Double Redundancy
This is about what happens after a double redundancy.
We have had quite a bit of response to our article ‘Being Unemployed in the Downturn’. That’s especially from people who have been in the middle of it.
Here is one from someone we‘ll call Simon. We don‘t want to add to his woes by publishing his name.
Simon‘s Tale of Double Redundancy
‘I too have my own tale.
I got my redundancy from an IT consultancy.
Luckily I found employment in July with a major internet venture but was the victim of another redundancy again.
Both redundancies made enormous impact on my well-being, leading me to make some very bad choices in my personal life.
I have found temporary work in the latter months of last year. I am currently working for the Post Office delivering mail for a fraction of the money I used to get.
Partner Quits
Just when I thought I was getting it together, my partner dropped the bombshell that she wanted out just after New Year.
So on top of trying to pick myself up again, I have also lost my rock – and shortly my home.
I enter the new year facing more uncertainty than ever. However, I at least feel that fighting feeling starting to return which I think will be the turnaround in my fortunes.
To everyone else out there who may be going through similar problems my advice would be to get some help.
It’s not worth doing the man thing and trying to do it alone. Good luck everyone’.
IT Contractor Comment
Bloody hell – and I was feeling a little bit down because it‘s pissing down outside.
I must confess that I felt very sorry for Simon when reading this mail. But the thing about it is that there must be thousands of people out there like Simon, in similar situations.
He must feel that he is someone who is in a very risky profession, who needs to earn a bit more during the good times so that he can take care of himself during the bad times.
Dumped by Their Partners
It does seem to be a regular theme, recently, that people in IT are being dumped by their partners when the going gets tough, and the money stops flowing in.
Recent anecdotal experience seems to suggest that men seem to be more supportive of women who have lost their jobs.
Too many women still have the view that their ‘man‘ is there to financially support them – even though women now make up 52% of the workforce.
Losing Home
Simon packed in so much bad news that the fact that he was just about to lose his home was almost a throwaway line.
I don‘t think there‘s much advice I can give to Simon except to say that it can‘t be this bad forever. The recovery has started (though we seem to have been saying that forever).
I remember the downturn of the early nineties, when many people in IT thought that the game was up and that they would never work again.
A few years later the IT market had rebounded to new peaks. Let‘s hope that it does the same again.
All I can say to Simon, after his double redumdancy, is that he keeps trying to find work. It‘ll come when you least expect it.
And next time get a proper women rather than a girly-girl who is off when the money runs out.
