I have been made redundant

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

No more crying over my keyboard at 11.30 on a Saturday night, no more inability to sleep because work stuff is filling my brain, no more bastardy sales people going on about how "low" their pay is when they receive ten times as much as me. Instead, a nice big wodge of cash and garden leave until 8th February!

In this thread I would like you to suggest things I can do with myself for the next two months. They should not be expensive things, because I want to save the cash. That is my only stipulation.

― Madchen, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

YOu could come to edmonton

― anthonyeaston, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Get in! Lucy, just make sure you only go in in designated hours unless they start paying overtime. Go on as many courses as you can, and then count the days. You're getting to finish before me too! I am jealous.

― chris, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Anthony, I would love to but note my stipulation.

― Madchen, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I've just re-read your post!!! my god!!! garden leave!!! I am chewing the furniture in jealousy. Get thee on Holiday woman, forthwith.

― chris, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Well done. I think you should go on holiday. Or become a smack addict. That occupies time quite well. So I've heard.

― alix, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

maybe you could do some gardening :) so this means no more txt msgs at 10.30 on a saturday morning thus waking mrs carsmile up? well done anyway, redundancy roX0r ;)

― CarsmileSteve, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Write a book. Do a really big jigsaw. Go to the pub. Hooray!

― Tom, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

DARTS!

― RickyT, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

eat food

― Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I am going to the pub now. I may see you at the Blue Posts later, although I still have to come in tomorrow to tie up loose ends - boo!

― Madchen, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I was about to say - Blue Posts later seems urgent & key.

― Pete, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Become an outlaw in Epping Forest. And get on Wipeout with Bob Monkhouse.

― Jonnie, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

If you come to BP brace yourself for Pete the Hero of Further Education telling you how this is a great opportunity to become Dr Madchen and do a PhD.

― Emma, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Hey! You can play with me! I too have just been made redundant (or rather chosen to take redundancy than accept a de facto demotion), so from the evening of 31st december I too will be free!

I don't get gardening leave though. Still, can't compalin! (oops, typo, but I'll leave it in as it looks a bit like Tompaulin)

― Mark C, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Slob around all day in your faded brown chords with the arse almost coming through and get really fat on ice-cream and chips. Actually, just the first part.

― Ally C, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Not you too Mark? Jesus, why do I have to wait til March? 's not fair I tells ya.

― chris, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

California visit! You can prove all of us out here exist.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

i like the outlaw idea. read books, take courses, learn stuff you wouldn't normally. i would love to learn how to make clothes and shoes. or jewellery. or Latin (properly). or archaeology.

― katie, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My suggestions: first take sometime to relax and be extra kind to yourself. Read some good books, visit galleries, see friends +/family and take stock. Then think what you want next in lifewise, jobwise + go for it.

― stevo, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

find some way to fill taht hungry woman cave with ripe macho steak

― Mike Hanle y, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Buy some cheap instruments, and a 4-track and make an album. PS what is garden leave?

― james, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Schedule tons of stuff and then do absolutely nothing!

― Maria, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Write a novel. At least, try.

― Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 20 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

James, garden leave is when they pay you as normal, but you don't have to go in. Until 8th February!!! Plus, I found out that my 8 days holiday I have left for this year, plus the 2 1/2 days I will have for the bit of 2002 I will be in the company's employ will also be honoured. Ha!

Stevo has come closest to what I have decided to do, although Dr Madchen is something I have been considering for a while (well, Madchen MA will do for now) and I think I'll get around to it sometime in the next five years. Travel would be lovely, but I need to save my pennies because a move to Glasgow in the new year seems increasingly likely. But, between now and then, my daily timetable is as follows:

0800: Breakfast, loll in bed listening to Today programme
0900: Get up, put on clothes, potter about the house doing washing up etc.
1000: Do exercises (I may borrow my Cindy Crawford off my sister), go for a run
1030: Bath
1130: Read book or paper
1200: Lunch
1230: Brush up Italian and French, try writing some stuff maybe
1430: Go out and do somefink cultural and worthy eg. gallery, museum, film, feed ducks and scare little children in Clissold Park
1830: Go to pub or go home and watch TV, loll about, lead life of Reilly etc.

See how much I'm looking forward to this! The alternative timetable is:

1000: Get up
1001: Switch on Nick's brand spanking new PS2
0200: Fall into bed

Sorry I wasn't at the pub last night. I either had womb ache or my tummy didn't like the two triple bloody marys I had after I left work. Whatever, I needed to not drink. But if anyone's free of an afternoon, just let me know!

― Madchen, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My schedule is very elastic. Offering me drinkingoppurtunities is like a red rag to a bull, if a bull could actually get pissed on a red rag.

― Pete, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Go to films, and since now you can see them during the day, you can save money.

― rosemary, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

mmm, that's making me jealous. If you're London way Madchen, I'd live in the Prince Charles cinema all day, every day. Good movies, only about £2! Wicked, and you'll save on heating bills! Jot down your ideas and then turn it into a film PhD?

Sorted

― Will, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

scare little children in Clissold Park

"mummy mummy, can we have organic cola bottles from the shop"

"no, now Callum, Jack, come on, your pashminas are dragging in the mud, we have to get home"

― gareth, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

eee its not like the old days, when me and my friends used to go with rubble sacks to collect conker.

there you go find a rubble sack and collect conkers

― Ed, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

***masturbation-related part of comment deleted***

Madchen, are you going to be looking for a job or anything during this period? I'd recommend setting aside a certain number of hours per day for this purpose - it doesn't have to be actually writing of for interviews, it could just be researching areas of the field you're considering. If you're anything like me (and I know you aren't, but hey), you'll not be able to enjoy the fun parts if you feel guilty about not doing responsible stuff.

Trust Mark to spoil the party.

Or you could make pop music. I intend having a go. We could always jam if you like :-)

― Mark C, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Go on long walks into zones 5 and 6. Make field recordings in 28 different post codes. Learn how to operate a multi-track hard-disk recorder. Sleep late and hate self for sleeping late. Lose weight, involuntarily. Worry. Fret. Develop chicken-pox. Fail to read more than one-tenth of any book. Stand for so long in the shower, gazing at water streaking down the tiles, you forget whether you've shampooed your hair or not, and have to do it again.

Sorry, these are poor suggestions. You don't have a shower for a start.

― Michael Jones, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Get in training for Record Breakers. You can choose the record and then go all out to break it. But remember, if you wanna be the best, and you want to beat the rest, ooohoooh........

― Jonnie, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Aw, poor Mike. Losing weight involuntarily is my idea of heaven, though :)

― Madchen, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

stay at home and eat pies

― gareth, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Does staying at home eating pies make you involuntarily lose weight? This could revolutionise the diet industry.

― Emma, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

By destroying it yes.

― Ronan, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Put on your best outfit and hang around Old Bond St boutiques lookin very self-assured.Perhaps some middle-aged bored Japanese diplomat could buy you that very flattering necklace you just tried on...

― Laetitia, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I tried that - as yet no success.

― Will, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Invent something fantastic and then get other redundees of yr acquaintance to put all their money into it, then spend it all on gin and chips :)

― carsmilesteve, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

All of this seems to lead to me having a drunken fat girlfriend. So no..aaaargh!

― Ally C, Wednesday, 21 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Ally, have you been killed for the above comment? If yes, don't worry about answering, we'll get the message.

― Mark C, Thursday, 22 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three years pass...

Revive!

Anyone in need of a Publications Manager/Editor/Designer/Copywriter/self-facilitating media node now knows where to come!

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 11:22 (twenty-one years ago)

JtN! How did this happen?

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 11:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Aha! It's a sure sign that Nathan Barley is going to be huge that already, just one week in, catch phrases like "self-facilitating media node" are flying about so freely. (My sympathies on the job loss, if loss it be.)

― Momus (Momus), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 11:51 (twenty-one years ago)

this doesn't bode well :(

― Alienus Quam Reproba (blueski), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 11:53 (twenty-one years ago)

nows the time to write a best-selling novel, something more popular than Harry Potter (ha!). concentrate more on your other jobs. sign on. move somewhere cheaper. don't worry about relying on your friends more - you'd do the same for them. develop an interest in british films of the 1940s and 50s and you'll never be short of anything to watch in the afternoons (A Pair Of Briefs is on this afternoon, remarkable for featuring Nicholas Parsons in an acting role). use buses more. don't be a hermit. resolve to walk down every street on your page of the a-z (but do the far away bits first)...

(Mark's advice above is good - do something about getting a new job every day)

― koogs (koogs), Tuesday, 15 February 2005 12:00 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

No garden leave or nice healthy wodge of cash for me. I'm still at work but barely doing anything other than jobseeking from my desk. I've had a fair amount of replies but not from anything that I'm super duper excited to do. If anyone needs a trainer/copywriter/self-facilitating media node etc....

I am bored though.

― w0gan l3nin (dog latin), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 13:52 (nineteen years ago)

Hopefully you get some cash in compensation?

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:07 (nineteen years ago)

you need two years service before they have to pay redundancy money.

good luck with the next thing.

(i don't remember writing that feb 15th post. odd.)

― Koogy Yonderboy (koogs), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:09 (nineteen years ago)

I'll have been here two years come October, but you only get a week's extra pay per year after two years, so that summounts to naff all.

― wogan lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:11 (nineteen years ago)

you weren't using slsk again were you?

― Konal Doddz (blueski), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:15 (nineteen years ago)

hahaha. yeh, that's why we're being taken over.

― wogan lenin (dog latin), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

I didn't realise the compensation for redundancy was so poor. I might work a bit harder now.

― Bob Six (bobbysix), Wednesday, 13 September 2006 14:24 (nineteen years ago)

five months pass...

hi people. i haven't been made redundant yet, but will be in about 4-6 weeks time, along with most of my co-workers. i wanted to post on this thread to write about the weird vibe you get at the workplace once you know you're all going to be canned, like for instance lately nobody gets in until 9 or 10, yesterday me and 6 co-workers spent the majority of the day at the bar, and everyone is gone by 3 or 4, and nobody comes in on Fridays at all. I have never had this happen before, its just really odd feeling to me that everyone's continuing to go to work at all (actually, the VP over my department isn't coming into the office at all lately, so..).

Just, weird times. I am possibly getting a new job very shortly, though.

― homosexual II, Thursday, 8 March 2007 14:18 (nineteen years ago)

being made redundant a few months ago was bloody great. shame i had to find a job in the end.

― the next grozart, Thursday, 8 March 2007 14:21 (nineteen years ago)

well i wouldnt mind getting laid off, but i have no idea how long its going to take... it could take 6 weeks, it could take 6 months, it could take a year. I know I'm gone eventually. I have an interview next week at a really great job, even if I wouldn't mind working for a while and gloriously lazing about on unemployment compensation, i dont want to give up a great opportunity.

― homosexual II, Thursday, 8 March 2007 14:22 (nineteen years ago)

The "customer" at my program actually ran out of money so the whole thing is going to go up in smoke by September. To stretch us out even that far they had to start cutting a lot of stuff right before Xmas - our whole support office down the hall was stripped to the bone and then they gave our "interim" lead sysadmin the task of writing a 6-month transition plan to get rid of his entire team and turn it over to the rank-and-file support dorks. Luckily nothing essential has horribly broken since they're all gone now (so much for 6 months). We're the rats on a sinking ship at this point, even one of the civil servants fled to a TDY across the street instead of stick it out.

We're due for an inspection in April or so, which people are like "what the hell for?" but I suppose if they at least take inventory of all the equipment to make sure nobody runs off and eBays it then they accomplished more than some DOD programs in twilight.

And yeah, nobody gives a shit. I'm a little worried about my next job, I'm going to have to learn how to be a go-getter all over again and not just give myself meaningless busywork because I'm bored of reading blogs and talking to you people.

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 8 March 2007 14:30 (nineteen years ago)

haha thats pretty much where I'm at right now, I'm wondering if I am going to have a hard time trying to adapt when I actually do get another job and have to like, work.

Its already totally boring and I'm bored and it's only been 2 weeks since we found out we were being bought out.

I was thinking of bringing in board games today. I probably won't, and I'll just play like, scrabble online all day or something.

Maybe I should get into WoW.

― homosexual II, Thursday, 8 March 2007 14:38 (nineteen years ago)

My boss and a few other coworkers burn about 2-3 hours a day talking about "nerf tauren druids." It doesn't seem to help.

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 8 March 2007 14:41 (nineteen years ago)

Tauren druids got nerfed big time on Tuesday!

― HI DERE, Thursday, 8 March 2007 14:45 (nineteen years ago)

What's the new job you're applying for like, Mandee?

The biggest reason why I want to graduate from the uni is that then I can quit my job and live off unemployment money for a while. Seriously, I feel like a need break from school and work and everything. But if I take the break now I have to apply for another kind of state support (because I can't get unemployment money while I'm still a student), and that's a shittier deal, because then I'd have to bring the social workers receipts to prove I'm not spending the cash on booze or anything.

Should I be worried if my biggest dream at this point in life is to be a lazy bum?

― Tuomas, Thursday, 8 March 2007 16:06 (nineteen years ago)

???

― lfam, Thursday, 8 March 2007 18:18 (nineteen years ago)

That is a noble dream, Tuomas.

― Beth Parker, Thursday, 8 March 2007 18:24 (nineteen years ago)

how hard can it be to rrpf=dsfsddfggkljsdfljk;j;;dgfgnmnxcz xcv jdf ljk ;sd jkljeljkjse js jdfg jdsgj dsl jdsjkl sdf f jlsdf dsf f lsdf flsdfa fjwerriohidfg dg jcxzxcvz v jklsd f jsdf f jsd a iojd jjdfs g io;i;er qw jldr gijsda li;sda l;kjasd

― lfam, Thursday, 8 March 2007 18:52 (nineteen years ago)

???

― Tuomas, Friday, 9 March 2007 14:00 (nineteen years ago)

qwertyuiopüõ!!! yeppyep.

― t**t, Friday, 9 March 2007 14:28 (nineteen years ago)

That is a noble dream, Tuomas.

You have to look at it this way: better an intellectual sponger, than a dumb scrounger. . wink wink

Here I was thinking Tuomas would defend my women's rights. But alas he's going to turn into a sexist lazy bastard living off my hard-earned taxes. Well, not mine but you know what I mean.

― nathalie, Friday, 9 March 2007 14:54 (nineteen years ago)

Tuomas you could at least go busk for change, learn how to play bucket percussion, be the first go-go drummer in Helsinki or something.

― TOMBOT, Friday, 9 March 2007 14:56 (nineteen years ago)

O yu redundionist baasteds yu - like, Tuomas wouldn't have samthung bettah to do with his time than go'n drum on teh bucket, or samthung?!
Go pick yer nose with a homeless's chopstick, or samthung!

(;)

― t**t, Friday, 9 March 2007 15:32 (nineteen years ago)

on the new job note, I have found out over the last couple of days that some ridiculous number of people who turned over on my current program are working where I'm headed or if not there then right across the street. Mostly folks I remember fondly, at least one or two I'll be avoiding like the fucking plague though. You could say it's a tight-knit industry I'm in except that in sitting here for three years I've seen nearly every other position incl. upper management replaced at least twice.

― TOMBOT, Friday, 9 March 2007 15:52 (nineteen years ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.