well, kids. the fan fell into the shit.

we are being offered one of two options:

take unpaid leave for an undetermined amount of time (2 weeks, a month?), get called in and work as needed, but keep your health insurance.

-or-

be laid off and begin to collect unemployment in two weeks.

decisions...decisions.

(this is not an april fools post)

so, if you have a crazy ass drainage problem in your backyard.
I'll come out and tell you how much you'll have to spend to fix it....
...for $50 and a beer or two.

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@audioidkid

I thought you had some connections with that company..? That sucks Doug.

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I do. But I can't control when banks will begin letting money for some of the proposals we have out there. And I can't get people to pay us either...

The owners haven't been paying themselves of late.

The good news is I have a nest to sit on for a while.
but, still....that will only last so long.

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@audioidkid

Well, from an insurance standpoint, based on the little I know about you, I'd say do what you can to keep your benefits for as long as you can. You might have some problems getting an individual plan and COBRA is going to most likely be WAY more expensive than what uninsurance will pay you.

_________________

They changed COBRA laws so that the government is subsidizing 65% of the premiums through cuts in the employer's portion of payroll taxes. So, COBRA might be more affordable than you think.

Sorry to hear about it Doug. Unfortunately what is happening to your company is more the rule than the exception these days. I hope you find something quickly.

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You know me like that.

That fuckin sucks Doug...sorry man...

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so, if we say this lasts a month. i'm looking at "making" about $650/mo incl. paying for health insurance versus having health insurance and pressing my luck...no wammies.

seems to me that i'm better off keeping the insurance and manwhoring/moonlighting/selling drugs to minors...but, i'm not sure.

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@audioidkid

Man this job shit aint no joke...did you all see how long that line was for jobs at some new Hotel opening downtown?

_________________

I haven't had any personal experience with the subsidizing yet, so I don't know how that's working so far. It would definitely be something to talk to your HR person about though.

If it were me, I'd do what I could to keep that group insurance as long as you can (get another job with benefits, get called back to work, etc). Group-to-group is a much better scenario than group-individual.

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Oh, I don't think you'd have to resort to that with all the business that you would have from the baketified pantless internet cretins that populate this board, Doug - All kidding aside, though, man - I hope this all works out for you, eventually...

Only those that were involuntarily terminated between 9/1/08-12/31/09 and aren't eligible for an other group health plan or Medicare are eligible. But the subsidy in any case still wouldn't kick in until 3/1/09 even if you were terminated prior. You can't retroactively get the subsidy.

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You know me like that.

Thanks for the update, spSHARK!

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Tall Midget combined the names of the Chris Webber-looking spmack and the Kyle Orton jersey-wearing SHARK to form spSHARK, who are 2 members of the "Chicago Sports Fan Message Board". The owner and moderator of the "CSFMB" is a guy who calls himself "Big Fan", and if you complain enough about being called a name like "Nancy" he will delete the thread, no questions asked!

_________________

thanks to spSHARK for that laugh.

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@audioidkid

Sorry to hear this Doug. I can't remember if I mentioned it, but I recently was cut down to four days a week (damn housing market). But I would have to agree with Killer (and your above comment) to take the option of being insured. Best of luck.

Sorry to hear this doug, hope things turn around soon.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Sorry to hear about that Doug. Hope it all works out somehow.
I don't have anything for ya. Unfortunately I only have crazy ass drainage problems when I'm in the bathroom.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

Sorry to hear it doug. Things are tough all over. I would think there would be some CE work coming in the near future with the proposed infrastructure spending.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I think it would actually be spKRAHS


Well done!

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Sorry Doug. We've had a few friends in the same boat and we are kind of waiting for news on my husband's job. It is a scary time, I hope it works out okay.

e-mail hoffy(or what name it is this week) or me....we have a issue in our yard.

I can supply beer and you get to meet the princess

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Hasn't he already met Hoffy?

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Doug, best of luck, I hope things shake out in your favor.
In the meantime, I would probably lay low after your latest
caper. Probably a good idea to hit a hair salon seeing that
your description wouldn't fit someone looking to ransack
shelves of hair products.....

Two Mundelein hair salons burglarized
By Lee Filas | Daily Herald StaffContact writerPublished: 4/1/2009

Police are investigating burglaries to a pair of local hair salons, Mundelein authorities confirmed Wednesday.

Deputy Chief Mike O'Brien of the Mundelein Police Department said two salons have been broken into this week.

He said Hair Dimensions at 609 N. Midlothian Road was burgled either late Monday or early Tuesday, while O Salon and Spa at 2988 W. Route 60 was broken into late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

He said in both instances burglars forced open the rear door of the facility, ransacked the salon and escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash.

He said anyone with information should contact the Mundelein Police Department at (847) 968-4600.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

Must be those jobs that "Americans Won't Do" there right?

_________________
"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

Doug, I know you're not looking for a pity party but I just wanna let you know that I'm with you man.

_________________
Kid Cairo's Boers & Bernstein YouTube Channel

Kid Cairo: 2013 March Madness Tournament Winner!

"Cowabunga? Cowa fucking piece of dog shit! This game is diarrhea coming out of my dick!"

Today was the day. Company meeting....lots of sad faces. a couple of desks were cleaned out.
So it begins.

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@audioidkid

Which option did you decide?

i kept the insurance and am going "on call."
i happen to be the only licensed erosion control inspector on "staff" so there is a weekly reason to come in and work...do my site inspections, write the reports, and get paid for that time. otherwise, they'd have to farm that work to some other company.

if i work 32 hours a month, it is the same as collecting unemployment (with taxes deducted) and paying for cobra ins.

i've been thinking if it really horrible that i'd cash out my "smaller" 401k and take the 38% hit.

_________________
@audioidkid

I have a friend who works in the same field and he's been taking alot of vacation lately - I asked him about it and he basically said he's doing it to 'do his part' and been taking it unpaid. He normally works new construction so you can imagine how slow they are.

that is essentially the problem. the "shovel ready" projects are great....for construction workers. infrastructure rehabilitation (i.e. re-paving roads) is great for asphalt plants...

but, there is ZERO design work. some of this stuff takes upwards of $400k of office and field work for a year BEFORE you get permits and construction loans.
there is none of that. commercial or residential. there hasn't been for over a year. summer of 06 was the last "busy" time.
last summer the construction work you saw was done to finish projects. but there was nothing new.
some of the north$hore folks are still doing tear downs of existing homes and rebuilding or doing additions...
we used to have about 30 of just those types of jobs a month. we average about 2 now.

it finally caught up to our company. in october of 2007 we had 25 employees.
as of about 1p.m. today, there are 3 owners working for free. it's industry wide unless you are a transportation engineer working on tollway projects or you happen to be at an well positioned firm downtown that does work for the City or ComEd, you work for the Army Corps of Engineers.... otherwise. nothin.

_________________
@audioidkid