Layoffs, laid off? What's the term I am looking for?

Oh, yes "impacted."

After 19 years and one week on the job John learned Thursday that Motorola will no longer be his employer. For his part he has taken the news with stoic grace.


I find myself feeling neither stoic nor graceful. I am angry and sad. Angry for all of the late nights the kids didn't see their Dad, for the paid time off that was blown because deadlines, essentially all of the time we missed together so that John could do his job well. I am angry that because poor decisions and bad management levels above my husband thousands of people have lost their jobs. The current stock price and state of the 401 K just adds insult to injury.



I am grateful for severance, continued medical benefits and the fact that we don't carry debt aside from our mortgage. I am well aware that there are many people with fewer resources.

John has some things to finish up for Motorola over the next week or two but he is mostly trying to use up 9 days of vacation time that he won't be reimbursed for when he leaves. It was emotionally devastating to send him of to the office on Friday knowing that he had lost his job. I hope he doesn't have to go back more than one more time.

We are looking for ways to cut expenses. In considering if I should return to work I guesstimate it will cost $20,000 in child care expenses for our kids per year. I don't even want to think about how we would manage caring for Mom or what an enormous hassle that would become. At least we have that as an option if we need it.