is...they are building a NEW hospital..but it won't be ready for another 5 or 6 years. So til then, we will keep trudging along with what we have, and what we don't have.