Laid off for downturn, now they want my help on the phone!

[Darthomas]

I work in a business where work comes and goes, high volume offset web printing.
20% layoff a few weeks ago.
This morning my supervisor calls and a press is dead in the water.
They want to pick my brain while I'm starving. I gave some advice, told them I need a letter stating I'm laid off for lack of work so the "family" court does not issue an arrest warrant for lack of child support payments.
This is hilarious! Let them lose a few DAYS of production, and think about how much they're saving with me laid off.
My supervisor, calling ME, asking what to do? I resisted the inclination to rub their faces in their own stupidity, as my sup is a good guy, and I'm no a-hole.
I worked 15 years for that press manufacturer on the road, killing problems. This is too rich!

 

[747mopar]

Same just happened to my dad, parents handed the business down to their bean counter kids who decided to cut the highest paid employees.... my dad. Now that they realize why he was paid that much they want to pay him a consultant fee to do their thinking for them. He's 67 and is just calling it retired.

 

[Darthomas]

At 54, I can't just retire, but I am enjoying the irony of their situation.

 

[Mopars & Missiles]

At 54, I can't just retire, but I am enjoying the irony of their situation.

I understand your situation as the same happened to me at 52. But when I was being shown the door on the last day, I told my supervisor that if something changed that they needed help, I would consider a part-time consulting position if they wanted my help in the future. 3 or 4 months later he called me up and suddenly I was working again but at 3 times the pay and only when I wanted to work. Now 10 years later, I'm to the point where I'm just not willing to help them out anymore. Its time for REAL retirement now.

So what I'm trying to say is, you should offer to consult for them, but if you do, be sure to stick it to them. You are worth a lot more than they ever paid you in the past.

Good luck!

 

[YY1]

Don't forget to figure self employment tax into your consulting fees.

I agree triple with an agreed minimum is a good starting point.

 

[Cranky]

Early in my career as a machinist for an oil company, the shop bought a brand new CNC machine. They knew I had come from another company with that type of experience and I even reminded them but they had better plans for their 'chosen' few. Years later when those people moved on and didn't have anyone else with any knowledge of how to run it is when the company came to me and asked if I wanted the job. I just laughed and walked away.

 

[Darthomas]

Don't forget to figure self employment tax into your consulting fees.

I agree triple with an agreed minimum is a good starting point.

When I was with the press manufacturer, that's exactly what they paid for my services, 3 times as much as I was paid in house.

 

[Darthomas]

When the layoff happened, I told them I needed back a 120 to 240 isolation transformer and uninterruptible power supply I had loaned them to keep their 10 million dollar newest press running, and they had to scramble quick and buy replacements for the coming Monday..
I told them I needed them to sell for $$.

 

[Beekeeper]

I guess I would have to tell them to kick rocks or pay up

 

[Darthomas]

I guess I would have to tell them to kick rocks or pay up

The printing industry is small, and everyone knows everyone else.
I don't ever burn bridges, but I've never back-tracked, either.
Just left a msg with another printer who I knew from my days on the road.

 

[Darthomas]

Printers call each other @ 3 AM, hoping a competitor has a part in stock to keep them running, and the competitor often DOES share a spare part on their shelf, knowing they will be in the same predicament sooner or later.

 

[Bb70charger500]

I would of told them to pound dirt.
I got hurt in the job years ago. (Yes a bit different situation) the guys in the shop disowned me thinking I was going to eat them out for borrowing company stuff. Well one day I get a call from one of the guys he's been working on a special piece of equipment that I was the only one that knew about this antique p.o.s. I helped him out beings it was down for 3 days and that's not a cheap machine to have not working. So after that I got calls twice a week asking for help . I've since parted ways with the company (not nicely) and now the branch manager calls to ask for help because there mechanic s can't figure something out. It truly is sad . But since I sit at home by my self since about 5 years ago it feels kinda good to actually think about something. I should request a fee for my help . I've had it to a point where one guy brought me something he couldn't figure out .
I miss working !

 

[Speedbird]

Your "supervisor" did not know your job.
Typical in my some of my experiences.
I've seen people training "supervisors".
So what was his "job" when you had a job?
Being sure you did your job? (sarcasm)

 

[Swampdog]

I worked for a Large Helicopter Operator (PHI). During the down turn last year they ASK and gave out Voluntary Early Retirement Packages (VERP's). If you were Medicare age,65+ and had 20 years with the company they offered 2 weeks pay for every year you had with the company. I was 69 with 38 years. I got app. 1.5 years pay.
They got rid of a high paying employee and I retired. So there are some decent companies out there.

A month or so later the called and wanted me to come back as a consultant to help start an operation in Trinidad. I declined. A month after that they offer me a 60 day contract to make a FAA approved maintenance program for for 2 new aircraft types.
I just finished that project.

They still call me for advice which I am glad to help if I can.

 

[Cranky]

I worked for a Large Helicopter Operator (PHI). During the down turn last year they ASK and gave out Voluntary Early Retirement Packages (VERP's). If you were Medicare age,65+ and had 20 years with the company they offered 2 weeks pay for every year you had with the company. I was 69 with 38 years. I got app. 1.5 years pay.
They got rid of a high paying employee and I retired. So there are some decent companies out there.

A month or so later the called and wanted me to come back as a consultant to help start an operation in Trinidad. I declined. A month after that they offer me a 60 day contract to make a FAA approved maintenance program for for 2 new aircraft types.
I just finished that project.

They still call me for advice which I am glad to help if I can.

Man...I retired 10 years ago when I was 55 and imo, it's the best thing I ever did even though I got beat up with the downturn in 07 etc. I'm not living under a bridge and I'm getting to do things that I never would have been able to when I was working. The biggest plus is my back doesn't hurt much at all any more!

 

[Swampdog]

Man...I retired 10 years ago when I was 55 and imo, it's the best thing I ever did even though I got beat up with the downturn in 07 etc. I'm not living under a bridge and I'm getting to do things that I never would have been able to when I was working. The biggest plus is my back doesn't hurt much at all any more!

I really enjoyed my time working on helicopters, 38 years and 4 more in the Marines.
From about 5 years on I never worked out of a tool box but I really liked the being on the leading edge of new aviation technology. That why I was still working at 69.

 

[Brandy]

I hated to be medically retired from the Army at the 30 year mark. I'm only 58. I miss the gunships and the action, the camaraderie. I really wanted to see the Block 3's come out.

 

[67GTX440]

My boss at work just had his job abolished at 80 and he was probably the hardest working guy there. I would hate to try and defend that age discrimination claim.

 

[khryslerkid]

I like how you started this under "jokes and funny stuff"
I was laid off last November and it's not that easy finding something at 60. Too young to retire, too old to hire. I've had some really good interviews, but I'm getting beat out on the final decision. I'm picking up on the fact, that the more expensive health care for seniors is having an effect on being hired. Most companies match what you have to pay. With my last job, of ten years, the premiums almost doubled for the older employees and was cut almost in half for the younger ones. Guess which ones were laid off. Several of the jobs that I interviewed for, stated that their benifits don't even kick in until six mounts!
No extensions on the unemployment, so it's going to become real fun, real soon!

 

[Darthomas]

In the last two months there I began to deliberate sabotage done within the last few minutes of the previous shift, intended to make my day difficult.
I always reported this my sup, but the giy who did it is still there.
In the most blatant one, a connector that locks and clips onto an output control board to provide permissive signals to the two 250hp DC motor drives had been ever-so-slyly lifted from the back end of the connector about 3/16 ths of an inch, just enough to break the run permissive.
I called the lead pressman before touching it, because he had already rolled the press for 20 minutes to warm it up just before shift change. I may still write to the owners to let them know what kind of people are there. Only took me 10 minutes to spot.
We were short on cash, so I would repair to circuit board level, or dream up some effective rigging to keep us running.
On several occaisions, I would find my work smashed with a hammer and tossed in the trash by those who don't have such skills. I would upload a picture, but my phone doesn't seem to be able.