News about me

[yardleybates]

So, I was downsized yesterday morning at my corporate gig. Suddenly, no clue it was coming. 2 others in my department of 7 were eliminated.

I do have a decent severance package and my girlfriend the lawyer is looking it over for me to be safe and all.

I am now officially full time with the PartyLite gig, so if you know anyone in the Northern Illinois, Southern Wisconsin area that would groove on some free candles in exchange for gathering some friends, I would really appreciate an introduction.

 

[FatesFan]

That sucks. Best of luck to you!

 

[freakchylde]

*fingers crossed for you dear*

 

[J-Dubya 777]

Crap, that sucks, at least you have a severence package, but still.....Good luck with job hunt!

 

[Dragongrrrl]

Damn that does suck. Glad you've got the candle gig to help out a bit. Hope that picks up even more for you while you're searching.

 

[Pellaz]

Damn that does suck. Glad you've got the candle gig to help out a bit. Hope that picks up even more for you while you're searching.

+ 1

 

[TwstDrSteph]

So, I was downsized yesterday morning at my corporate gig. Suddenly, no clue it was coming. 2 others in my department of 7 were eliminated.

Sorry to hear that. I was downsized last month -- the company cut 5% of its staff and there are rumors that another "downsizing" will occur there next month.

I also had no clue it was coming. After the initial shock, I came to the conclusion that they actually did me a favor. Working there was very stressful.

Here's to new and better employment in 2009!

Steph

 

[nailz]

I just got this in my email tonight:

TEMPE, Ariz. – The options proposed by the state legislature today would cut the university system’s budget by up to $243 million for the remaining few months of fiscal year 2009 and $388 million for fiscal year 2010. This would be the largest higher education budget reduction in the state’s history. Cuts of this magnitude would require Arizona State University to reduce costs by up to $126 million in less than five months and $194 million next fiscal year.

ASU opened its FY09 budget year having already taken more than more than $37 million in state funding cuts in the previous 18 months, resulting in the elimination of 265 jobs. Since that time, it has taken additional actions in preparation for the possibility of further reductions that has led to a cumulative elimination of almost 500 staff positions and over 200 faculty associates, the disestablishment of two schools and a reduction in the number of nursing students.

I work for ASU, and while I feel I would be safe from virtually any layoffs given my position (it's good to be supporting and liked by the 2nd most powerful person who runs the university and his assistant.), I have already made up my mind that if I get laid off, I am going to persue Photography and my own Business.

 

[BABS]

So sorry to hear about the layoffs that hit you guys.

Makes me be somewhat thankful for where I'm at in the state university system. Pay is horrible and they love making me go above and beyond what's in my title, but basically I'm here until I kick over in the office chair.

What they are proposing on our end is pilfering a day of pay over the scale of so many pay periods and supposedly we would all get that amount of money back when we either a) leave state service or b) croak (lol).

 

[MetalRose]

That truly sucks! I'll keep you in my thoughts!

-MetalRose

 

[Jax]

Aww man, that sucks hon..be glad for the severance tho, I have a few friends who didn't even get that much. Here's to hoping you'll find something fantastic soon!

 

[Pellaz]

Aww man, that sucks hon..be glad for the severance tho, I have a few friends who didn't even get that much.

+1

When I was laid off from my first 'real' job as a programmer, I was one of the first ones cut because I was making a bit more than most of the others...and I got full severance. The company went belly-up about a month later and those poor people got nada.

I was furious when I got laid off, but later I was told they were quietly doing me a favor...and in a sense, they were right.

 

[The Invisible Guest]

Best wishes for you Yardley, and Twisted Dr. Steph .. times are tough.

I work for a company in the home building business .... needless to say things are more precarious right now than they have been in a long time. So far I've managed to avoid a layoff, but if people don't start gaining enough confidence to start building new houses again it could get very tough for the company I stay for to keep me employed .. let alone stay in business.

I've got faith things will improve in the not too distant future. Banks are starting to drop their mortgage rates to very low numbers .... just refinanced from 5.75 to 4.5 percent. I was able to go from a 30 to a 15 yr. mortgage, and my payments are roughly the same. The stock market is a bit shaky, but it seems to be holding a bit more steady of late. Some of these positives might help improve that consumer confidence that was shaken badly.

Lets hope for the best.

Britt

 

[yardleybates]

Thanks so much guys - I'm excited about the changes honestly, and scared some moments too.

I know when this SAME company laid off Yippee 3 1/2 years ago it was a HUGE blessing for us, it was the best career change that ever happened to both of us. And I know that this is going to be the same blessing.

I look forward to a year of financial BOON exploding my awesome and really fun business.

 

[J-Man]

Sorry to hear about the layoff Shannon, but thank god you have the right attitude, that is 90% of the battle. As I am now retired and have had my income slasked by about 60% per month, it to is is a blessing, I love what I am doing now, working for Lance, it gets me busy. Plus my better-half is making at least/if not more than what I was and my two retirement checks, so things are okay.

Again you will be in my thoughts, and keep the positive attitude. Miss you guys, see you in sept, and this time before Saturday night okay?

 

[edgeofthorns]

Yardley, best of luck to you in your job hunt. I'm a branch manager at a staffing company and it's tough right now, no doubt about it. Hopefully, we'll all come out of this sooner than some people are expecting. Tip #1, don't listen to the media, they're jackasses!

~Brian~

 

[sh0kr0k]

Tough break, Shannon! That's really bad news! On the up-side you get to work independantly with great products. So maybe it will turn out to be on e of those "blessings in disguise" things. Whatever happens, I hope you and Mike will be happier and wealthier in the end! *huge hugs*

 

[nailz]

Economy, Budget Cuts finally hit ASU yesterday. State Republicans (I'm not saying this to be a douche, for once, we are a totally Republican Controlled State. THANK YOU, OBAMA FOR STEALING AWAY OUR HOME TOWN LESBIAN!) think it's a better idea to cut Educational Funding over say, the prison system, because it's easy for a University to raise tuition (to more than it's already choke-riffic rates). Due to a massive $60 Million budget cut for the rest of the fiscal '09 year (read: now til June), every employee of ASU is being forced into a 10-15 day furlough, which means approximately a 10% pay cut.

They're also talking about getting rid of our desk phones (at $40 per month).

This is extremely LOL since there is a proposed $130 million dollar cut for the Fiscal '10 year. As per Michael Crow's announcement, the President of the College says...

It is important to remember that we are dealing with at least a two-year state budget problem, and to put the cuts proposed by the legislature into perspective, the two-year maximum proposed cut would reduce ASU’s per-student funding level in FY10 to the FY89 level in absolute dollar amount. When adjusted for inflation, we would be operating an instructional budget in FY10 with about 50 percent of the per-student state investment we had in FY89.

 

[LunaTEKKE]

Best wishes to those who have been laid off and those who are facing furloughs and pay cuts.

I survived a huge round of layoffs this month, but we have been told there will be some further "staffing tweaks" during the first quarter. They let a lot of really good people go...some of whom I'd worked with for almost 9 years.

I'm on a project right now that should take me through the end of this month, but after that, I figure all bets are off.

The stress was really getting to me at one point, which was affecting my health. Now I'm trying to change my perspective and look at myself as an independent contractor. If I can get on another project after this one ends, great...if not, it will be time to move on...

 

[kittybeast]

Shannon, so sorry to hear about your lay off. Be thankful for the severance pak, not to many folks getting that these days. I wish you and Yips the best.

Hoping here in CA things will get better, like being able to get my (possible) CA tax refund and not an I.O.U.