Most families don't comprehend layoffs until it happens to them

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Tuesday, November 2, 2004 | Anne Michaud

[Willie Green]

I ran into a relative at a wedding this weekend. We hadn't seen each other since the last family wedding, three years ago. I asked how her daughter was doing, and this story came pouring out.

Her daughter's husband was laid off in July from a company where he had worked for 28 years. He will miss out on his pension and faces job-hunting now at age 52. His wife is working 50 hours a week and fears making any missteps at her job because she is now carrying the family's health insurance. He's depressed and is a scatterbrained substitute mom to their two busy teenagers.

This is a sad story, to be sure, but a common one. Three years ago, when I last saw this relative, my husband was out of work. At that time, she asked, "Can't he just take another job? Oh, well, I guess he can't accept just anything."

I didn't go into sad detail with her back then. I don't like to retail my misery -- unless, of course, I can do so in the pages of a newspaper and get paid for it.

[Willie Green]

I never heard the lay off joke during Reagans years in office

Of course not.
Ronald Reagan was principled and handled economic issues seriously.

but I personally heard that Joke TWICE during clintons admin. With the Bush Admin., I not only did not hear the joke,

"Compassionate" conservatives snicker when they "feel our pain".

[roses of sharon]

God forbid that we are responsible for the decisions we make, or don't make, in our financial lives, or personal life that may effect our funds.

If you cannot make it in America, then it is not America's fault, but your own.

[durasell]

That isn't going to happen. And anyone who picks up that particular political mantle would be a fool. He might as well promise sunshine and free candy.

[EEDUDE]

Willie,

This has been going on for years. This is not Bush's fault and he can't fix it. Neither can Kerry.

It is not within their power.

I got laid off from Motorola 2 years ago at age 50.

Many companies just seem to want to get rid of older employees and hire folks right out of college.

If you want to blame anyone, blame the corporate bean counters and MBA's who think they're getting a great deal hiring someone right out of school for $10,000/yr less and laying off someone with 20 years of experience.

Generally speaking, it's no bargain, but then the folks who make these decisions are seldom held accountable. They can just show the CEO how much money they "saved", and don't have to explain piss poor quality, waste, ignorant mistakes, etc.

CEO's just focus on next quarters profits since thats what their bonuses are based on.

Experience counts, but most US companies don't know how to measure its value.

Government CAN'T fix this crappy situation.

[american spirit]

Don't hold your breath.....once he shoves through the FTAA there'll be even more job dislocation, outsourcing and increased illegal immigration. Anyone who thinks otherwise is dreaming.

[hushpad]

"Compassionate" conservatives snicker when they "feel our pain".<<<

What? Did I miss a joke? I felt the laddies pain allright, I just never whined about it in public. Rather than complain, I hung on until the democrat was booted.

[oceanview]

not true. if we could get some civil strife up and running in china, US corporations which are currently pouring money there to build technology companies, would freeze up, and redirect back home.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

My father got his Masters Degree at the age of 55 and taught until he was 68.

[american spirit]

Your comments are right on because I've seen numerous companies shed experienced workers in favor of cheaper, younger talent. For many companies the big problem is they have no way of calculating how many $ have been lost due to inexperience, incompetence and lack of proper training. I'm confident that these "costs" far outweigh any "savings" they think they attained by cutting loose older workers.

[Crusher138]

When I worked for a major electronics retailer years back, it was common practice for them to fire managers who had large bonuses earned, but not paid. There was a corporate rule that if you were not employed by the company at the time of distribution, you could not collect your bonus earned. At the time a store manager would make about $20K a year in salary and $20K to $30K in bonus in July. We use to just dread the last week of June, the end of the fiscal year.

I decided I didn't want to work for a company that does that and went out and got a straight commission sales job where I would get paid what I earned, not what someone decided to give me. Over time I moved up in the company and am now one of the owners.

My wife found herself laid off after the birth of our first child. She could have b & m'd, but instead she took the situation of being stuck at home with her newborn and turned it into a positive. She started an in-home day care and was soon grossing $700+ a week, which was considerably more than she had been making as a retail manager.

Stories like ours are legion. This is a great country where you control your destiny and make your future. Sometimes stuff happens, but you MUST keep your mind open to new possibilities. Maybe you need to get retrained, maybe you need to move, maybe you need to adjust your lifestyle. Start your own business. Change careers to something associated with what you did before, but maybe with a great risk, but a greater chance for reward.

[stuartcr]

Probably been reading about how great the economy is, and couldn't believe it could happen...

[Mini-14]

With regards to your comments accusing Willie Green of being a "troll", I think you are out of line. Layoffs happen to Democrats, Republicans, independents, liberals and conservatives. Willie Green is within the FR guidelines on posting this article.

[oceanview]

except in this case, Motorola didn't hire someone right out of college to replace you - they hired someone in China. that's the difference this time around.

[superiorslots]

Years ago laying off or firing a person right before they were eligable for a pension did happen. My Dad set up pension plans and told me of these stories because he saw it first hand. I believe since then laws were passed to guard against this and vesting has become more common.

[Hendrix]

"SAVING money and making more money are not the same thing."

Yes they are the same. What a company earns depends on its expenses (revenues less expenses), and if it reduces its expenses (laying off workers who are not needed and cutting other costs), it will make more money. Get it? That is just basic economics, something that liberals don't understand.