Just when we'd all but forgotten about those rebate checks many of us received this Summer, the subject is coming up again now that we are approaching the year's end. Now is the time when many Americans begin to organize their documents for the upcoming tax season — can you believe the April deadline is just five months away? As you are entertaining the idea of filing your tax return, keep in mind that there could be more money headed your way than you'd thought.
Severance packages are like parting gifts from an employer that say 'sorry things didn't work out.' Forty-five percent of you said you'd
volunteer to give up your job if your boss asked for volunteers, and if that were reality you'd be rewarded with a severance package.
Because most companies use their own formulas for determining severance, it's difficult to predict how much severance you'd get should a pink slip come your way.
It's a troubling time for the publishing industry, and the largest US company of them all, Time Inc., is reacting by cutting jobs from its magazines.
Time has asked for 100 volunteers from its editorial staff at a handful of publications, including Time, People, and Sports Illustrated, to volunteer to give up their jobs.
Volunteers would of course leave with severance packages (terms undisclosed to the media).
Watching a co-worker pack up after being laid off is saddening for those workers that made it through layoffs. Employees across most industries in the US are experiencing this solemn situation, and we should be prepared with what to say when someone we worked with gets a pink slip, so that we don't unintentionally come off as insensitive colleagues. See my tips for how to respond when you're told a co-worker will no longer be on payroll when you .
I was shocked back in July when 62 percent of you said that
you knew someone who had lost a job this year, because at the time I personally didn't know anyone that had suffered a job loss in 2008. The
job market has worsened swiftly since the crazy events of this Fall and, unfortunately, I now know many people who have lost their jobs. The change in perspective has me wondering, do you know anyone who has been affected with job loss since September rolled around?
About 760,000 US workers were laid off this year and
25 percent of employers anticipate layoffs in the next 12 month period. It's suggested that the big question for some sectors isn't if, but when, layoffs will occur, and here are the industries that experts say are more vulnerable to a compromised workforce than others.
- Housing: Beyond the jobs lost from the mortgage meltdown like mortgage lenders and homebuilders, jobs in commercial real-estate and at real-estate agencies could be the next to go.
- Finance: Expect more layoffs as financial firms reorganize and consolidate.
- Retail: The holidays look dismal for retailers and that doesn't fare well for industry employees.
- Publishing: We can expect tough times ahead for newspapers and magazines that rely on advertisers.
- Autos: Plummeting sales will likely lead to layoffs in manufacturing and at dealerships and suppliers.
- Travel: With consumers spending less on travel, there may be layers of layoffs from airlines, rental cars, hotels, and restaurants.
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There may be signs that
your job is on the rocks, and as the job market has been looking increasingly grim many experts remind us to have a backup plan in case we lose our jobs. Have you been crafting a plan to fall back on if you get a pink slip?
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The economy shed
159,000 jobs in September, which is the most in a one-month period since 2003. Layoffs are becoming a real possibility, and whether or not you
think you're likely to go first it's important to consider what would happen if the next pink slip is pointed at you. The news of job loss may shake you up, so workplace guru
Liz Ryan reminds us of five things to remember when a pink slip has been served.
Unemployment numbers have been rising throughout the year, with the economy losing more than 600,000 jobs so far. If a company is facing financial trouble that mandates cutting overhead costs, we're all left wondering, will it be my head or hers? Maintaining a
live document with your job history is a good idea no matter the state of the economy, but now more than ever before in your professional lives it may pay off to be prepared.
Job loss in a weak job market can make it tough to get back on your feet, and there are only so many positions to go around when there are so many people looking for employment. If you faced unemployment, would you turn to your parents for help and possibly go as far as moving back in with them?
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