Worried About My Job!

deleckidesign

Member
Oct 23, 2008
2,230
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I work for a very small company. I am 1 of 4 employees and make up my entire deparment! I am in my 20's and have worked here for almost 2 years and have no plans to go anywhere. The other 3 are in their 60's and the president has been talking about retiring for close to 5 years now (or so I've heard).

I know over the past year, he has talked to another, similar company, about 10 miles away, that may be interested in buying our company. I confronted my boss about it when I heard about it, telling him I was worried about keeping my job. He told me I had nothing to worry about. That if this company did buy us, they'd be gaining all our clients, and would need us to handle all those accounts.

I quickly forgot about it until this past week. They are cleaning out all the filing cabinets...throwing stuff away that has been sitting in our offices for 30 years! Granted, everyone cleans out their office from time to time, right? Not our president. He is a pack-rat to the extreme. Never wants to get rid of anything. So him clearing things out like this has got me worried!

So, again, I confronted my boss about it. Asked what was going on. He said the president was thinking about retiring (duh, already knew that!) and that they were thinking of maybe getting a smaller office space to rent since half our offices are not used. He didn't mention anything about losing jobs or anything like that. I know for a fact that he needs work, too. He says he can't retire. So it seems like if he was worried about his job, I'd notice.

Anyway, all of this has me on edge. My husband is unemployed right now (was laid off in Dec. due to buy out) and so if I lose my job, we will lose everything within a matter of months. Can't pay our bills on unemployment money. We have money in the bank that is slated to last until next summer, assuming I keep my job. I would just be devastated if I lose my job, too.

Should I start looking for something else...or hang tight and see what happens?
 
I'm sorry you're dealing with this.

My short answer is YES! If you think your job may be in danger, you should absolutely start to look around. Even if your job turns out to be safe, there is no harm in casting your net to keep your options open.

Ensure your resume is up to date and start searching job postings on your local Craigslist and other sites, and start confidentially networking on sites like LinkedIn and with friends and family.

In this economy, the typical job search is taking a long time so get a jump on it now.

Good luck!
 
I agree. It's better to be safe than sorry. The economy is doing horrible and everyone has to look out for themselves because help is very scarce. Look around and see if you can find anything should your current situation take a turn for the worse. Also, maybe you can help hubby find a job too just to be on the safe side. It's good you have some money saved even though I'm sure you rather not use it. Some people aren't fortunate enough to have a backup plan like that (regardless of how long it can last).
 
I would have a serious discussion with your boss. Tell him you are worried about your job and ask for the truth. I would definitely start looking just in case.
 
I agree. It's better to be safe than sorry. The economy is doing horrible and everyone has to look out for themselves because help is very scarce. Look around and see if you can find anything should your current situation take a turn for the worse. Also, maybe you can help hubby find a job too just to be on the safe side. It's good you have some money saved even though I'm sure you rather not use it. Some people aren't fortunate enough to have a backup plan like that (regardless of how long it can last).

Oh, I've definitely been helping my husband look for a job! In the past, I've always been fortunate to find jobs fairly quickly, so I know all the websites to look and that networking is often the key!
 
Yikes, that is scary! I'm glad you're listening to your instincts and gut feeling, rather than your co-worker/boss who keeps saying that you won't lose your job. Yes, start looking around at other opportunities. It's definitely better to be safe than sorry.

My uncle lost his job at Adobe in December, and says the job market sucks. He's been job hunting ever since and it's pretty tough. Best of luck to your hubby too.
 
I would definately start looking. I think you are smart to see the writing on the wall and not burying your head in the sand. Even if you are offered a new job, you don't have to leave.
 
I would look for another job. It is not unusual for employees to show up and the doors are locked. I know you are in a smaller company and you may think that they will let you know when something is up but I would look out for myself and start looking ASAP. Most of the time companies do not give a heads up.
 
Well, I was worried for a reason. I was laid off this morning.

It has been a rough month. My husband was laid off at the end of December due to a buyout. And I just lost my grandpa last week. Then my boss calls me in this morning and tells me the news. There just isn't enough work. Our clients are holding back money. He said they have been trying to hold off as long as they can because they don't want to lose me, but they can't keep paying me if work isn't coming in. I'm on a freelance basis, so if something comes up, they will call me in.

But, with my husband not having a job, I can't just assume work will come in. So I'm updating my resume and looking for a new job.
 
Well, I was worried for a reason. I was laid off this morning.

Sorry to hear about your lay off... I hope that you & your husband can get things sorted out soon. We're in Michigan too, and the job environment here is horrible. I've been looking for two months since graduating with my Master's, applied to over 200 positions that I would have considered myself "well qualified" for, and have received zero responses. (Except for one volunteer position that may pan out.) My advice would be to start looking out of state if you two are at all able to...

Best of luck to you. :flowers:
 
I'm so sorry! At least you had a gut feeling and were a bit more prepared for losing your job and starting to look for a new one. Best of luck to you during these difficult times, please hang in there!