Update

[rivka]

As some of you already know, Michael lost his job on Friday.

On Wednesday, they announced that they were eliminating the online magazine he worked on, and moving him and his boss to the PR department - where neither of them wanted to be. His new boss in PR was horrified, for some reason, to learn that Michael worked a flextime schedule and spent Thursdays home with Alex. Michael tried to explain that the benefits were mutual, and even had the opportunity to demonstrate it when something went wrong at 5:00. ("No problem - I work until 6:30, and I'll take care of it.")

The new boss said, "Let's both sleep on it, and we'll meet Friday." Friday, he kept Michael busy with projects all day, and was "too busy" himself to meet until 3:00, when he called Michael's former boss in for a meeting to discuss future plans. "Does Michael need to be there?" Former Boss asked. "Nope." Because... Michael had another meeting, with HR.

We're both shocked, of course, but we're keeping our spirits reasonably high. Michael has already been referred to two headhunters, and has drawn up a list of prominent people who know him and his work and are likely to want to help him out. (Mostly folks who go to our church and know Michael from the Board of Trustees. He's the church treasurer.) We're trying to arrange things so that he has two weekdays per week exclusively for job searching - the other three days he'll be full-time with Alex, and doing job search stuff while she naps.

I feel awful about our nanny. We're giving her three weeks of severance pay, and hoping to retain her for one day a week. (She'll be looking to work for someone else part-time, and was optimistic about still being able to give us a day.) But I really feel as though we're leaving her in the lurch. I know she lives paycheck to paycheck. I'm trying not to even think about starting the childcare search all over again when Michael does get another job, because obviously Meaghan will have found another position by then. We've been lucky to have one caregiver for Alex since I went back to work when she was three months old. She's so attached to Meaghan. For Alex, this will be like losing a member of the family. At least we'll still have Meaghan one day a week... for now.

Comments

[jmhm.livejournal.com]

Oh, shit. I'm sorry.

[saoba.livejournal.com]

Holding you all in the Light, including Meaghan.

[pir-anha.livejournal.com]

damn. *grouses about inflexible companies who punish people for daring to ask to work in some alternative manner*. there is so much wrong with the way much of work is structured...

*sympathy*. hope this will work out well.

[windsea.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm so sorry. That's horrid. I hope he gets something soon -- soon enough that you can hang on, somehow, to Meaghan. I absolutely understand what *that's* like.

[jenett]

Oh, yuck. And how lousy to do it without even giving an existing method a reasonable try. Yuck.

Wishing all of oyu the best, that you find something that's wonderful for everyone in the picture.

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

Like everyone else, I'm crossing my fingers that he'll find something quickly and you have a chance to hold on to Meaghan!

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

Oh, yuck. Hugs and good wishes from Long Island.

[malibrarian.livejournal.com]

So sorry to hear about this. Hoping for the best.

[dafna]

Oh ugh. How horrible -- not just losing the job but the pettiness of how it happened. Here's hoping for good job-finding karma.

[journeywoman.livejournal.com]

UGH. He got fired because of his schedule?! That is just ridiculous. For the new boss to not even give it a try ... unbelievable. I do a variant of PR work, and I can't think of many tasks that preclude a flextime schedule.

I hope Michael finds a new job quickly, and that you're able to retain Meaghan. Crossing my fingers for you all.

[curiousangel.livejournal.com]

In his (sort-of) defense, I strongly suspect he was given direction from Upper Management that flextime was Something To Be Eliminated, as others have told me he's generally a rather wishy-washy, hate-to-make-a-fuss type of guy. However, the fact that I'd made a point of sticking with the flextime schedule, even when efforts had been made to get me off it, seemed to really bother Upper Management.

Several other people had attempted to get flexible schedules, and had been rebuffed in various ways. Since the organization is very big on micromanagement, doing work when I wasn't under my supervisor's direct monitoring was difficult to arrange. The way it was supposed to work was that he'd sign my timesheet every morning to reflect when I showed up, then we'd call or email a designated attendance-taker to prove we were on site, and then my boss was supposed to sign my timesheet in the evening when I left. Since I showed up before my boss, stayed later than he did, and he wasn't an anal-retentive jerkoff, he let me just jot down my times in and out, and turn in a completed timesheet every Monday. If HR came checking, we always had to spin a bullshit story about why he hadn't been signing my timesheets on each day.

[journeywoman.livejournal.com]

Wow. That organization sounds like it has zero trust in its employees. It must have been difficult to work there at times. I hope you're able to quickly find a job with a much more reasonable and family-friendly employer.

[lietya.livejournal.com]

Oh, no! I'm so sorry. My thoughts and best wishes are with you both; I hope he finds a new and better job as soon as possible.

[duane-kc.livejournal.com]

That's really cruddy of the former boss; here's hoping the new and better job comes around soon.

[oursin.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry to hear this: in the early 90s partner was 'let go' from job a few days before he would have been eligible for redundancy compensation, at a time of shrinking job market. Horrible.

Good thoughts, and hope that something (suitable) comes along soon.

[rivka.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, Michael will be eligible for 6 months of unemployment benefits. That will help a lot.

[perceval.livejournal.com]

That's good - but what a shame he was dismissed this way. Let's hope his former boss will be the one to write his references! I also feel for Meaghan and Alex - I really hope you can get Meaghan to stay on at least one day a week.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear that.

B

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

Argh. My extreme sympathies and good wishes for all of you.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

I really hope he finds something else very soon.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

That's awful. I never cease to be surprised at what US employers are allowed to get away with. Best of luck for the jobhunt and the childcare.

Now that I think of it...

[huladavid.livejournal.com]

... a respectful otter like you should be allowed to bite one of the "suits".

Re: Now that I think of it...

[kate_nepveu]

I concur. Not that it would help with the logistics, but boy I bet it would be satisfying.

Hope things work out as well as they may.

[ricevermicelli.livejournal.com]

Oh, how awful! I join others in hoping that Michael finds something soon enough that you can hold on to Meaghan.

[chargirlgenius.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's awful! I've been unemployed before, so I have an idea of what you're going through.

Do you absolutely have to let Meaghan go at this time? Is Michael in a field where you might expect him to take a while to find a new job? It might be worth keeping her on for now, at least for a couple of months, so you don't have to dance that dance when things settle back down to normal.

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. I hope Michael gets a new job soon, and with a more flexible company.

[kightp.livejournal.com]

Oh, my dears.

I've been playing a completely unsuccessful game of catchup with LJ over the past few days and am just now catching up with all that's been going on with you. Others have said anything I could possibly say at this point, but know that I'm thinking of you all and hoping that the roller-coaster settles down real soon now.

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Well, crapweasels.

Good luck to all of you, including Meaghan.

[zanawake.livejournal.com]

Best wishes, y'all.

[johnpalmer.livejournal.com]

Ouch... I hope things work out well. And I wish I had a dozen or so job leads to send.

(And damn, I misread "unemployment benefits" for "severance pay". Totally different animal, darn it all.)


Good luck for all of you.

[treadpath.livejournal.com]

Oh man... that sucks. I'm sorry. Employers who make no effort to understand the needs of their employees amaze me. It just seems so counterproductive. I'm sorry you guys are going through this and I hope very good things come your way soon!