I was made reduntant today, after over 26 years with the same company.  Guess that gives you a clue that I'm no spring chicken :-)   Sitting here and drinking my second glass of wine with tears streaming down my eyes.  I love(d) my job but hated my manager of the past three years, so I am sure she is thrilled that she finally got the opportunity to be rid of me. 

Not sure which end is up at the moment.  Have to go into the office tomorrow to talk to HR about the redundancy package. Don't really want to to be honest, but I supposed getting it over is best.

Until I started on my second glass of Pinot Grigio I was dealing with this okay, sort of happy that I would have a chance to pull my life together and start afresh in a way.  I don't have a mortgage and no financial worries - at least at the moment.  

I guess I'm in shock and really frightened.   I know I'm amongst hundreds of thousands across the world in the same position .. so apart from my &!!@@@ of a manager I am going to try and not take this personally, although at the moment that's a stretch.

Truth is that it's time I took stock of my life and thought about how I wanted to live for the rest of it ... so in the end I hoping that this proves to be a good thing.

What a bummer. :-( I'm so sorry, it's always such a kick in the teeth, and very difficult not to take personally. Words of wisdom? Wallow in it tonight - feel as wretched and hard-done-by as you want. Tomorrow's time enough to pick yourself up and start to deal with it.

Practicalities? Register with your local Jobcentre as soon as possible.

I'm so sorry :-(  You are right not to take this personally.  I hope your redundancy package is a good one and will help you look forward to the new doors to be opened.

Sorry to hear about your situation, finish the bottle of wine! IMO you need to think of the positives... firstly, you get a redundancy package. You mentioned you are pretty sorted financially, which in the current climate is significant. Secondly, you are now rid of that horrible manager! No matter how much you loved your job, if the person keeping tabs on you was an idiot it was always going to taint your work. And lastly, this gives you an opportunity to take stock and maybe take a new path. You are never too old to change tack and do something you love equally as much as your previous job. I am one of those people that thinks everything happens for a reason... at the time it is horrible but maybe this is putting you on track for something really amazing and life changing?

PS: Make sure you go and see HR, sort out your leaving package and then get on with living your life. It's a huge shock and is going to take some time getting used to- just think of the spare time you are going to have for long dog walks and 'me' time. :-D

Sorry to hear your news and that it's made you so sad but, as you say, it gives you a chance to take stock especially if money isn't too pressing. 

And don't worry about not being a spring chicken. This old boiler decided that twenty-five years in one profession was enough and started a new one is rescue at the age of fifty-four.  The hours are long, the money's cr@p and stories heart-breaking but I've never been happier. 

Chin up and on we go.  Been made redundant twice now and no spring chicken either.  You're right to feel down just now but put your thinking head on in the morning and go after that new start the sooner the better.  I'm going to start grooming course with a salon soon so that I can set up business with my son so there may well be a silver lining you just got to poke about a bit :-)

My advice to you is that you need to focus now on getting the best deal for yourself. Don't let yourself be steamrollered into anything by HR until you have had an opportunity to take financial and legal advice. I don't know if you have a pension but all these things will require your full attention. Pretend you are doing all this not for you but for someone else you really care about. You need to put your emotions to one side, or, to put it another way, don't sign or agree to anything if you are feeling choked up and emotional.

I really feel for you but forced change can become the greatest gift. A whole new world of opportunities awaits you.

Don't take it personally, everyone is cutting back right now and I doubt that the chemistry between you and your manager had very much to do with it.

Very best of luck and chin up.

Hi

just wanted to say I am in a very similar position to you - I officially get made redundant on 16th january although I havent had to go into the office since the 20th December.

I'm not panicking as much now as I was although being honest I do have the occasional sleepless night about lack of income.  However, it does make you think about what you would like to do as a change - I've made my decisions and am working towards them.

I hope the shock passes soon and you can start enjoying planning your future 

Maxine

So sorry to hear.

Back in august my boyfriend was told he was being made redundant and given a months notice.  it's taken him 3 months to find another job which he has just started and he ot no redundancy package as only with company for 18 months (Said company who head-hunted him in the first place...ARGH.)

Finish the bottle of wine, and have a nice sleep.  Things always happen for a reason I think, hopefully this will give you a chance to try something new :)  Remember age is no barrier so don't worry about that!  You will be fine and fingers crossed you get a nice big redundancy package :-D

Thanks everyone for the kind words, advice and even inspiration. This will all take a while to sink in and I am going to do my best to use this experience as a kick in the rear to get to a happier place.  Get myself and my life back in order doing some things I really want to do and never felt I could (most of which seem to involve dogs!). 

I will finish that bottle of wine now and hope I don't have too much of a headache when I talk to HR tomorrow.     

I rethought my life and changed direction in my 30's. Curiously enough again in 2002 Im 53 now. Take this as an oppertunity to step back - is there something you always fancied doing? Back to college to do (um jewellry making) - I think these set backs in life can be good things, can you use your talents to build a new business, clerical, advertising, web assistance ect..
A lot of companies like mine would pay for some help on a weekly basis, even if its stuffing envelopes and back up marketing calls. Do not dispair when I did my degree I was in my late twenties and 1 lady was 82, and we both completed it. Life skills can get you into Uni, what do you want to do. You may not think of it today as you are too sad, but there is always tomorrow.
Chin up.

Good luck echo, Im sure you are right in fact I know you are.

Sorry to read this Cairnmania - and Maxine too :(

It seems on the face of it a grim start to the new year but please God something good will come out of this for both of you and soon.
very best wishes,

Teri :) 

So sorry to hear of your bad news Carinmania, there seems to be a lot of it about at the moment.  You have to look for positives in this situation, you are lucky that the redundancy isn't going to mean your lose your house etc plus after the many years of service you've put in I'm sure you will receive a substantial package to see you through the next few months.  I know you say you loved your job but is there something you've always wanted to do or had an interest in? If so then now's your chance, grab the bull my its horns & make your own destiny.

I would imagine you feel quite downhearted at the moment (& possibly a little hungover!) but it's really not as bad as it seems, on the plus side at least you won't have to work with your horrible manager anymore.  I'm sure the redundancy is not personal, in these kind of situations e.g. long service the company often ends up loosing money to begin with until they recoup the amount they paid you.

Hope to hear positive, exciting news from you soon. Take care & stay positive.

It must be a terrible shock for you if it came out of the blue.  Your right it is best to think positive and grasp this as a good opportunity, perhaps consider working part time and spending more time with the dogs or even getting a new pup!

Sorry to hear this Cairnmania.

It was a long long time to be with a company so you have and will suffer a loss that will take a while to overcome.

Take care.

Poor you I do hope that today you dont have too much of a hangover.
My take on it is this, an oppotunity to please yourself.......you have to be in employment to cover your social insurance untill of a certain age, but, see it as the rest of your life and do not mourn for what has been. I just hope times wont be too hard for you with a lack of income, you might however have something wonderful waiting for you.

Karen :)

really sorry to hear this cairnmania :(

How did you get on with HR today and how was the hangover?  :-D

((((( Stacey! )))))
Sorry I've just caught this thread, Hope all went ok today. I'm sure you will run the gamut of emotions in the next few days...... {Hug}
So I have come bearing gifts! a couple of prezzies for you me Ducks x
First one is really for You'r Boss! ;) Mwuhahahahhaahhahaaha!
and the next one is for a much needed Giggle! :-D

We're all right here if you need a rant / scream / shout / good awl cry!!
If I ever met a 'can do' kinda gal.... it's you x

Wow. I'm overwhelmed with all the support from you "not real" people on the internet :-) 

HuskyGal - the cartoon really did make me giggle, thanks for the laugh, it's much needed.

I am running a gamut of emotions and lack of sleep does not help.  I will settle down eventually.

My meeting with HR went fine and the exit package is okay too.   I will give me a buffer to think about how much money I really need to live on - truth be told I am one of those people that never paid much attention to finances.  I've left post unopened for months at a time, called the bank to complain my debit card expired and the bank never sent me a new one - only to find months later when I finally took the time to sort the post - the debit card was sent.   Work always took precedence over running my own personal life. Shame on me and I will never put myself in that position again.

I definitely, but definitely DO NOT want to go back into the corporate world.   I hate corporate politics and I have never had the stomach to do the "spin doctor" thing with whatever b.s. messaging the executives wanted the troops to hear.

Dogs and plants.  Dogs and plants.   Two things I really love and would be thrilled to base my next job around one of those. 

You know something - I would be very happy to be kennel help.  I've picked up enough dog poo in my life and a bit more would be a doddle! 

I'm so sorry that you've been made redundant cairnmania.  It's such a terribly worrying time just now for everyone.

I hope you find a new job doing something you enjoy soon.

Simone

ive no words of wisdom and its not happened to me yet but it has to my oh 3 times in the last 5 years and its never very nice.
Just wanted to say my thoughts are with you and i hope you get another job soon.
xxxx

No words of wisdom except chin up, and to say how jealous I am that you don't have the financial worries to deal with!  I've just been made redundant also - got a call about a half hour ago.  Oh well.  4th time for me and it actually seems to bother me less now :-P

Nikita,

I am so sorry.  No matter what you say it can't be easy and it must make you mistrust any employer. 

I'm jealous that you are a spring chicken whilst I am an old broiler :-)   I got plenty of other worries and I am lucky that the most immediate ones are not financial.  Otherwise I think that my redundancy would send me over the edge ... although it really has not sunk in fully yet, so there's still time for that to happen. 

Chin up, I know it looks pretty bleak right now but you might just do something you always wanted to do??? It may have been the nudge to get you to do it.

I've worked for people I've hated, just think no more dealing with that looser eh! Just imagine bumping in to them and saying you have started your dream job, taking time out to go on a cruise etc.

Be glad your finances are ok and enjoy lifes simple pleasures like walking the dog when you fancy. :-)

a lady yesterday said on the tv yesterday when someone said to her that she felt so ill and depressed and useless after being made redundant and the lady on the tv said to her
do not forget it was the job that became redundant it was no longer available,
it was not you personally that could not do the job , you are still able to do the job.
she said this just at the same time my friend had popped around to tell me they where
cutting 1,000 jobs at her plant, and that when she heard this she said that is right what she is saying
my god it was not me it is the job it is nothing i have done and said she felt better hearing that.
carolann

So sorry to hear of everyone's news. My boyfriend was made redundant from his really badly paid job last may, and within a week had found a much better paid and more rewarding job. We've just seriously started to think about moving out of home (we both still live at our parents house) as we were both in a more financially secure position when he was told he had lost his job again the week before christmas. To say we were gutted is an understatement. Not just because of the insecurity, but it was a fantastic job that he loved and was absolutely perfect. He started off working through an agency but the company promised in august they were going to take him on full time and give him a proper contract. Then all this happened and they never did. Again at the end of november he was told he wouldn't be got rid of becuase they really liked his work. However the big boss just went over their heads and got rid of any disposable staff. They didn't even tell him to his face, he left work on the friday and got a call about 45 mins later from the agency saying that as of then he had no job to go to. He then had to drive althe way back on monday to get his tools. (its a good hour away). I thought the way they did it was discusting. When he went in on the monday his supervisor had only just found out and was not happy, but there was nothing they could do.
Annoyingly enough this company was on the local news last night at the boat show saying how well they were doing and how they had recruited lots of extra staff to deal with the orders they've had, which i know is rubbish, particularly as the staff didn't even get the christmas bonus they were promised either!
Anyway, he's now signed on with the job centre, he doesn't get much as he is 24, but its better than nothing and he has applied for a ouple of jobs, but unfortunately for him there isn't much around in the carpentry trade at the moment. The only concellation is that he is in the same boat as millions of others.

I have to say it is something of a consolation that redundancy is now so common; at least in terms of personal feeling and the perception of any future employers.

In the past few months in my family my step-daughter was made redundant (while she was on maturnity leave, her boss visited her at home and gave her the news), my sister-in-law was made redundant - and now me.  It's as bad as the flu.