I think it may be safe to say that the employment roller coaster ride has finally come to a halt.
My head is still spinning. I need to pick my guts up off the floor. My pulse rate is starting to return to normal.
Thankfully, all of the drops, spins, lurching, twists, loop-de-loops, and screams have stopped.
I hope.
It ended well. We are walking away from the ride, smiling, and chattering with delight.
I completed my day-shift training. I begin my evening shift schedule next week. I am looking forward to settling in to that employment schedule and seeing how it works for us. The job has been good. The time away from the kids has not. I am hoping that there will be less of an emotional effect on us if the kids are sleeping through half my shift instead.
The Referee has officially been laid-off from his employer...and has officially accepted a new employer. In the end, the job is the same. It is contracted work to a specific location. So, the work remains, but the hired contractor changes. The job duties are the same, but the name on his paychecks changes.
There were two companies pursuing his employment. This was a fun way to face lay-off. When he told both companies his lay-off date, his desired start date, and that another company was also offering him employment, they kicked into high gear to make him an offer he would not want to refuse.
Both companies offer medical insurance benefits to meet our needs. We need coverage that spans the country, not just the state, because Jersey #2 has a cardiologist in one state, and a surgeon in another. There can be no lapse in her coverage. Being able to provide for her health care is one of our very top priorities. As soon as The Referee made this point known, both companies were fast to share that they offer the benefit, and that it would take effect the first day of his employment. That was a huge relief!
With medical insurance needs out of the way, The Referee was free to pursue career advancement. He told both companies what job title and salary range he was seeking. I was impressed by how well he knew exactly what he wanted for his career at this time. He used this opportunity to promote to the level he felt he needed to be classified. It helped that he is already enrolled in a Masters Certificate program, showing he is currently working to grow in his career. It worked! Both companies offered him a promotion and salary increase.
In the end, The Referee really surprised me by taking the most "stable" job offer, instead of the "coolest" job offer. All week, he had been leaning toward one company. But, when the details came forward, that contract funding was expected to be unstable through this next year, he changed his focus. He decided to go with the bigger company, who is better equipped to absorb the funding instability a little smoother. It was a tough decision. It was the right decision.
He starts his new job on Monday.
The blessings continue to pour in. The Referee's supervisor made a point to categorize his lay-off in the way that yielded the highest severance package. We were not expecting a severance, considering he was moving to a new job as quickly as he could. We have already made the decision to put the severance check into our emergency fund. With the instability of the job contracts, we could use a larger rainy-day savings.
The company he declined has already called again. They just wanted to make sure his decision was not about the money...because they were prepared to offer more. The Referee took the time to explain his need for more paycheck stability. He has a lot of mouths to feed, and just cannot risk being on furlough every few weeks. They understood fully, but asked for his patience as they attempt to approach him a few more times in the future. I find their persistence to be refreshing and amusing.
I am looking forward to this next week. I begin the evening shift. The Referee begins his new job. I am hoping the transition is smooth. It would be nice to have our feet on solid ground for a while.
My head is still spinning. I need to pick my guts up off the floor. My pulse rate is starting to return to normal.
Thankfully, all of the drops, spins, lurching, twists, loop-de-loops, and screams have stopped.
I hope.
It ended well. We are walking away from the ride, smiling, and chattering with delight.
I completed my day-shift training. I begin my evening shift schedule next week. I am looking forward to settling in to that employment schedule and seeing how it works for us. The job has been good. The time away from the kids has not. I am hoping that there will be less of an emotional effect on us if the kids are sleeping through half my shift instead.
The Referee has officially been laid-off from his employer...and has officially accepted a new employer. In the end, the job is the same. It is contracted work to a specific location. So, the work remains, but the hired contractor changes. The job duties are the same, but the name on his paychecks changes.
There were two companies pursuing his employment. This was a fun way to face lay-off. When he told both companies his lay-off date, his desired start date, and that another company was also offering him employment, they kicked into high gear to make him an offer he would not want to refuse.
Both companies offer medical insurance benefits to meet our needs. We need coverage that spans the country, not just the state, because Jersey #2 has a cardiologist in one state, and a surgeon in another. There can be no lapse in her coverage. Being able to provide for her health care is one of our very top priorities. As soon as The Referee made this point known, both companies were fast to share that they offer the benefit, and that it would take effect the first day of his employment. That was a huge relief!
With medical insurance needs out of the way, The Referee was free to pursue career advancement. He told both companies what job title and salary range he was seeking. I was impressed by how well he knew exactly what he wanted for his career at this time. He used this opportunity to promote to the level he felt he needed to be classified. It helped that he is already enrolled in a Masters Certificate program, showing he is currently working to grow in his career. It worked! Both companies offered him a promotion and salary increase.
In the end, The Referee really surprised me by taking the most "stable" job offer, instead of the "coolest" job offer. All week, he had been leaning toward one company. But, when the details came forward, that contract funding was expected to be unstable through this next year, he changed his focus. He decided to go with the bigger company, who is better equipped to absorb the funding instability a little smoother. It was a tough decision. It was the right decision.
He starts his new job on Monday.
The blessings continue to pour in. The Referee's supervisor made a point to categorize his lay-off in the way that yielded the highest severance package. We were not expecting a severance, considering he was moving to a new job as quickly as he could. We have already made the decision to put the severance check into our emergency fund. With the instability of the job contracts, we could use a larger rainy-day savings.
The company he declined has already called again. They just wanted to make sure his decision was not about the money...because they were prepared to offer more. The Referee took the time to explain his need for more paycheck stability. He has a lot of mouths to feed, and just cannot risk being on furlough every few weeks. They understood fully, but asked for his patience as they attempt to approach him a few more times in the future. I find their persistence to be refreshing and amusing.
I am looking forward to this next week. I begin the evening shift. The Referee begins his new job. I am hoping the transition is smooth. It would be nice to have our feet on solid ground for a while.
I am glad that everything seems to be falling in place very well - with even some nice "extras" this time around. God is rewarding you for not giving up on Him during the trial and tribulation.
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