Forkers Central

Hello,
I've sort of been lurking a bit lately, but I wanted to share some good news- I'm being made redundant! This is good news because I start my PGCE course (a one year course to turn my degree into a primary teaching qualification) in September, and instead of just handing in my notice I've convinced work to make me redundant on the 9th of August. This means a redundancy payment and also 8 week's pay in lieu of notice (both tax free!), which is really going to help us not starve/pay the mortgage/keep the dog in biscuits and squeaky toys over the coming 12 months. Phew

YAY!!! good news indeed Helen. Best of luck with going back to school too.

Happy redundancy!

I'm not sure that they sell cards that say this but if they did we'd send one to you

I love it when you get to take advantage of your company, instead of them just taking advantage of you.

- Mere ":D" 1975

I've always thought the term "redundant" sounded harsh. Like you're being fired AND insulted. Unlike here in the good ole US of A, where we're "laid off," which sounds a liiiitle dirty - or "RIF'd," which doesn't even make grammatical sense (that's Reduction In Forced... 'd).

Oh, congrats Helen. Way to be redundant. Way to be redundant.

I got laid off/made redundant from my job at Verio in Feb 2002. They gave us a MASSIVE redundancy package, where I basically ended up getting 8 months of full pay, plus I got to keep my laptop. A month later was SXSW 2002....I didn't "work" again until August 2005.

Congrats Helen, looks like good timing

ive never even heard of being made redundant. hmmm. seems like it's not uncommon, though. i guess you learn something new everyday.


frog"like how humans can beome extra"gy

There was rumored management employee buyouts floating around my company the last month or so. The so called package was 2 years salary plus $23000 per year that you worked for the company. It is also supposed to be tax free.

After I stopped laughing thinking that it would never happen, I then went into "what if" mode and thought with 9 years at the company, I would be all over that.

Devdog.

I was laid off in July of '02. It really can't be called redundancy because it was 12 out of 28 people in the office. We got two weeks pay, insurance through the end of the month and a binder of "career transition" materials. Not fun.

Yay, super news helen. I will contact you when I get back regarding a weekend jaunt in Surrey for you and russ.

I was laid off of my first "real" job at Interceramic tile because they promoted me when someone left, but she wanted to come back so they did away with my Events Coordinator position for her Events Manager position. Then she didn't come back and they had no one.

It was for the better but it felt like a punch in the stomach.

I got 2 weeks' pay. Boo.

That's when it's wayyyyyy better to work for a large company than a small company. If I had been laid off/made redundant when Citi bought my company 6 years ago, I would have been paid something like 6 months' salary, and 150% of my regular rate from a certain date until my actual release date. . .

- Mere "they didn't let me go after all" 1975

Wow. Being redundant rocks. Congrats, Helen!!

Mere, sorry for you. I think you coulda gone to the Dept. of Labor and fought it, but I know now you've moved on.

Cheers everyone, it feels great that not only do I have just 8 days left at my awful workplace, but that I'm getting paid to leave! It's going to take a lot of pressure off us financially. The funding situation over here is so complicated now. When I did my degree it was a grant from your local council (means tested) and if you wanted to you could apply for a loan. Now it's an automatic £3,000 loan for my tuition fees, a maintenance grant, a means tested maintenance loan, a "training salary", plus a bursary equal to the means tested part of my loan of a couple of hundred quid. Thank god I'm married to an accountant, he helps me with the numbers!
Mere's right about the big company thing- I'm only getting the legal statutory minimum as we're quite a small firm (less than 50 employees), but people I know who worked at larger/multinational firms have got much, much more than that. One bloke I know who works for Vodaphone got £20,000 recently! However, because I've worked there since I left university 8 years ago, it actually adds up to a half decent amount.

The funding situation over here is so complicated now. When I did my degree it was a grant from your local council (means tested) and if you wanted to you could apply for a loan. Now it's an automatic £3,000 loan for my tuition fees, a maintenance grant, a means tested maintenance loan, a "training salary", plus a bursary equal to the means tested part of my loan of a couple of hundred quid. Thank god I'm married to an accountant, he helps me with the numbers!

For real. I would need an accountant too!! Tell Russ to keep up the good work.