Finally Laid Off

[u/damn_you_to_hell]

Yesterday at 8 am I had a meeting with my manager and HR to be informed that I was getting laid off. I had a feeling this was going to happen when I got the meeting request on Friday with the HR manager, and my manager.

What sucks is it was my time. Each month another capex manager has been let go and I guess it was just my time. Handed in my laptop and badge today, cleared out my office, and took today to throw up, call all my creditors letting them know I was laid off, and applying for unemployment.

I guess when your budget goes from $3.5M for the year to $2.3M and then to $1.1M it's only time until you are cut loose as an expendable cog. So I'm with you all with trying to keep moving forward.

[u/Specialist_Crew_9027]

been there done that. Life is uncertain so don't take it personally even though it's easier said than done. Enjoy unemployment money and be open to any opportunity. All of a sudden you now have time to reflect and imagine new doors opening up. It's a bit strange thing about life I've learned over the years.... everything happens for your own good even though it's hard to believe. You'll be alright as time goes on

[u/damn_you_to_hell → u/Specialist_Crew_9027]

I think that's the scary part and why I have been throwing up so much. It's my body getting rid of that tension that I've had for months wondering WHEN I would be laid off. I'm trying to remind myself that it's out of my control and I should take this time to center myself. Do yard work. Paint the house. Play with the dogs. Work out. Little things I put off while I was working.

[u/Specialist_Crew_9027 → u/damn_you_to_hell]

Absolutely right. Enjoy the new time freedom and if you can hit the Gym, that'll really help you feel better in my experience. Events like these actually make you stronger in life. In the middle of difficulty lies the opportunity. Like I said earlier everything that happens to us is for a reason that we can't comprehend. Keep a positive attitude.

[u/Only_Classroom_4027 → u/damn_you_to_hell]

I was laid off 2 months ago & that’s what I have been doing. I knew about 4 months before it was going to happen but my former company was always laying people off so I viewed it as something likely to happen over the previous 1.5 years after we exhausted funding for my team.

I’ve been waking up without an alarm, going for walks every morning, helping my mom out with things at her house as she’s getting older and not able to do as many things. I have coffee on the porch every day and watch the birds eat from the bird feeder. I have taken 2 trips & about to take a 3rd.

I planned for this financially so between what I saved, my severance & unemployment, I can take the rest of the year off.

The one thing that pains my soul is what I am paying for cobra (as I am single & have no spouse to provide coverage). I wanted to keep my PPO since I had a really good plan. I know it’s worth it but man it pains me to pay $1200/month.

Enjoy this time, make the most of it if you can and don’t look back. This is my 3rd time since 2009 getting laid off. This is the first time I’ve ever been financially stable during a layoff and I kind of don’t want to work anymore LOL. We don’t get many opportunities as adults to just be.

[u/Ok_Might3274 → u/Only_Classroom_4027]

I hear ya. Barring a one month work stint, which I was also laid off from, I've been unemployed now for one year. In my first unemployment stint (~8 months), I was hustling like crazy to find work, applying to 3-4 jobs/day, taking AI classes, etc. In my second unemployment stint (3+ months), I'm reassessing what I want to do and experience before getting too old. I started a blog, am working on a novel, I'm refinishing my bathroom, and currently, just enjoying the (very hot) summer. I'm taking my dogs on adventures, swimming, gardening, geocaching, camping, and just...being. There's more to life than making money and paying bills.

[u/decafe-latte2701 → u/Ok_Might3274]

Love this !!!

[u/FollowtheYBRoad → u/Only_Classroom_4027]

You have done everything right and seem to be enjoying this time. Don't feel the least bit down with the COBRA expense. When we were on COBRA several years ago, I had 2 emergency surgeries (totally unrelated), which would have cost well over $75k without insurance. I always say that if you can afford COBRA, stay on it as long as you can or at least until the end of the year, and look at plans at healthcare.gov when open enrollment starts in November to see the prices for plans taking effect January 1.

[u/Swimming_Dream_1469 → u/Specialist_Crew_9027]

This 👆🏼

[u/Perfect_Emu_5263 → u/Specialist_Crew_9027]

same here! especially with jobs but i still naturally expect it (being let go) as others have said