Laid Off :(

[mjaclyn]

I'm so depressed right now - I basically just got laid off from my job. I'm a Graphic Designer and my boss said that they don't have enough work coming in to keep me on fulltime. He says he's very happy with the work I'm doing so he wants to continue our business relationship on a contract basis. That basically means to me that he wants me to do the same amount of work as I'm doing now for less money. I'm also very irritated because I was supposed to have my yearly review last JUNE and get a raise. It's been pushed off and pushed off and now he doesn't have to give me one! I'm depressed and ticked off at the same time. I really don't want to have to go through looking for a new job!

I'm also worried because we have our next trip to WDW planned for three weeks from now. How can I go and have fun knowing that we don't really have the money to spend? Our airline tickets, park tickets and room are already paid for and we're signed up for the dining plan. Maybe we should cancel the dining plan and try to save money on eating out. *sigh* Lots to think about...

[bleukarma]

I am so sorry that has happened to you! :( Losing your job is one of the worst feelings in the world! But, be confident in yourself and your abilities and another job will come along, hopefully a better one!

What's sad is, I work in real estate and I'm looking out for my pink slip at any time now. It's just a sign of the times.

[MaryPoppinsFan]

Sorry to hear about being laid off. I wish you the best of luck!
I can relate as I was laid off from my contract job at Sprint on New Year's Eve. Here in Michigan there is nothing right now, but I'm taking it easy and enjoying it, working on my school auction.
Enjoy Disney, it will all work out..:mickey:

[Ian]

Ugh ... been there ... I'm really sorry to hear it happened to you.

Honestly, I know it's a pain, but my suggestion is to get your resume together and start looking for a job immediately.

I'd contact local recruiters in your area, get them your resume, and put them to work looking for you and getting you interviews.

2008 is not supposed to bring good things for the economy and the job market and you don't want to sit around waiting for something to come to you. Get out in front of it and be aggressive.

[SBETigg]

I'm sorry you were laid off. But I do agree with Ian. It's not going to get any easier out there.
Better to get a jump on it now and work around your trip schedule than to lose all three weeks to inactivity.

As for the trip, you may not save much by skipping the dining plan. Try to work it out in advance to see if that would actually save you money or not before you decide to skip it. Best wishes with working it out and having a happy vacation.
:pixie:

[mjaclyn]

Does anyone know where I can find out what freelance graphic designers are charging as an hourly rate? I've been searching online but keep coming up empty. I need to compare rates to be able to show my (former) boss as to what I'm going to charge on a contract basis. It's been a really long time since I've worked freelance so I don't even know where to look.

[pogo]

I really don't know the complete story of your financial situation, but....


:congrats:

There are two ways you can handle it.

1) Sit there and :pout: and feel sorry for yourself. :shake: Cancel the trip and get whatever money back that you can. :(


OR

2) Go and have fun and try to figure a way to make this "wonderful change", work for you. Start your own business and give your self a raise. Tell your old boss you will do the contract work for him, but you name your price. Then go pick up other clients and you are off and running !


:yes:

Here in upstate New York, I know some people that have done just that in Graphic Design and they are doing very well ! :thumbsup:

This is a wonderful opportunity for you.... ddon't waste it ! :D

[princessjojo]

This is a wonderful opportunity for you.... don't waste it ! :D
:ditto: You now have lemons, make lemonade.... Good luck to you!!! You could always try lateral entry into teaching graphic design/art.

[prprincess]

LIke the old saying goes, when one door closes, another door opens. I'm sure that the same goes for your situation. I know that it's a pain to start looking for another job, but get out there and start as soon as you can since you never know how long it's going to take.

As for your trip, I say evaluate whether or not the dining plan is indeed going to save you money or not. If it is, keep it. And regardless, enjoy your trip and worry about finding a job when you get back home.

You'll be okay. There's always a way!

[Mufasa]

Keep in mind that continuing to work for your (former) employer on a contract basis brings with it some financial considerations you have to make from tax perspectives.

If this company wants to keep paying you at the same rate you were making as an employee and you'll be performing the same tasks as you were before- in the end you'll be making less than you were before since you're now responsible for reporting and paying the taxes for your work (in addition to not getting benefits, etc).

It's also questionable if this sort of arrangement would also raise red flags with the IRS for being misclassified as a contractor versus an employee (although as long as you report your income correctly this is more something the company that wants to retain your services needs to consider as they may subject themselves to harsh fines).

If you're serious about going into the freelance/contract route then you also may want to seriously consider setting up an LLC.

If I were in your situation, I'd look for employment elsewhere based on how they handled your performance review- just saying that they don't have enough work to justify full-time may not be proper justification for a layoff. Are they completely eliminating the position? Are there others in the organization doing graphic design work? Were other employees part of this layoff?

[PAYROLL PRINCESS]

I'd keep my trip plans and go and enjoy yourself. It's paid for so you're ok there.
I'd weigh my options and see if you would make more money collecting unemployment or doing contract work for the old employer. But if you do the contract work, get a reference letter from them and START looking. If they really valued you that much, they would have found a way to keep you on.
Good luck with your job hunting and I'm sure something better will come along.

[ElenitaB]

Mufasa brings up some very valid points. I also know that here in NY state, once a contractor works a certain number of hours, it demonstrates need for a full-time employee. Once you cross that threshold, they have two choices: they hire you back full-time or they stop using your services. It's a harsh reality, but ultimately, it demonstrates if they're just trying to get out of paying your benefits and employment taxes.

Good luck!

[mjaclyn]

It's also questionable if this sort of arrangement would also raise red flags with the IRS for being misclassified as a contractor versus an employee (although as long as you report your income correctly this is more something the company that wants to retain your services needs to consider as they may subject themselves to harsh fines).

The company was just audited last year and I'm 100% positive they DO NOT want to go down that road again. I will actually be billing them and they will be paying me as would any other bill - not through payroll.


Are they completely eliminating the position? Are there others in the organization doing graphic design work? Were other employees part of this layoff?

There is only one other person who does some graphic work and she is my boss's sister. It's a family run business so I doubt very much that she would be laid off as well. I was told that the company had a terrible year in 2007 and they are being forced to make a lot of changes in the company. I specifically asked if that meant more people would be let go and he said 'yes' without going into details. He also said that I was the only one getting severance pay and he also said that in a few months he's hoping to bring me back on fulltime. The company is scheduled to attend a big trade show in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. So hopefully they'll be seeing more jobs coming in from that.

As far as not having enough work for me, I HAVE seen a difference in the past few weeks. I've hardly had anything to do but just figured it was because of the holidays. Even though my boss is disorganized and notoriously cheap I do believe it when he said he has no choice. I can tell because if he had a different reason for letting me go, he wouldn't be giving me severance, offer to work on a contract basis or give me the false hope of working for him again in a few months. I'm not really sure at this point what I'm going to do yet - I think the first step for me is to dust off my resume and post it online. I most likely won't actively pursue anything until after our Disney trip when my severance is over and I'll know more about how many hours of contract work to expect from them. Thanks to everyone for all your advice. :)

[Terra]

Oh no, I am so sorry! You will sure be in my thoughts and prayers and sending lots of :pixie: that things pick up!!! Please keep us posted!!

[Melanie]

Sorry you are in this position. Best of luck to you in the future! :pixie:

[offwego]

Sorry to hear about this, I have no info to add but want to say that you may want to contact a local college to see what freelance rates are as their job placement arm may have a good idea.

[MsMin]

:hug: I hate hearing things like this. :( My dd is a graphic designer and did a lot of freelance before finding the job she has now. I can see if I can get some ideas about prices from her. I know what she'll say... what type of work ??? She did some websites and annual publications for companies and I think the rates are different. Feel free to PM me if you have specific ??? about what she charges and I can relay it to her.
I had a boss do something similar a while back. Basically I was doing contract work for her and she decided to change the payment until after she was paid by the contractor rather than to pay me for my work as we went along. That could have been months. I don't think it was legal but it wasn't worth fighting over it. I just found another job.
:pixie: for you and do try to enjoy your trip. I think I could save w/o the dining plan, in fact I know I did last trip. We had only 1 TS. It depends on your family and their eating styles I imagine.
I agree look for a job now b/c most ppl know you may not be able to start right away. I think it will make you feel better too than to go to WDW w/ that on your shoulders. Even though it can be hard to find a job in that short of time.
Good luck!

[murphy1]

So sorry to hear about this! I have been laid off twice as was my dh. It is so hard. I found it has always been a good thing and something better did happen to us in all cases. I don't know if you are interested, but I have seen graphic designers now selling their templates on Ebay and they are also doing websites. If you are interested in any of the boutique groups for business, I can tell you which ones I do. Another thing you might want to do is check with some local PR and ad agencies. Also check your local newspaper to see if they are hiring for ad layout (I used to be in marketing). As far as your trip, I would do it, and anyone will understand you have had it planned when they hire you.

[magicofdisney]

I'm sorry you're having to go through this. I'm sure it was a jolt. But like others have stated, you've been served lemons. Just think of your vacation as the beginning of a new and exciting chapter in your life. What better way to begin than with a Magical trip to Disney! GL with everything. :hug: