TresSugar

5 Tips For Supporting a Loved One Who Has Been Laid Off

DearSugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 10:00:00 -0800

As we all know, times are tough so chances are you have a friend or two that's been laid off. If you're in the same boat, you probably know what helps and what hurts when talking about it, but if you have yet to be affected by job loss, I have a few tips you might want to keep in mind if you have to support a loved one who is newly unemployed. Check them out below and if you have any suggestions you'd like to add, please do so in the comments below - we could all use as much advice on this subject as possible!

First things first: If your friend is in a panic after getting her pink slip, remind her of the five things she needs to take with her from work.
The most important thing to do when supporting someone is to listen. Typically people like to vent their frustration so let her get whatever she needs to off her chest and simply listen.
While it's easy to say things like you understand, unless you're wearing her shoes you probably don't, so try not to rain on her parade and compare your sister's friend's job loss to hers - it's different.

Want to see two more tips? Just read more.

Even if you're not in a position to do much to help, ask her what you can do anyway. She might appreciate simple things like you offering to babysit a few hours a week so she can interview, or inviting her over for dinner or a girls night in. Being around friends and family is crucial when you're feeling low.
If you have contacts that could benefit your friend, offer to point her in their direction or pass along her resume yourself. Though it's tough to get a job in most industries right now, it always helps if you know someone.

Source

Do Tell: What Would you Do if you Got Laid Off?

DearSugar — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:00:00 -0700

When the economy changes, people often find that their jobs are in jeopardy. When companies go through lay offs, they usually let you go, with a severance package to keep you afloat for the time being until you can find another job. Each severance package is different and it depends on your position and your pay check, but ladies, if you were given a pretty lofty check on your way out, allowing you the luxury of not having to immediately begin the job search, do tell, what would you do with your new found freedom?

Source

Lack of Communication With Husband After Layoff

Tres Community — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0800

This post comes from Group Therapy in our TrèsSugar Community. Feel free to add your advice in the comments!

My husband recently got laid off from his job. He is lucky because he was given 30 days to try and find a new position within the company before he's officially let go. He has a prospective job in another area of the company, but I am not sure where everything stands. He just won't communicate with me and let me know what's going on. It's very hard for me to be in the dark about whether or not he will have a job in a couple weeks, and it feels like he has completely closed off communication regarding this job situation.

When I ask if he's heard anything, he is always very vague and claims that he doesn't have any new information, but there have been a couple times when I have seen over his shoulder that he has gotten emails from the people involved with this potential job, so there must be some sort of news. How do I explain to him that behind left in the dark about our situation is really stressing me out?

There's lots of fun stuff going on in our community - join it, check it out, share your posts or advice in the great groups and maybe we'll feature it here on TrèsSugar!

Do, Dump, or Marry? Pete Wentz

TresSugar — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:00:00 -0700

During Fall Out Boy's Madison Square Garden concert over the weekend, Pete Wentz officially laid down the flat iron and sounded the death knell heard 'round high schools everywhere: "This is the death of the Emo haircut," he proclaimed, before Blink-182 bassist Mark Hoppus shaved off the stick-straight strands that have been his trademark for a while.

Some find the singer and husband of Ashlee hot because of his hair, others in spite of it. Regardless of what his head looks like now, what about the man underneath the mop?

Do-Gooders: Job Hunters Give Time and Gain Skills

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:00:08 -0700

Ever dream of living the philanthropic life - projects that matter, tax write-offs, fundraisers and galas (j/k! nobody's giving)? Now is your time. Just like Barack Obama promised!

Tired job hunters, who've found that looking for work really isn't a full-time job, are filling their time and résumés in the nonprofit, nonpaying sector. Volunteer work! Add that to the list of good things about the recession.

Because what is money, really, but "something generally accepted as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, or a means of payment"? The psychological impact of unemployment can be as bad, if not worse, than the financial impact. So it's no surprise the unemployed and weary are seeking solace by giving time. And the beneficiaries? They're thrilled to have hands and talent that they could not afford otherwise.

Volunteering may even pay off. Most nonprofit workers start off the clock, so proactive volunteers should expect to be snatched up when organizations have money to hire. I hear the government's giving it out?

Source

Front Page: New Survey Shows US Is a Nation of Nappers

TresSugar — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:00:20 -0700

A new survey says that one in three adults say they nap on a typical day. - NY Times
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, old white men are the first to get laid off. - USA Today
A baby taken from her murdered mother's womb has been found alive. - Boston Globe
Four US senators have proposed a bill that would nationally ban texting while driving. - CNN
During a meeting among fashion industry insiders this week, Vogue editor Anna Wintour apparently suggested price fixing as a way to help boost retail sails.
- New York Post

What Makes You Nervous These Days?

TresSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 11:45:00 -0700

Americans are smiling less and worrying more than they were a year ago. Depression, cigarette sales, and sleepless nights are on the rise. But you probably didn't need this new survey from Gallup to tell you that.

According to today's New York Times, it's not debt or a lack of money that's making people more miserable. Rather Americans feel worse when something bad might occur, than when they know something bad will occur. For example: if you know you're going to lose your job, you can start moving on. But if you might lose your job, you will continue to worry about it. Ironically, the option where you get laid off could end up making you happier!

Are there any uncertainties that make you nervous?

Source

Sunday Confessional - I Slept With Someone Else

DearSugar — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 09:00:00 -0700

Last November I started dating this guy who I really liked. We saw each other for about a month, but then he got laid off from his job and left early to head home for the holidays. We never had a talk about our relationship status so I just assumed we would pick up where we left off when he returned the first week in January - but he didn't come back, he decided to travel instead. Although he texted me regularly, he never told me when he would be back.

After two months had passed, I went out with some girlfriends, had a little too much to drink, and had a one night stand with a guy I met in a bar. While it was fun at the time, I was not proud of my crazy behavior the next morning.

Then two weeks ago, out of the blue, I got a call from my old flame - he was back. He took me out to dinner and asked me if I had been with anyone while he was gone, and since I can't lie to people I care about, I told him the truth. He flipped out and said that if I really wanted to be with him, I would have waited. Did I really do something wrong? He never told me when he was coming back or if we even had something! Was I supposed to wait for him forever? He's completely pulled away from me, but shouldn't he be able to forgive me?

Submit your own Sunday Confessionals here and see if you are forgiven!

Source

Obama Wants Action and Patience to Get US Back on Course

CitizenSugar — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 18:32:27 -0700

Unsurprisingly, almost every question at tonight's press conference had to do with the economy. President Obama, who said we are beginning to "see signs of progress," took the opportunity to lay out his four priorities moving forward: health care, education, energy, and deficit reduction. When asked why it took him so long to express outrage over AIG's bonuses, Obama said: "It took us a couple of days because I like to know what I’m talking about when I speak." That clearly showed tonight, considering the amount of detail the president shared.

Here are some of the highlights:

On working together: We will recover from this recession. But it will take time, it will take patience, and it will take an understanding that when we all work together, when each of us looks beyond our own short-term interests to the wider set of obligations we have to each other - that's when we succeed. That's when we prosper.
On a new type of prosperity: We know that an economy built on reckless speculation, inflated home prices, and maxed-out credit cards does not create lasting wealth. It creates the illusion of prosperity, and it’s endangered us all.
On the sacrifices of the American people: With respect to the American people, I think folks are sacrificing left and right. They - you’ve got a lot of parents who are cutting back on everything to make sure that their kids can still go to college. You’ve got workers who are deciding to cut an entire day and entire day’s worth of pay so that their fellow co-workers aren’t laid off.

To see what Obama had to say about his critics, and public outrage, read more.

On public outrage: We can't afford to demonize every investor or entrepreneur who tries to make a profit.
On his critics: I’m not going to lie to you. It is tough. As I said, that’s why the critics tend to criticize, but they don’t offer an alternative budget, because even if we were not doing health care, we were not doing energy, we were not doing education, they’d still have a whole bunch of problems in those out years, according to CBO projections.
On how his tax plan would impact charitable giving: I'll tell you what has a significant impact on charitable giving, is a financial crisis and an economy that’s contracting. And so the most important thing that I can do for charitable giving is to fix the economy, to get banks lending again, to get businesses opening their doors again, to get people back to work again. Then I think charities will do just fine.

Source

Briefing Book! Ron Paul Appears in Sacha Baron Cohen Film

CitizenSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:00:12 -0700

Ron Paul makes an insane cameo in Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie Bruno, during which Cohen tries to seduce him. - Slate
Does being laid off affect how you view your spouse? - lilsugar
Recession magically solves terrorism problem. - Wonkette
Seventeen places every woman must go. - Lemondrop
Al Franken and Norm Coleman might be headed to the Supreme Court. - Indecision Forever
Sen. Claire McCaskill can't believe they didn't serve corned beef and cabbage at the Dem Caucus lunch today. - Twitter

Source