<p>Mine was too, GTalum, up to 18 months ago when new management came in and began to clean house, starting with our (highly respected & well liked) department director. A good half dozen people followed, some like terwit left of their own accord, some like me, dumped suddenly & without notice. Interestingly, most of us were replaced by people decades younger… and the fairly new manager who instigated the changes recently sold $3 million worth of stock he was given as a signing bonus. Corporate America: it’s not for the faint of heart…</p>
<p>Not calling you dishonest,re-read my replies…I am offended that my tax dollars are paying for people who are HAPPY to be unemployed…I gladly pay taxes to help those in need,but those who feel they ‘deserve’ the benefits because they’ve worked long hours at jobs that didn’t provide stimulation makes me angry…</p>
<p>Moderator,please keep this going, no ill will or personal attacks have taken place</p>
<p>Employees do NOT pay into unemployment. This is a very common misconception. Unemployment insurance is a cost borne by the employer. I hear it all the time: “I paid into it for years…” No, employees do not have any withholding for unemployment insurance.</p>
<p>States ARE borrowing from the feds to pay their current unemployment claims. My state is one of those. The consequence is that the employer’s Federal Unemployment insurance rate has gone up and will continue to rise even more until the states pay it back. Employers pay both Federal and State unemployment insurance.</p>
<p>The thread is enlightening. I do not want it to get ugly for anyone. Unfortunately, like in many things, some bad apples spoil the barrel. Unemployment is a safety net. I think, to some extent, and for SOME people, these extensions of benefits create a real dis-incentive to find work. </p>
<p>I have clients hiring who interview people who say, “I don’t want this job. It pays less than unemployment. I just have to fill out an ap for this week.” Those type of statements, and the gall it must take to say them to a potential employer, go against everything I was ever taught.</p>
<p>I use the word ‘tax’ loosely,as I realize most unemployment benefits are paid by employer,but since many states are running deficits to continue the programs,taxpayers are the ultimate payer…</p>
<p>In PA we do pay towards unemployment benefits. Shows up on my pay stubs :)</p>
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<p>(Bold added by me).</p>
<p>This was the first time you stated you were actually looking for a job, all your other posts were about how much you were enjoying your time off and being paid to boot. “Puttering around the house”, “take my time to re-evaluate of what I want to do, and how I want to live” is how you expressed it. These don’t sound like the words of a person who is actively looking for a job.</p>
<p>As long as people are making a legitimate effort to find another job and following the other rules, I couldn’t care less if they actually enjoy being unemployed. More power to you - it’s probably a very healthy attitude. I couldn’t enjoy it; being the primary income provider in my family, I found being unemployed is way more stressful than any job I’ve ever had.</p>
<p>For anyone interested in potentially doing bookkeeping for non-profits:
I was able to speak with our bookkeeper. She says she started doing books for non-profits in 1990 and within a year, she was able to be totally independent and supporting herself with those clients. She did this by A LOT of networking. She made it a principle NEVER to do volunteer books for ANYONE, since that’s her “bread & butter.” She served on a lot of other capacities but never treasurer. She joined Chamber of Commerce & attended A LOT of luncheons, as speaker or just whatever sounded interesting and networked. She also spread the word among clients (she did NOT have a non-competing clause with prior employer). She is still active on many volunteer capacities but is slowly scaling back as she’s over-extended.</p>
<p>She suggested that if you don’t have a non-competing clause, you contact former clients, as well as friends and acquaintances and let them know the services you offer. She makes it very clear IN WRITING what she does and does NOT provide in a written agreement so there is no ambiguity and minimal hassles down the road. Over the decades, she has expanded her networking and made friends with CPAs, insurers and others, who refer her. She gets ALL of her clients by word of mouth from folks who have been satisfied with her work and know others who were.</p>
<p>She is a member of many accounting professional organizations. A lot of it is people skills and being prompt and providing quality work. She seems to love it.</p>
<p>Regarding unemployment benefits–the amounts deducted from paychecks are FAR LESS than the amounts that would need to be paid if even a single claim (or more) is made from our tiny non-profit. I know because we pay it & workers comp, as required by our state. Our bookkeeper says our premiums will go up if any claims for workers’ comp or unemployment are made (and we may get a modest refund if we continue to have a good history). I believe the premiums for the CURRENT year would go up retroactively if claims are made, but fortunately have never had any so don’t have personal experience.</p>
<p>My office & doc made me go out on temporary disability for a few weeks when I was very pregnant & just after I had given birth to our S.</p>
<p>I may soon be losing my job as funding for non-profits is not high on the list of essentials as things are VERY GRIM in our & most states. Not an attractive thought to re-invent myself yet again, but maybe it will happen. Time will tell.</p>
<p>HiMom, as someone who has a f/t with very little flexibility, I’m looking for something else to do that gives me more flexibility and the opportunity to work p/t and still make decent $$…I’m not completely in love with bookkeeping, but it gives the flexibility I need to be with my kids, then I’ll be more than happy to do it. I’m guessing bookkeeping and taxes would be a nice combo. I enjoy doing taxes. I don’t have experience doing taxes for nonprofits. My experience is in corporate taxes. But i’m a fast learner : ) Maybe thinking about it having my cpa gives me a lot of options to be on my own and work only as much as i want. I guess the difficult part is the beginning. I still have two kids in middle school and HS. My kids have a very busy schedules, and i need to do a lot of driving for them. So I don’t think I could be very active volunteering and networking. I guess i need to use an approach that does not take much of my time to recruit clients.
HiMom, when you wrote “she does NOT provide in a written agreement so there is no ambiguity and minimal hassles down the road” you mean your bookkeeper does not have a written contract with their clients?
Thanks a lot, HiMom. Now, I’m starting to think that being on my own may be a good and feasible option.</p>
<p>Himom, good luck to you keeping your job, which it seems that you really enjoy. I know it must be hard to think that you may lose your job due to lack of funding.</p>
<p>Sorry about that–I meant she DOES put everything in writing up front, so there is no confusion (or at least minimal). I’m not sure how easy/tough recruiting clients would be. My current bookkeeper does NOT do taxes–she does refer me to others who do it (it is a speciality for non-profits unto itself & changing, so quite a learning curve). This would give you quite a bit of flexibility, but probably would take some time to build up your client base & income level. I could see this as something you could do out of your home (as the other bookkeeper we almost hired does) or having a standalone office (as my current bookkeeper does).</p>
<p>You could also do work for small businesses, if you prefer that, but they may also have cash flow issues.</p>
<p>Non-profits are often on the edge–provided very little funding that they have to spend on schedule and then having to constantly look for more funding. You would have to have enough clients that the attrition won’t affect your income stream too much. Much depends on how much income you need to have and how much you could charge in your area–that can vary according to market rates.</p>
<p>Thanks for your kind words–I do enjoy my job and will probably figure out some way to keep it going at some level, even if funding disappears.</p>
<p>Himom, thanks for the explanation. I think the economic situation for most nonprofits and small business is difficult. This recession is not really going away. I’m starting to think about the possibility of going on my own. You’re right. Going on my own is more of a long term solution than a short term alternative. Building a client base takes time. But someday i’ll have to start if I really want to have full control of my time. Thanks Himom…you have given me a good idea about other alternatives besides looking for another job.
Himom, good luck to you keepin the job you enjoy. Keep us posted about the situation.</p>
<p>notrichenough - thank you for highlighting the fact that I am looking for work. I never said I wasn’t. That was an assumption by a couple of readers. They assumed incorrectly. </p>
<p>This thread wasn’t to be smug about my unemployment. I wrote here in surprise to my own reaction to losing my job. And in hopes of hearing from others who may have experienced the same. </p>
<p>Even with sending out resumes, reading job listings, going to networking meetings, going in for informational interviews and connecting with potential employers I find I still have many hours in the week in which to putter around, read and watch movies. If you can tell me how to spend 9-10 hours a day 5 days a week actively looking for a job, please enlighten me. Otherwise I will enjoy this relative, short-term freedom while I can.</p>
<p>It is freeing to figure out how one wants to configure one’s life or as S told me, “reinvent” mself. I resigned/retired from a job I loved in 2006. I had a small pity party, mourning the loss and then looked around to figure out as S said, how to reinvent myself. He had just started college & had boundless confidence that I would be fine. </p>
<p>I did some soul-searching and in less than a year, founded my non-profit (I didn’t seek or receive ANY benefits while I was out of work, FWIW). It was a very creative process and I have no regrets. I am grateful for all who have supported me and believed in me, even when I have doubts (inevitable in this current climate); have had a wonderful board and many friends and professional collegues who have been extremely encouraging.</p>
<p>We continue to figure out our place in this shifting healthcare/public health environment, but I really do feel we are making a difference in our state, nationally and internationally and I enjoy that. I am fortunate that H earns enough and has benefits so he’s happy as long as I earn more than I spend. 
So far, so good!</p>
<p>It is healthy to re-examine ourselves when we re-invent ourselves and look for jobs. I am using strengths that have lain dormant for quite a while and it feels very good. It is good to see if some of those strengths may lead you down new paths you might not have previously considered. Honestly, I would NEVER had imagined myself where I am 6 years ago, when I was happily in another career.</p>
<p>I say it is good to feel good about the contacts you’re making and networking you’re doing while you figure out the next steps to re-start your career. Something good will turn up if you keep your eyes and options open and are wiling to try, even in this economy!</p>
<p>As I mentioned upthread I’ve been unemployed since being laid off from my nonprofit job last June. Like katliamom, I have also appreciated having this time to catch my breath (after 35 years of uninterreupted employment). I have also been actively looking for work in my field, networking, diligently keeping a record of my job-search activities, taking freelance projects and doing some part time consulting. I have also collected unemployment for the weeks when I was eligible, but NOT for the weeks where I was occupied with my consulting or project work. At the princely rate of $405/week unemployment does not even cover my monthly COBRA payments. I do not feel guilty accepting unemployment, and I see no shame in being able to enjoy and appreciate having the gift of time during this transitional period. IMHO any gift of time is a blessing, and not to be squandered.</p>
<p>I am fortunate that I have kept my job for 30+yrs,and am in a recession-proof profession,although there has been a lot of downsizing going on and cutting services and overtime, but I am envious of those that have time on their hands. While I am 55 yrs old and feel that I will probably work until forever, and because of the economy(affected my H) I have started to re invent myself so that I can leave what I am doing full time , once D finishes college, and grow my small handcrafted jewelry business and I am currently taking an instruction course on being an Adjunct faculty for Clinical Nursing instructor.
This is in preparation for the next phase of my life.(retirement). Whatever that means.
,</p>