When do you know it's time to move on?

[BurnsWhenIPee]

I was 48 when I was separated, after marking my 20-year anniversary at the sweat shop a few months earlier. I was the longest-tenured person there, and my 20-year mark came and went without a peep from anyone there (should have been a sign). Unemployed and living off the severance + unemployment for the full 5 months that I got, and started my new job a week after that ran out.

The (only?) good thing about COBRA is the ability to obtain coverage retroactively. So I could have been 4 months post-layoff, have no insurance, then I find a growth, see the doctor, find out it's cancer, and then say, "Yeah, I want COBRA coverage", pay the (ridiculous) premiums from my layoff to that current day, and I'd have coverage.

 

[wicked]

I think the last time I was offered COBRA it was $900 or so a month. I hate to see what it is now.

 

[MileHigh]

I think the last time I was offered COBRA it was $900 or so a month. I hate to see what it is now.

When I got laid off last August, I think it was about $1,200 a month. I held my breath for six months until I got a new job.

 

[SixToe]

@Dirk Legume If you and the missus can handle it financially, put in your notice and go enjoy being with her chasing the kiddos.

Your current 9-5 is 'not the same, but OK.' They denied you a raise of a few dimes to get above $20. You see what's coming.

If you believe they might offer a buyout package (even small) and your wife is good with you staying, stay. If you think you'll get a call one day or find the doors locked or "Hey, today at 5 p.m. the lights go out" and no buyout or jelly of the month card, then leave now.

Being scared is OK, but don't let it paralyze you. I worked with a person who was scared but moreso she didn't have anything to retire to, and didn't take the first or second buyouts. She worked almost four decades and got bupkis because she allowed emotion to override common sense.

If they close, they close. They're going to close with or without you.

 

[Dirk Legume]

@Dirk Legume If you and the missus can handle it financially, put in your notice and go enjoy being with her chasing the kiddos.

Your current 9-5 is 'not the same, but OK.' They denied you a raise of a few dimes to get above $20. You see what's coming.

If you believe they might offer a buyout package (even small) and your wife is good with you staying, stay. If you think you'll get a call one day or find the doors locked or "Hey, today at 5 p.m. the lights go out" and no buyout or jelly of the month card, then leave now.

Being scared is OK, but don't let it paralyze you. I worked with a person who was scared but moreso she didn't have anything to retire to, and didn't take the first or second buyouts. She worked almost four decades and got bupkis because she allowed emotion to override common sense.

If they close, they close. They're going to close with or without you.

Thanks, I appreciate the advice, and you're not wrong. I have probably given similar advice to to others. Currently working on putting together an exit plan.

 

[TigerVols]

Thanks, I appreciate the advice, and you're not wrong. I have probably given similar advice to to others. Currently working on putting together an exit plan.

Good. At $19.32 an hour to be the voice of a company, you don’t owe anyone anything. Go play with the grandkid, they are amazing and they grow up way too fast.

 

[DanOregon]

Never too early to start downloading stuff on the company computer you want to take home.

 

[wicked]

Never too early to start downloading stuff on the company computer you want to take home.

But be careful to not tip your hand about a possible future employer.

Joe Gibbs Racing v. Chris Gabehart - Wikipedia

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Let’s say for the purposes of this answer that you have a Monday-Friday job.

What time on Sunday do you start thinking about the job and what’s ahead on Monday? Is it a calm, mundane thought or does it put your stomach in knots? Is it a passing thought or does you keep brooding on it?

If the thought of Monday eats up half your weekend, that can’t stand for long.

This is really good advice, which I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.

In so many ways, I’m in a better position than I’ve ever been in journalism. Better pay, much better hours, much better benefits, actual stability, and the work I do can absolutely be emotionally rewarding at times.

But lately on Saturdays and Sundays, I’ve been finding myself worried about the upcoming Mondays and week and finding myself getting stressed out.

A lot of that has to do with the workload, which has essentially doubled in the last six months or so. There isn’t any quotas or anything; I can mostly work at my own pace except for a couple priority things, and my boss is great, says she absolutely trusts me and sincerely says she feels horrible whenever she has to assign more work.

But it’s getting to where I’m thinking and worrying about work when I’m off the clock, and that rarely happened before.

There is hope as, unlike in newspapers, my employer actually hires replacements when people leave and has actually expanded our staff anyways. But the newer people are still on the learning curve and my other colleagues are also feeling stressed by their workloads.

I’m not looking to leave or change careers again, as there are considerably more positives than in my newspaper career. I just need to stop having work live rent-free in my head.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

This question is affecting me for a different reason. I have what I believe to be a very real fear that, if I leave, the shop will close, get consolidated into a nearby market and people I care about will most likely lose their jobs.

Am I that special, not at all. And I am very replaceable. Some background"

I hosted the morning show on our, small/medium-ish, market station from 1996 until my on-air partner retired last February. After talking it over with my family, I decided that getting up early every day was no longer fun and I put my notice in as well. The company came back to me with an offer to move to 10a-to 3p on air and work a regular 9-5 schedule. I took it and it's been OK. It's not the same, but it's OK.

Over the course of the last year, it's become very apparent that my company, which owns stations in 3 markets is just getting by. People who leave haven't been replaced, equipment that fails is just patched together and we're told to do the best we can. It's essentially the same thing that has happened in newspapers.

My wife is retiring at the end of June to take care of our grandchild and want's me to go too, figuring a zone defense against a toddler is better than man-to-man. She has done the financial heavy lifting for our family for as long as I've been in radio as being a big fish in a small pond is nice for the ego, but it doesn't pay much. I make $19.32 an hour, haven't had a raise in 7 years, and recently was denied a bump to over $20 which I asked for because I felt I deserved at least that for the longevity. They ignored the request, so there's something there about respect for sure. It's probably time to go.

But, if I go, there is a very real chance they will close this office, move it's operations to one of our other markets, and let the people that work here go. These people are my friends and I am having a hard time coming to terms with the thought that I might be the reason they lose their jobs.

I may not be the glue holding the place together, but I might be. And it scares me. So I just keep coming to work.

I don’t have much to add other than reiterating the others’ encouraging remarks. But I will say that I got a good chuckle at your line about you and your wife doing a zone defense instead of man-to-man against your grandchild.

I’m just imaging you and your wife saying, “OK, Honey, you have between the TV and the coffee table. I have between the coffee table and the couch. Be careful of any wooden blocks or Tinker Toys. OK? Break!”

 

[Dirk Legume]

I don’t have much to add other than reiterating the others’ encouraging remarks. But I will say that I got a good chuckle at your line about you and your wife doing a zone defense instead of man-to-man against your grandchild.

I’m just imaging you and your wife saying, “OK, Honey, you have between the TV and the coffee table. I have between the coffee table and the couch. Be careful of any wooden blocks or Tinker Toys. OK? Break!”

Lol...You're not far off. A new toybox was purchase to go along with the existing toybox to, along with the couch and loveseat, create a box ( a decent sized box, we're not monsters) for her to play in.

Problem one, at about 2 weeks short of ten months, she started walking last night. Problem two, she also has figured out how to climb on, and over, things. It looks like i won't be leaving my job until the end of summer for a couple of reasons. My wife becomes the full time day care person July first. She wants to to it, and when I get there, I want to help. But we gon' be tires all the time!

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Lol...You're not far off. A new toybox was purchase to go along with the existing toybox to, along with the couch and loveseat, create a box ( a decent sized box, we're not monsters) for her to play in.

Problem one, at about 2 weeks short of ten months, she started walking last night. Problem two, she also has figured out how to climb on, and over, things. It looks like i won't be leaving my job until the end of summer for a couple of reasons. My wife becomes the full time day care person July first. She wants to to it, and when I get there, I want to help. But we gon' be tires all the time!

Maybe run the picket fence on her, or see if 65 Toss Power Trap will work.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

A year too soon rather than a year too late.

 

[Dirk Legume]

Well, turns out the decision was made for me. I have been laid off, effective June, 26th.

It's going to be OK. The plan I had come up with was to leave at the end of October and my wife says this won't change anything financially for us, but it still feels weird. In October of 1987, I walked into a radio station and went to work. That one sold in 1996 and I started where I am now the following Monday. All I've really done for the last 40 years is work on the radio.

I really appreciate all the advice I've received from folks in this thread. It's been incredibly helpful. On to the next thing, I guess. Camp MimiPopPop daycare opens for business July 1st.

Time to figure out if we can run a box and one on a toddler with just 2 people and some furniture.

 

[UNCGrad]

Well, turns out the decision was made for me. I have been laid off, effective June, 26th.

It's going to be OK. The plan I had come up with was to leave at the end of October and my wife says this won't change anything financially for us, but it still feels weird. In October of 1987, I walked into a radio station and went to work. That one sold in 1996 and I started where I am now the following Monday. All I've really done for the last 40 years is work on the radio.

I really appreciate all the advice I've received from folks in this thread. It's been incredibly helpful. On to the next thing, I guess. Camp MimiPopPop daycare opens for business July 1st.

Time to figure out if we can run a box and one on a toddler with just 2 people and some furniture.

Wishing you all the best of luck, Dirk. Hate to hear this, but happy to hear the support you have in your wife and family. Open up the good stuff tonight (or right now) and toast what has surely been a helluva career.

 

[SixToe]

Echo what @UNCGrad said. Pop the corks, celebrate, reminisce and cry a bit, and then start the defensive game plan for Toddlerburg.

 

[qtlaw]

Well, turns out the decision was made for me. I have been laid off, effective June, 26th.

It's going to be OK. The plan I had come up with was to leave at the end of October and my wife says this won't change anything financially for us, but it still feels weird. In October of 1987, I walked into a radio station and went to work. That one sold in 1996 and I started where I am now the following Monday. All I've really done for the last 40 years is work on the radio.

I really appreciate all the advice I've received from folks in this thread. It's been incredibly helpful. On to the next thing, I guess. Camp MimiPopPop daycare opens for business July 1st.

Time to figure out if we can run a box and one on a toddler with just 2 people and some furniture.

I’ve been told that the scheme is only as good as the players; sounds like you’ve got a good teammate.

 

[dixiehack]

Time to figure out if we can run a box and one on a toddler with just 2 people and some furniture.

It will be Canada Day. Time to pick up an NHL free agent defenceman on a short-term deal.

Congratulations on the head start for what you were already planning to do.

 

[maumann2]

Well, turns out the decision was made for me. I have been laid off, effective June, 26th.

It's going to be OK. The plan I had come up with was to leave at the end of October and my wife says this won't change anything financially for us, but it still feels weird. In October of 1987, I walked into a radio station and went to work. That one sold in 1996 and I started where I am now the following Monday. All I've really done for the last 40 years is work on the radio.

I really appreciate all the advice I've received from folks in this thread. It's been incredibly helpful. On to the next thing, I guess. Camp MimiPopPop daycare opens for business July 1st.

Time to figure out if we can run a box and one on a toddler with just 2 people and some furniture.

FORTY YEARS!

You lasted 15 years longer than I did. I told Gwen many years ago, if I came home from the radio station and wondered why I was still in radio, it was time to leave. That came in 1991. I have missed it only a handful of times (although I can't help doing play-by-play under my breath at baseball games).

Good luck on your future endeavors. And remember, you have unlimited timeouts.

 

[UNCGrad]

So, here's the deal.

It's a newspaper.

I know. I know.

But it's different here. It's a newspaper that THRIVES in this community. A community that CARES and engages and supports it. And will ***** when it's mad. Not sure I want to be on that firing line, but...

I'm being chased to be the Executive Editor of this paper. Chased HARD.

The money is good. Better than what I make now. I wouldn't have to move. It's literally home. The newsroom staff is strong. Good mix of kids and vets at a weekly. The ad department is even stronger. The digital product is good and improving and has a reach. Good newsletter.

It's journalism. Journalism! I've been in PR and I hate where it's going in my industry. I hate "INFLUENCERS."

And this paper was literally my first byline when I was 14. (I'm 50 now.)

I'm extremely intrigued.

But...it's a newspaper. Everything I know tells me that journalism sucks, especially print.

But I think I want to do this.

If I got an offer, I think I'd take it.

More to come.