My company had its first layoff in this booming economy

[ZenLefty]

I got to keep my job. My assistant got the ax (I don't feel bad for her - her family has money coming out the wazoo and she was, well, kind of incompetent) as well as a few others. We're a small company. I mean small. I didn't know we had enough people to lay off.

If this doesn't get us out of the red ink, next comes across-the-board pay cuts. Ten percent. It actually will apply to all of us if it happens, bosses and presidents included. No bonuses this year.

So I just wanted to let you know that you shouldn't be fooled by the people saying the economy is growing at fastest pace since 1984. It's dried up out there. There's more homeless on the street, more people without jobs, and it's just not going to be a big fat christmas this year.

On a brighter note, I was able to Zing my boss over the whole thing. "Don't worry, next year we'll elect a Democrat and the economy will start to rebound." He had no retort. :D

[GOPisEvil]

1. Yikes!

I hope there don't have to be pay cuts, but at least they are across the board. Nice to know everyone has to share in the pain.

You can't BS your way to a good economy. Just saying it's in good shape doesn't put food on your family.

[ZenLefty]

5. Thanks. I forgot that line.

Putting food on my family. I'm going to have to use it more often. :D

[GOPisEvil]

8. Don't forget about the higher pie!

:D

[prolesunited]

2. Sorry to hear that

Glad that you're safe for now. That was a good zinger you got your boss with, and I'm sure he knows it's true.

[ZenLefty]

6. Deep down inside, he does

He wanted to debate, but deep down inside I think he's secretly hoping for a Democrat to rescue him from this lunacy.

[Zomby Woof]

3. the disconnect is amazing

Bush will trumpet the news as a rebound, and a justification for his supply-side voodoo. The news is even spinning it as a windfall from his tax cuts. Oh sure! I spent the $20.00 or so in one place! THe people who got those $300.00 checks last year made the rent, and the people who got them this year only did because they had children. These are very targeted tax cuts aimed at specific re-election demographics. But the rest of us in the real world who aren't exactly revelling in newfound wealth or better jobs - or ANY jobs if they can be had - won't buy the hype, and be resentful they aren't sharing the 'higher pie' with Bush and his sugar daddies in CEO-land.

That resentment can work in our favor next year, as it did in 1992.

Meanwhile, the increased consumer spending is much like 1984, where it was debt-based. That is like being rich because you maxed out your credit cards on luxury goods, instead of from savings and earnings. Plus, just like in the late 80's/early 90's, the workforce is squeezing out more productivity with the fewest workers possible. My low-paying temp job has 1991 written all over it. Outsourcing, layoffs, etc...

Hang in there Zen, and have some coffee: :donut:

[ZenLefty]

7. The republican Dreamland

The rich have all of the money and pay none of the taxes.
The middle-class do all of the work and pay all of the taxes.
The poor are out standing on the street corners begging for money just to scare the shit out of the middle-class, compelling them to keep showing up to those shit-kicking jobs!

That's the way they want it to be.

[VelmaD]

4. Don't be fooled...

by that 10 percent across the board thing. Yes, it's better than what happens most of the time where the workers get hosed while management gets bonuses. However, it ignores the fact that your boss can afford a bigger pay cut than you can. 10 percent means more to the people at the bottom than the people at the top.

Congrats on keeping your job. Hang in there.

[ZenLefty]

9. I'm no fool

I'm high enough in the company I know what we all make. I know 10% means a lot more to me than it does to the boss I zinged. But it's good to know that it's not 15% for me and Nada% for him.

If we had employees living paycheck-to-paycheck, I think we'd all agree to exclude them from any paycuts. In fact, we talked about that a bit. The owner of the company was very adamant when he said he doesn't want anybody to go hungry or do without things that they need. If I didn't trust him about that, I wouldn't be working here.

[VelmaD]

10. Your bosses sound like pretty good guys...

and that's too damn rare these days. It's nice to know there are some employers out there who still think about their employees and how their decisions will affect them.

*sigh* I wish I had that kind of trust in my employer (and given that I work for the State that's a sad comment).

[ZenLefty]

13. Well, they're still republican wingnuts

But they do treat their own people good, better than any company I've ever worked for previous. They all ran big companies before, and they hated it. (We've all worked for big companies before, and we hated it too; that's why we're here.) They know that, with a small company, they're better enabled to treat their people good. Larger companies treat people more like numbers and statistics. In a bigger company, if you told the top dogs they had to take a 10% pay cut and there would be no bonus this year, they would simply leave. Here, it's kinda like family.

[VelmaD]

14. I think it ties to what NicoleM said...

about Bush being the only person who doesn't know someone suffering from this economy. He doesn't see it - it doesn't affect someone who is a "real" person to him.

It's a lot harder to be a bastard to someone you know, someone you see every day, someone that you know their family and their kids names and what their hobbies are and all that kind of thing that makes them a real person in your head and not just a nameless faceless peon.

Hard to believe they aren't at least on the road away from being wing-nuts. It's gotta cause some significant cognitive dissonance to want to treat your employees like people and still vote rethug. :shrug:

[NicoleM]

11. Is there anybody out there

who doesn't know somebody who is unemployed or underemployed? Dubya can talk up the "recovery" all he wants, but he's probably the only person in America who doesn't personally know somebody who is suffering from this economy. And that's what will make the difference in 11/04, people's personal experiences.

[Hubert Flottz]

12. Jobless Recovery = Bald Faced Lies!

Bush is underqualified to do honest ciphering like a real President would! He Fudges the numbers like Reagan did!(Fudggie Math) To do Honest Ciphering one must be honest! Hungry people VOTE, you can factor that in if you're a bean counter! Bush and Dick Trickle-down, lie about something every time they step in front of a camera! And do you trust the bean counters on Wall Street to be honest after ENRONGATE?

The Dollar should say: 'In Gawd We Trust, If We Can See It With Our Own Eyes'!

[Crewleader]

15. Hi Zen....glad to hear your boss is being fair.....

as far as those tax returns on children not all got them back, Sarge was shorten by a couple of months at the age of 16 as being too old for any return to this family. So include those with kids 16 and up, NOTHING..to help the economy that they are bragging is getting better. And kids at those ages parents need the help the most, the braces alone are sky-rocking on price. I see the juggling parents have to make the payments who only want their kids to have a decent smile, but it's getting harder everyday to give their children what is needed and have them smiling at all.

I keep hearing the lay-offs, the manufacturing jobs not returning and now in the business you are in, new homes has dropped.
The holidays are about to approach us and my heart goes out to those in deep need and the media ignoring the truth is saddest for those who need it the most. I did hear the mention charities are down that's because of the most generous people are the ones now losing their jobs and are homeless today.
Before we all know it, the middle class is shrinking to the point it will vanish and it will be rich and poor if this Bush adminstration stays in power and we need to do everything we can to see that Shrub goes OUT and a Democrat For The People is IN!