And so.....it has come to this.

Jon

Sorry to hear about your situation and good luck - go back and read the thread you strated a few months back - there were lots of good hints in it.

Thanks Derek, yes I have a feeling that thread will be worth re-visiting!

Cheers,

Jon

quote:

Originally posted by JonR:
But I wanted to be the one to tell them I was going, not the other way around! Typical!!

Look on the bright side though - this way you get a redundancy package.

Best of lock anyway - it's not nice news to hear and a few times in the past I've been the one delivering such news, which isn't too great either.

Jon

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Make your fortune.

LTD

JohnR,

I'm extremely sorry to hear your news, but now's an opportunity to do that pilot training we were discussing!

Redundancy can be a blessing in disguise in many ways, maybe it doesn't feel like it now but I'm sure it will once you plan a course of action. If I can help at all give me a shout. I'm not big on self-help books myself but one I read made a big impression on me - 'What should I do with my life' by Po Bronson - a set of around 30 stories of people who went off and did something radically different in their middle years because they felt unfulfilled. It doesn't actually offer any suggestions for how to work out what to do next (which I like) but it does make you realise that you are not alone in perhaps wanting more out of life.

With very best wishes for a bright new future!

Jonathan

Been there Jon, and it's no bag of laughs.

Of the 10 of us that got the heave then, 9 of us now think it is the best thing that ever happened.

The hardest part I found was not to take it personally. The second hardest thing was not to feel ashamed in some stupid way about it. Redundancy is a business tool nowadays and it happens to loads of good, hard working people.

You've made a good start by posting on here - not sure I could have done that at the time.

Good Luck.

Ian

Jon

This could well be the best thing that will happen to you.

I took voluntary early retirement last year after 22 yrs with the same employer.

I worked for only six months last year and doubled the previous years salary and that was at 55 yrs of age when you are considered over the hill.

There are opportunities galore out there, so take the money and run from your current employer.

I am richer and happier than ever before and my only regret is not leaving the old firm years ago.

Go for it.

Regards

Mick

JonR

I don't know you, but your post resonated with me. I hope you don't mind my presumptin in writing.
A long time ago now, I had a mother-in-law who was a deakeness in a church, well actually she was a Brigadeer in The Salvation Army. There was a time in my life when things were turned down as far as they could get. My world was falling apart. I felt then what I imagine you feel like now. She and I were talking and she came out with this gem: " Remember my son, now isn't always " she paused, then said" and if that doesn't help, just pee on it from a great height." There is nothing to be said, I would not presume to tell you how to feel, but somehow the imagery of what she said, brought a smile to my face. I hope it does that for you too.

Harry

Sage advice from Ian, I to have been in your position a couple of times and for the first few days the feeling of shame and lack of control over what is happening may make for a rough couple of days.

Things will get better.

Jon;

Sorry to hear your news. It is of course a psychological blow when one is told that one's services are no longer required.

However; as others have said - a redundancy package will give you some short term financial security, and you seem to have a positive mind-set of 'onwards and upwards'.

Perhaps you'll be able to send your ex-employer a post-card in a few months to tell them how happy you are in your new job, and thank them for doing you a favour.

Just hang onto that thought!

Good luck.

John.

Hi guys,

A really big THANKS to all your encouragement and good wishes - thank god for this forum!

Given the bank's reputation then if it does go all the way to redundancy then I'm not expecting anything particularly special, in any case some serious belt-tightening is in order - no more hifi upgrades for a while!

Yeah it does feel shit right now but as some of you have said it could be the best thing that ever happened and six months down the line I could well be thanking the bank for what they've done - well, I certainly hope so!

Thanks again guys - you are all great!

Cheers,

Jon

PS: Jon Gorse - thanks; I'll be in touch - I have a couple of questions for you anyway!

Chiming in as well...
Been there myself.
Once the axe fell (and I had NO idea it was coming) I rode the "roller coaster" of emotions but in the end I realized what a relief it was to be out of that job that was not getting any better. The tightwads I worked for had the most slim exit package imaginable but I managed to drive my Mercedes Benz to the unemployment office to collect my government check. I did this because of the incredible mound of paperwork my former employer had to complete.
And I parked that Benz a LONG way from the front door of the unemployment office!!!
Ultimately I made more than a full recovery, increased my salary by more than 20% in the next job and found the lessons learned from that episode have been valuable to me.
My only tactical recommendation is to be extra nice to the HR folks, they usually are more generous with people who are not complaining or upset.
There are many opportunites out there, you can find something far better.
I wish you speedy recovery, this is only a change of scenery for you I'm sure.
David

I was there almost 3 years ago. I also work in IT (java developer at the moment) and it didn't take long to find another job (well I started contracting). Although I didn't really do anything different, I just do contracting rather than permanent, I'm happier now than before.

You did mention tightening your belt and you really should follow your own advice there. After I was laid off I had a short holiday (which was already booked) and then cut down my spending which was hard after I got a big fat redundancy pay off in the bank. Once I found another job that was when I had a good time with the money, but still kept some back for a rainy day.

Keep them sweet Jon, judging by the unnecessary gardening leave its all over there now so no use kicking off.

Take a few days to yourself. The weathers lovely have a walk round.

Get your CV in order.

And as a good friend once told me, this is not personal, its business.

Unfortunately business can feel the most personal sometimes, best of luck. Come and visit soon I'll cheer you up with wine!

quote:

Originally posted by garyi:
Keep them sweet Jon, judging by the unnecessary gardening leave its all over there now so no use kicking off.

I think legislation requires a consultation period, but I've yet to see it manifested as anything other than being paid for a few weeks more while you look for a new job.

The last one I experienced involved closing down an office shortly after our company had been taken over. Step 1 was telling all the staff that there was a consultation underway to see if the office was viable and if their positions were still required, but all parties already knew the decision had been made and was irreversible. Most of the staff left that day and didn't come back, however we had recently won nearly £1M of new business (we were also one of only two profitable business units at the time!) and a couple of the managers (including me) managaged to structure a new company out of the ashes of the old office. Due to guilt on the part of the parent organization we managed to get a pretty decent deal - we still got paid redundancies (even though in my case they hadn't orginally been planning to make me redundant and had offered me another role), they sold us all the office equipment for next to nothing and made contractual changes which allowed us to pick up most of the work we'd recently won, plus taking on all existing support agreements etc. with other customers. One public sector customer wasn't able to switch to the new company though due to their procurement guidelines and handing back their £300K purchase order was not pleasant. :-(

4 years on and the parent company has long since gone under but we're still around!

Jon,

I can't add anything to the sage advice above except my best wishes for the future.

Hang in there.....

(Edited for typo)

Kevin

Tough break Jon, though it sounds like you’re well out of it. No real advice to offer. I’d be tempted to get out of the house and spend the next few days doing the spontaneous goofy, fun stuff that work previously got in the way of. Then I’d settle into a routine eating healthy, avoiding drink, avoiding daytime TV, going for a bike ride and during office hours weighing up the options and planning my new, improved life.

Part of me is quite envious.

Good luck mate.

It will be a blessing in disguise Jon. May not seem like it now but just you wait....

Good luck and best wishes.

Jon

Assumimg that there was a pension involved with the last job - do not do anything precipitous with it - take advice as to whether to leave it with the previous employer's scheme or to move it.

You might get the employer to provide access to financial advisors. You also might get career advice and retraining costs - so take what is on offer.

Jon,

very sorry to hear the news. I have sent you an email at home,

Regards

Nigel

Thanks again guys, some really great advice there, just like on my 'wise counsel sought' thread!

Feeling a bit more positive today, which is not difficult as yesterday I was hanging me head in shame and feeling pretty sorry for myself!

Derek yes I do have a pension scheme with the bank and I'll find out what happens to that hopefully at the meeting next week. They have an internal monthly bulletin giving details of other vacancies within the business and I'm going to be encouraged to look through that to see what other positions there are available.

Gary you are right about not kicking off and in the event that redundancy becomes a reality I will try to ensure I leave on the best terms possible. Oh, by the way - I'm going to hold you to that bottle of wine as well!!

Cheers,

Jon

Best of luck, Jon.

quote:

Originally posted by Tarquin Maynard-Portly:
Bummer, Jon.

Now might be the time to restart your International Porn Star career we discussed at Bristol last year?

Hehe Mike! Unfortunately were I to take up your suggestion I would have re-christened myself Tarquin, but as you already have this moniker I'm afraid you have unwittingly curtailed my fledgling career move before it has even started

Cheers,

Jon

quote:

Originally posted by Markus Sauer:
Best of luck, Jon.

Markus,

Thank you.

Cheers,

Jon

quote:

Originally posted by JonR:
Given the bank's reputation then if it does go all the way to redundancy then I'm not expecting anything particularly special

Jon - it must be the season; my housemate (who's actually, oddly enough, just handed in notice for a new job) discovered yesterday that his crrent employer - yep, a bank - is axing the whole processing centre that he's leaving - in November. Talk about "merchant bankers"...

Anyhow - good luck with everything - hope it all pans out well for you