coldel Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Our company has just decided to let go 50% of the workforce, me included... ...so if anyone knows of someone who needs a senior market researcher specialising in new product development and innovation research a nod in my direction will be rewarded in serious numbers of beer tokens! So, four months breathing space to find a job otherwise my beloved Zed will be in the For Sale section ...not the sort of news you really want when just a few weeks back you find out your wife is pregnant with our first child Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK350Z Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Bummer mate, plenty of jobs going in the renewables sector if thats any help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexx Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sorry to hear that feller. Watch out for the parts vultures circling... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveRS Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sorry to hear this, it happens far too often these days I hope you find something soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ebized Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Oh jeebus, that really sucks and just with your move and all - feel for you Col and will certainly look out for anything in your line of work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Cheers guys, am currently on a trawl of my LinkedIn contact list...just a bit wobbly at the moment as you say Colin we are moving house as well Timing is absolutely awful and as I have only been at this place eight months I get no compensation or redundancy package. It is unfortunate, but the new global CEO who has taken interim charge recently is a 'strip and sell' merchant who runs his own company which effectively comes in and strips companies down to a minimum so costs approximately equal outgoings then sells the company to bigger companies it competes against - and he has the cheek to call his business 'turnaround.com'. Ultimately 90% of staff are doomed longer term, we just happen to be the first out the door... ...well thats how I think it is, so am keeping myself motivated this way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Awful news, I hope you find something soon buddy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonk Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Terrible!! Hope everything works out for you. Always enjoy reading your posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrzed Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 You'll be fine, change is good and the recession ain't as tough as it was 2 years ago. I've been made redundant 3 times since 2006 and walked away from 2 other jobs, the second walk only a month after I bought the zed. You have to hold as many of the cards as possible we all rely too much on the success of other peoples businesses for our own security if your'e good at what you do you will be back to work in no time and you have the four months grace to make the right decision. I'm saying all this because we don't want to lose fellow zedders...let the family and the zed drive you on to better things and I'll keep em crossed for you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricey Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Are you from the smog originally or would you consider moving? Suppose the new house kind of puts the kibosh on moving far away. Shitter mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
M13KYF Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 never nice news. I hope you find something soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sorry to hear that, another one of my mates has also just been made redundant too. Timing on these things is never good. Last year, not only did my missus run off with someone else, but my car blew up, I had some serious health problems and I was made redundant 2 days later. Talk about timing. Took me 10 months before another job came up, in which time I worked as a labourer for £50 a day just to pay the mortgage. Certainly made me reflect on things, when one minute I was earning decent money as a Director, next minute I was shoveling cement with guys who had left school with nothing and was happy with the £50 a day. In fact I met all sorts of interesting down to earth people that summer doing that job. Something usually comes up quicker than you think, so treat this time as a holiday and make the most of getting things done around the house whilst you have the spare time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH 370z Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Totally crap news that However being the eternal proactive optimist. Have you set up a "linkedIn" account? It's a bit complicated at first, but well worth doing. It combines a resume with at bit more about you and some great networking opotunities. You get to pick your industry and any others if interest. I have been very pleased with the results, and I would happy to help you out with any tips if that helps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keyser Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sorry to hear that mate Me and Anders were just discussing last night how many people we know have had this happen recently. Good luck with finding something soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Yep, I am a 250+ contacts fella on LinkedIn, just been firing out emails all day. Problem I have is that I haven't been made redundant, I have been deemed as 'not required due to unprecedented structural change enforced by market conditions', as I don't have 2 years time served with them I don't qualify for statutory redundancy. So I get paid as normal for my notice period of 3 months during which I am expected to fulfill my duties which means going into the office everyday till the end of that three months. So I get no pay out, am taxed as per normal, there is no safety net a lot of the other guys have as they have been there long enough to get redundancy which for most is easily into five figures and beyond. Its the third time now in 18 months this has happened...before my wife was working so we had a backup plan, or I already had something semi ready to move to in the pipeline. This has caught me off guard a bit and with a house move and incoming baby has heightened the issue. Still, I am already getting feedback that my CV is on the desk of a few big companies, lets see how it goes...and stew, I will carry that with me pal, that sounds like a nightmare but you made a good go of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Yep, I am a 250+ contacts fella on LinkedIn, just been firing out emails all day. Problem I have is that I haven't been made redundant, I have been deemed as 'not required due to unprecedented structural change enforced by market conditions', as I don't have 2 years time served with them I don't qualify for statutory redundancy. So I get paid as normal for my notice period of 3 months during which I am expected to fulfill my duties which means going into the office everyday till the end of that three months. So I get no pay out, am taxed as per normal, there is no safety net a lot of the other guys have as they have been there long enough to get redundancy which for most is easily into five figures and beyond. Its the third time now in 18 months this has happened...before my wife was working so we had a backup plan, or I already had something semi ready to move to in the pipeline. This has caught me off guard a bit and with a house move and incoming baby has heightened the issue. Still, I am already getting feedback that my CV is on the desk of a few big companies, lets see how it goes...and stew, I will carry that with me pal, that sounds like a nightmare but you made a good go of it. I was under the impression that 12months was the magic number after which you were entitled to some redundancy. At any rate, redundancy is normally something rubbish like 1 weeks money per year you have been there, so you would have had to work there for donkeys years to get anything. 3 months notice is pretty good though, but normally if you are surplus to requirements and are given your notice, i thought it was tax free? I maybe wrong but last 2 times I was sacked / redundant / laid off, im pretty sure it was tax free. Its entirely up to the company as to whether they make you work your notice period. Ive been lucky in that the companys i work for tend to want you off the premises as soon as they give you the notice, in case you start trashing things. I think also by rights the company if they make you work your notice period have to let you have time off for job interviews etc. etc. so it has its benefits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spursmaddave Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Sorry to hear the bad news fella, you have only just joined our little Surrey / Kent gang so I hope it is not a premature end to that, but as always family (and incoming family) take first place just like with Iain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will370z Posted July 21, 2011 Share Posted July 21, 2011 Man that totally sucks, such bad timing for you too. Don't worry though I'm a firm believer that if you are good at your job and you keep looking you will find something, just keep positive. Don't have any contacts in that industry I'm afraid so can't be of much help but good luck for the job hunt. It could all be for the best too with new exciting doors opening. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted July 21, 2011 Author Share Posted July 21, 2011 Redundancy is three months tax free lump sum plus a week for every year you worked, which is substantially more than getting your net salary till you have worked your notice period. I am going to push to get out the office ASAP so I can get on with things, getting the legal paperwork through tomorrow. I have just been laid off in the first year of employment though which leaves you with almost no rights or ability to claim anything from them, ironic as the previous company I was at I was there 10 years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronzee Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 You'll be fine, change is good +1. Also keeping a positive aspect will reflect on your demeanour and that means you're much more likely to be looked upon favourably by perspective employers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Well always been a positive kind of bloke, contacts starting to come back to me now - CV is currently clogging up the broadband, even had my mentor from my time in Japan (all sounds a bit karate kid I know!) ring me to chat things things through this morning, he is passing my CV onto various CEOs in the UK he is in contact with. Amazing how something like this focuses you so much... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cragus Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Hope something comes good mate - I am sure it will! Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vik54 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I just went through similar aduring the first half of the year - never been so scared in my life. Firm believer in "What's for you won't go by you" - but I know that when you're in the depths hearing these things is of no help what-so-ever All you can do is concentrate on staying positive and pro-active - LOL there were times when I just wanted to curl up into a ball. As long as you have roof over head and each other - no worries - you can live on beans on toast and the zed is ultimately disposable - there's always another Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted July 26, 2011 Author Share Posted July 26, 2011 There will never be another Zed like mine...cranky gearbox, broken front bumper, bust clutch and flywheel, clicking axles and a dodgy paint job on the roof...never find another like this one... I bought it to repair it...and I will see it through! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrzed Posted July 26, 2011 Share Posted July 26, 2011 Mr Miagghi......great bloke ....POLISH ON!!! POLISH OFF!!! JEEEEEZ I must be a black belt by now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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