October 21, 2010
Dear Everyone:
Other options that I didn’t go into last week:
“Redeployment”: After my
“transition job” ends, I will be eligible for Redeployment.
(That’s “transition” spelled ‘p-i-t-y’.)
In military terms, “redeployment” means “We’re sending you into
combat again. Hope you don’t
die out there.” Here it
means, “You’re allowed to try desperately to find another job somewhere
within the Company before a certain deadline. Good luck”
(That’s “good luck” spelled ‘don’t hold your breath’.)
There are certain caveats involved in “redeployment”. (Caveat is a Latin term meaning, “Danger, Will Robinson!"
The first caveat is that you need to find a job that you are qualified
to do. And they have to want
you. Who is going to want to
hire someone who’s over 55 years old, and likely to retire in the next
five to six years?
Back when all this started, a friend of mine went into the Job Postings
Site and looked up “Information Risk Management” (IRM) and found
“dozens” of instances where various Operating Companies and Department
were advertising for an “IRM Coordinator”.
Interestingly enough, all those jobs have vanished.
Yet another indication that Company is throwing
Records and
Information Management (RIM) out the window.
Next caveat: If you do find
a job that you think you’re qualified to do, you have to decide if you
want it. If so, you have
to go through the usual application and interview process, as painful as
that may be. But for the
sake of argument, let’s say we find a job and apply for it, etc.
If they offer you the job, hurray!
Except…
No Severance Package. You’re
not being “severed”, so you don’t need the package, right?
In other words, do you like the (possible) job well enough to be
willing to give up a year’s
salary (minus 42%, of course) to get it?
Even better, if they offer you the job and you decide against it,
you lose the Severance Package anyway.
So the first question is:
Does the job look good enough to be worth losing a year’s salary for it?
Nevertheless, I will check the Open Jobs at least weekly between now and
next June. (Yes, I’m allowed
to look for jobs even before the “Redeployment” begins.)
If I do find a job, I’ll have to ask myself the hard questions:
Why do you want to stay with the Company for another five years?
(Because I’ll have that much more saved for retirement.)
How much is that?
(Assuming my salary stays about the same, around $50,000.)
Is it worth that much to stay employed, dragging yourself out of
bed every morning in the dark for another five years?
(Well, gee. When you
put it that way…)
Next option: “Outplacement”.
There is a company that is raking in big bucks “helping” former employees find a new job out there in the
real world. They offer the
usual “aptitude” tests, resume-writing-assistance, and job referrals.
This comes after you’ve been thrown to the wolves, so you don’t
give up the Severance Package.
On the other hand, I found out this week that you’re not allowed to do
more than introduce yourself to them before the “Redeployment Period” is
completed. This is generally
60-days or six weeks, depending on the whims of the Powers That Be.
Still, it might be interesting to see what all happens.
I more or less fell into this job 37 years ago.
Wouldn’t hurt to find out what else is out there.
Other options:
Unemployment
Insurance. I’ve been paying
into that system for 37 years.
Shouldn’t I get something out of it?
Stay tuned for further developments.
And “Jeannie” reminded me last weekend that we both have a “life
insurance” policy with an insurance company, the same one that insures
my condo. Years and years
ago, we both signed up for “life insurance” which would turn into an
“annuity” if either of us failed to die within a certain period of time.
We even made each other the beneficiary, which is why the
insurance agent said, “Just in case you’re both in the same car crash…”
so we made “Alice” the “alternate beneficiary”.
(Note to “Alice”:
That was changed to “my estate” back when we made our wills.)
So I need to dig out the latest notice from the insurance company, which
has gladly extracted $55.00 from my checking account every month for
decades, to see how much it might be worth now.
Every little bit helps.
Love, as always,
Pete
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