Who's starting to feel the economic crisis?

[quiktaco]

I didn't really start to feel it until this week.  We got notices that there would be layoffs of 150 people at my work on Monday.  On Tuesday, those people were all let go...all based on workloads that could be combined...didn't have anything to do with personal performance.  It really sucks cause we lost a lot of great people, and no one knew if they were one of the ones to go.  Luckily for me and my family, I kept my job.  My wife and I are now taking this close call to heart and are going to crack down and get all our debts paid off and get a decent savings.

Hope everyone out there is making it through these times. 

[cafeboy]

Well I have been out on med leave but they came in and fired my entire shift about 3 months ago so I just hope they still have a place for me when I get back to work or if I will be let go.

[ohgood]

stuff is so slow at work. when a job comes in it's a relief. we know the company is financially sound, but everyone (owners included) get more grumbly when there isn't the normal 4 million coming in each year. small businesses are getting hit HARD.

if/when my job dies i'm going into child therapy or explosive demolition. both rock.

[annguyen1981]

I work for a major retailer, and they informed us today that all full time people will be required to take the 37.5 hour status for full time.

In 2001, all full time people were given the option of working 37.5 hours a week, but still having full time status.  About 800 throughout the company did not (me included).  Those 800 still required 40 hours a week to be considered full time.

I've also heard rumors that full time people will have a 10% decrease in pay all across the country. 

What hits ME the most is the fact that part time people are now limited to only 25 hours a week.  My best person works with me in the same department at around 35-40 hours...  That cuts her hours almost in half.  I'm hoping that she'll just find another part time position and not leave the company, but I don't blame her if she did.

[makenzie71]

I work for a company that drags water out of the ground and/or moves it from place to place.

People don't have to buy new cars, so when the economy goes sour and people stop buying new cars manufacturers lay off workers.  People don't need cable, plane tickets, or name brand trash bags so the same applies.  No matter how hard the economy gets, though...no matter how broke everyone gets...you still got to drink.

[jserio]

<<<<< jobless for almost 3 weeks now...and still no unemployment. oh, i got "pending" claims, but nothing coming in. luckily we got our foodstamps in today, so we can eat normal.      going to do our taxes next week, tuesday, that should float us for a little bit, get the credit cards paid off to keep my credit somewhat sound. week after i've got a skills assesment test to take for the state to get assistance with furthering my education.

[ohgood]

I work for a major retailer, and they informed us today that all full time people will be required to take the 37.5 hour status for full time.

In 2001, all full time people were given the option of working 37.5 hours a week, but still having full time status.  About 800 throughout the company did not (me included).  Those 800 still required 40 hours a week to be considered full time.

I've also heard rumors that full time people will have a 10% decrease in pay all across the country. 

What hits ME the most is the fact that part time people are now limited to only 25 hours a week.  My best person works with me in the same department at around 35-40 hours...  That cuts her hours almost in half.  I'm hoping that she'll just find another part time position and not leave the company, but I don't blame her if she did.

37.5 hours means the company just doesn't spend the 2.5 hours per person per week, right ?

i mean, they're not doing this to rape you of your health insurance, right ?

i love how companies rip everyone a little, and still pay the exec's 10-20 times what the real producers make. awesome. and fair too !

[annguyen1981]

Exactly. Here's a better explaination:

Person A is supposed to be SCHEDULED at 40 hours per week.  If it's busy, that person might work OVER 40, therefore getting overtime.  Overtime is the #1 waste of payroll.

Person B is supposed to be scheduled at 37.5 hours per week.  If it's busy, the company has an extra 2.5 hours of leeway(sp) before having to pay person B ANY overtime.

[yamahonkawazuki]

yeah im feeling it, have tightened everyhting up. put off what can be put off. and what cant be put off will have to be dealt with. this econ prob has been decades in teh making, and will be decades in teh repair methinks  and in east tn. jobs are scarce

[Toogoofy317]

This week was the first time in three weeks I actually got scheduled. Was able to pick up a shift last night cause someone quit and they were desperate.

Universal is getting very insecure. While working Monday night a lady asked what corporate sign will be up next (was a xerox event) I was a bit ahead escorting the group and kinda mumbled out loud "ya never know could be disney" apparently someone heard me and turned me in. I got a call at midnight reaming me out. I may even lose my job over it!
I really don't know what I did so bad. My thought was disney is doing lousy so it could be bought out with these economics you don't know. But, gimmie a break. What happened to freedom of speech.

Mary

[quiktaco]

Sounds like everyone is hurting right now.

The company that I work for is Quiksilver (surf company).  I'm a graphic artist at the headquarters in Southern California.  It's a huge company and we're hurting really bad.  Mostly because Quik bought a snow company called Rosignal, but that same year, there was hardly any snow anywhere in the world.  This pretty much made the snow company go under, and got us in a ton of debt.  Quik has cut 40 mil this year and cut 50 mil last year.

Everyone was getting hit hard in the company too.  All the execs took a 10% decrease in salary.  A handful of them even got let go.  My boss even was laid off.

Anyways, I hope everyone can keep their head above water.  At least transportation can be a little cheaper for us in these hard times. (Although my bike gets worse mileage than a lot of the new cars out there...average of 33mpg)

[Jay_wolf]

I cant say ive noticed it , Im a floor supervisor and frankly , i do the jobs of 3 people on my own , and i always have done , they have cut everyone down on hours , not me tho , and i have my manager course in feb , and ill be on 16-18k a year which is nice for me,  i live at home , no debts , i ride a 70cc Dna at the moment , i put 6 pounds of petrol in it for the 6 weeks or so. insureance is 33 a month , tax is 15 a year , if i didnt live at home id be feeling it , but yea im pretty sound , i dont want to rub it in or anything

[quiktaco]

I cant say ive noticed it , Im a floor supervisor and frankly , i do the jobs of 3 people on my own , and i always have done , they have cut everyone down on hours , not me tho , and i have my manager course in feb , and ill be on 16-18k a year which is nice for me,  i live at home , no debts , i ride a 70cc Dna at the moment , i put 6 pounds of petrol in it for the 6 weeks or so. insureance is 33 a month , tax is 15 a year , if i didnt live at home id be feeling it , but yea im pretty sound , i dont want to rub it in or anything

Yeah, living with your parents would take most of any burden out of life.  However, i don't think my wife would like that.  My 1 year old daughter probably wouldn't mind seeing Grandma and Grandpa more though.

Rent, diapers, car payments, food, diapers, utilities, repairs, laundry, diapers, food, and diapers take away 95% of what my wife and I make.

[Jay_wolf]

Well i dont pay water . gas , electricty, rent , food , anything . my mum likes the fact im here, when i moved out she wanted me 2 come back , i look after my little brother and i look after the house,  if any1 broke in , it would be the end of them

[The Buddha]

Whatdayaknow - Fake fluff and flip economies based on houses that no one wants will end in real pain ... and still the geniuses that run our world are working to be re-elected instead of grounding the economy in reality.
I cannot imagine anything to be set right in a world where pumping out what is believed to be a limited resource out of the ground (crude oil) can be called production.
I would guess that I'll start digging and producing dirt.
Hey, maybe I could start getting people to invest in this tulip farm I have. Oh wait a second, atleast you can boil a tulip and make a crude soup.
Stimulus ... yea it will do nothing except make it much much much worse. In fact a sharp short recession would have helped. And that needed patience and people needing to think of the future of the people than their own political future.
Cool.
Buddha.

[mach1]

not really we have gov. contract, contracts with  , ups and other big airline companies so our work hasn't been hit yet.YET we will see.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Same here jay. i assist my mom wiht here needs. btu that being said. im looking forward to getting out. casue teh market in east tn is either fast food or factories. once i get my interior design degree. , theres not much of a market here for it. im thinkin either fla or west coast somewhere. or even canada. lol but im one who if im not busy im bored, i work on my days off even. mostly assisting people who cannot do somehting. ( usually wihtout pay. out of kindness)

[flyingmachine]

My work is related to movie industry and Bluray production.  Studios and vendors are getting hit pretty hard, quite a few friends lost their jobs recently.  Always thought home entertainment will stay strong cause more people can't afford to go out, but not this time.

[scottpA_GS]

 Im glad I saw this coming a bit and left my job at a fairly large motorcycle dealership and went back to work for myself just a few months ago...

Im back in the computer repair/ networking business and its BUSY!



The dealer that I worked at laid off WAY more people than normal (every year they have seasonal layoffs) this year they laid off a TON of people and most wont be coming back...

[jserio]

ah, it could always be worse guys...really...  at least we've got our families, good food and great music.