Just had the formal company announcement that I am now at official risk of redundancy. (Previously, I was just at risk of the risk, if that makes sense).
Had seen this coming a mile off, but it feels odd that it’s now actually happened.
There now follows a month’s individual consultation, commencing next week, so still won’t be going before 25th July, at the earliest. There’s still a vanishingly small chance of a last minute reprieve, but not very likely at all.
My two former colleagues I mentioned yesterday are also on their way to the door. A whole team of three, scrapped in one afternoon. We probably have over 60 years’ experience between us - more than 20 years each. Gone!
I don’t know if I would have wanted to stay; I’ve really been growing to hate it recently, and the future for those staying doesn’t look great. But now’s a terrible time to be both ill and unemployed.
Don’t have a mortgage, so that’s alright. Won’t be homeless at least. But will have to make do on a lot less.
Sorry to hear this Tina, Make sure you get good advice on what you may be entitled to. I don’t know what else to say, must be terrible for you. Hope it all works out for you one way or the other. Ppx
Frankly, you could have knocked me down with a feather if the news had been anything else, but I suppose I still entertained a small crumb of hope - or was it doubt? You’re never quite sure until you hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, are you?
I lost whatever pride or faith I still had in the company ages ago, which is not a good place to be in. But neither is being without income.
I still don’t know if this is Fate’s way of telling me I needed to quit anyway.
I’m so sorry to hear of your bad news Tina. As things are still a bit up in the air, you had best just resign yourself to it and try to relax. It would be even worse if this job loss affected your health as well.
Hi Tina You can still qualify for ESA irrespective of working or not. It is judged on ou “ability” to complete daily tasks. If you where on ESA and had DLA it would attract premiums, I know the situation I was made redundant twice in t he past 16 years, and when you put your heart and sold into a Job it is unfair. If you want any signpost to benefits pm me Mike x
Hi Tina, I’m sorry to hear this, however it is what you expected and at least you now know where you stand. I have to say that, over the last few months, I have, on occasion, been unsure if you actually wanted to stay or go, perhaps you were also unsure! Cheryl:-)
[quote=“Upytupy”] Hi Tina, I’m sorry to hear this, however it is what you expected and at least you now know where you stand. I have to say that, over the last few months, I have, on occasion, been unsure if you actually wanted to stay or go, perhaps you were also unsure! Cheryl:-) [/quote] Hi Cheryl, to be frank, I absolutely hated the job, and have been very depressed with it. Perhaps I already sensed there was no future. However, I needed the money, and don’t realistically think I will ever work again. I stuck with it because I could do it from home, and it wasn’t bad money or benefits for what it was. Ideal for someone ill, in other words. Assuming I was even lucky enough to get another job, the thought of struggling out in all weathers, and being stuck waiting for buses and trains all winter makes me think that isn’t going to be a realistic option. I used to struggle with it over ten years ago, when I still did a conventional daily trip to a conventional office. Of course, at that time, I didn’t know I was already ill. I thought I was just getting stressed or something. I can’t think things will be any easier now. I suspect I’m not even going to look for another job, because there’s no point if I wouldn’t be able to stick at it if I got it. T. x
Sorry Tina. I know you were expecting it but only natural to hope it might not happen.
Another friend got her ‘at risk’ letter this week… she’s in the nhs with many years of experience working with people with dementia. It’s a terrible waste of people with such valuable skills… but something fantastic might turn up and as you say, so lucky not to have a mortgage.
Sorry to hear your news although having read your previous threads you were expecting it. When/if you do leave take some time for yourself. I was made redundant 2 years ago from a job that I was increasingly beginning to detest so in a way I was quite relieved. Not long afer another job turned up which I love-less hours,no travelling yes less money but no stress. Try and keep positive something might come up,you seem so intelligent and write so eloquently. Have you considered possibily retraining as a counsellor-you always seem to give people on this forum great advice.
Sorry to hear this Tina, the stress sure doesn’t help the MS. Hope you can find something better, well that you have more satisfaction with. Sometimes these things can lead to improvement in our lives. I know this from personal experience.
I’m actually not taking this one as philosophically as my MS diagnosis.
I don’t know why. You would have thought lifelong incurable illness was far worse news than loss of a mere job.
But I think, in a way, I was almost relieved to be Dx’ed. I’d not felt well for ages, and at least the upside was I wasn’t mad.
But I’m struggling to find any “upside” to redundancy. True, I’m not sorry about the job itself. It wasn’t interesting, and I didn’t like it.
But at least I could do it all from home (rare), and the income made it possible to do things that were interesting, and I did like.
Now? I don’t know. I don’t think the job has been that great for my emotional health over the years - let alone my physical health. But I still have absolutely no idea of alternative ways to eke a living instead. Although not visibly disabled, I was just telling a friend that I’m too scared to go out when it’s icy.
How is that compatible with any kind of permanent job?
Not sure what type of work you did,but are there other companies that need the work you did,is it something you could do by setting up your own company…with some of your friends who were also made redundant?
Could you write training manuals or become an assessor in your field of work?
Is re training via open university an option?
Do you NEED to work at all?
Hope whatever path you take you can have proper time out to assess your options.
I am still sitting on my butt,spending too much time on here waiting for an outcome on my ill health retirement. It is a major life change going to suddenly having nothing thats got to be done and no deadlines, other than housework etc.
I don’t know if the obstacles are just psychological - the way I’m feeling at the moment - but honestly, I feel as if the last 23 years have equipped me for NOTHING! No, there’s no market outside for what I’ve been doing. Let’s face it, there’s not even any market inside - that’s why I’m getting the push.
Unfortunately, I have allowed myself to get stuck in a bit of a career backwater - but which I accepted, because I was ill, and didn’t particularly want anything more dynamic and demanding.
But it doesn’t look very good on paper. It looks as if I’ve spent the last ten years stagnating - which is more-or-less true. I haven’t any “recent accomplishments” to brag about. I can’t show career progression over time, either - not in recent years, anyhow.
I don’t know whether I “need” to work or not. In the short term, technically, no. But the long term consequences would be I’d run out of money well before my new state retirement age of 67!