I got some not-so-great news when I got to work Friday morning. Without going into too much detail (because that would be immoral and unethical), our budgets are really bad and I'm facing a six-month layoff starting October 1. This is happening to about a half-dozen of us in the office.
Yeah, I get unemployment. Yeah, there are certainly other opportunities for work in the area, though they're all considerably less money than I'm making now. In fact, most of the area jobs pay less than I'd be making on unemployment. And there are a couple of eensy little loopholes in the layoff language that makes me think that I might be able to squeeze another month, month and a half of work out of the deal.
That news is a big part of why Matt and I are looking at selling our house and lowering our mortgage payment. I'm only guaranteed six months of work every year at my current job, though this is the first time in the four years I've been here that I've been this close to being laid off. The way next year's budget looks (and potentially for the next several years as well), I have about a 90% chance of getting laid off again next October.
I should qualify this by saying that it is totally not the end of the world. We're really doing okay money-wise, though a lower house payment would help. The other thing I keep thinking is that if I get pregnant in the next six months or so, getting laid off next fall would be kind of cool. I'd get to be a stay at home mom, plus we wouldn't be shelling out for daycare, which is so not cheap.
I don't know what to make of it all. On one hand, it's a scary proposition. On the other hand, a six month vacation sounds kind of appealing...