Well that was fun while it lasted.

So I started my current job in January running CNC machines for a certain manufacturer of motorcycle and drag car wheels as well as other motorcycle accessories. Rumors have been persistent since I started that the company has been in financial trouble and during a discussion with my team lead and other employees after a meeting with the director of operations, We pretty much all came to the conclusion that we're definitely circling the drain. Benefits package was frozen last month. All overtime has been cut, a couple surprise firings already occurred (including one of our 2 maintenance guys). Day shift has been sent home early most of the year due to not having enough work. And the current rumor is that the real layoffs are supposed to start next month. And when most of the staff has been here 6 months it's anyone's guess who gets cut. From what I've been told people with seniority aren't even safe.

I have a couple leads on other maching jobs in the area but one is really a bit far from where I need to be and the other is a definite probably not. My original plan was to try to wait this out and hope I could make it until December when I had my degree and therefore didn't have to plan around a class schedule or stay in this area. At this point I really have my doubts on that plan working though.

This is on top of a stack of personal troubles I really don't want to dump on everyone here but I suppose it's a matter of not being able to do much to help anyone else until I get myself out of trouble.

In reply to Daylan C :

You eat the elephant one bite at a time.  I know that’s cold comfort when you’ve got that, two zebras,  a gazelle, while staring down a lioness and a couple of hyenas.

Nevertheless, just figure out the important things.  Focus on them, do the best you can on the other things... and go talk to people/help if it all looks beyond your control.

That’s all any of us are doing.

Can you be without a job if you stay and get laid off? How easy would it be to find that replacement job in a short time? Based on the fact that you don't plan on being there long term anyway I would try to stay, and hope it lasts as long as you want it to.

Similarly, If you stay on, and get fired, are you eligible for unemployment?  Seems like that’s the smart play, instead of jumping ship early?

I've never had to think about unemployment before but I might be eligible. I I've been here for 5 and a half months, before that was just over a month at a parts and nearly 3 years at another parts house before that. Both jobs were left voluntarily to go to a different job. 

As far as being able to survive without a job briefly. I honestly probably can if I'm smart about it. Cut back on spending now and possibly sell off a few things. My biggest expense right now is probably fuel from commuting 90 miles a day,  4 days a week in a 20 year old Mustang. So I suppose step one is let the Mustang sit more and take the Saturn. 

Worst case scenario I may be able to go back to the last job I was at but that's really a last resort option. I hated it and the money was crap but I was apparently ok at it.

Daylan C said:

My original plan was to try to wait this out and hope I could make it until December when I had my degree and therefore didn't have to plan around a class schedule or stay in this area.

I'm going to distill this down to what I see as the most important thing you said.  

Stick with that plan.  December is not that far away.  You can't control the rumors and worries, so keep your eye on the bigger game picture and deal with the rest as it comes. 

This might make you feel a bit better. 7 months ago I was homeless. 5 months ago I was unemployed.  I interview/evaluate with the 150 Opperating Engineers on Monday. 

E36 M3, good or bad, can happen,  and happen quickly. 

Can you get a filler job to float you till December? 

In reply to Appleseed :

I probably can but I'd rather not take that option unless I have to. I know I'm lucky because even if I get canned quicker than expected it won't be the end of the world. Still sucks majorly to feel like I finally made progress then find out the rug is getting pulled out from under me. 

Really I feel like even though things aren't pretty. I just need to calm down, start preparing a little better, keep my head down and do my best to keep people happy at work. Be ready to go after any real opportunity that pops up but not be in a hurry to jump into anything stupid just to get away from the mess at my current employer.

Man, ride it down. If you get laid off, it's easier to get unemployment. You say some people are going, maybe you're not those some people. Gotta remember, you're the new guy. You're cheap. If you're good AND cheap, they might keep you. 

In reply to Daylan C :

Advice from R. A Bob Hoover, the world's greatest stick and rudder pilot.

"When faced witha forced landing, fly as far into the crash as possible."

MNDSM is right. Ride that bastard till the end. 

I'll also suggest riding it out. Usually others will be jumping ship for other jobs in a scenario like you've described and as mentioned by Mndsm if you're good and cheap............

If you can run  CNC machines that is a wanted skill in industry, 

Can you do the programming too ?  

If not that might be something to learn to add to your skills , 

I would ride it out and learn more CNC skills from the older workers.

Another vote for riding it out. Even when it goes south it looks better on your resume IME if you can say that the company shut down rather than you jumping ship because it may fail. 

I'm not the cheapest because I got hired in at a higher rate because of my prior training. But because of that, not to be cocky, but I've noticed I end up being the guy some of the others come to ask for help before they go to the team lead and make it obvious they have a problem. I'm still learning so I for sure don't have the answer 100% of the time but I've apparently made it look like I know some things, not a lot but some.

Also regarding the "learn more from older workers" that's what I hate most about this place honestly. There are 4 machinist on my shift, 3 of us started in January with very little experience in the field before that, the other has been here 7 years and never worked anywhere else in the field either. I have very little contact with that guy unless something goes wrong as he's the team lead but also has his own machines he has to run. He was originally supposed to be on our shift just to supervise and train but on my 3rd week at this place the guy we had running wheels left and was never replaced. So the rest of us got trained as little as possible and then were left to carefully figure the rest out on our own. So most of what I've learned here has been through careful trial and error, trying to avoid as much error as possible. 

Could you get some financial aid at school to keep you going until December?  Just being that close to a degree I'd see if I could just focus on finishing school if let go. 

In reply to Stampie :

I should have my last semester of classes covered, it's 2 general ed classes left to actually finish my associate's degree, luckily all the more expensive tech classes are done and paid for. I could technically just take my certificate and call it done now if I wanted but the actual degree looks better and makes it easier if I decide I'm crazy enough to go for more education later. 

Really it's starting to sound like I accidentally put most of the pieces of the best case scenario for this situation together. I just need to be careful and wait it out and finish my degree. 

EDIT: I have some training with master cam and know enough manual programming to make minor edits as needed.

This place has also forced me to take my formal CNC training that was all on Haas machines and then make it work on Okuma, Doosan, and Fadal machines I had never seen before working here. The Fadals also provide a bit of practical experience dealing with an old worn out machine that doesn't neccesarily behave like it was designed to anymore.

Daylan C said:

 

Really it's starting to sound like I accidentally put most of the pieces of the best case scenario for this situation together. I just need to be careful and wait it out and finish my degree. 

Yep. Ride this sucker out as far as you can. Don't be too proud to take unemployment if it doesn't work out. I'm not sure how it works in your state, but in some places I think you may become eligible for some job re-training if you were laid off, too. That might be a way to supplement the Associate's Degree with more CNC programming, maybe a certification there? 

In reply to Daylan C :

Unemployment is usually 1/2 your regular income. But since you won’t be driving 90 miles a day your expenses won’t be as High either.  

In addition they’ve been taking taxes out like you will be working all year.  So you should have a little cushion if you are fired. While you are drawing unemployment take extra dependents ( yes it’s legal )  or don’t have any taxes taken out at all.  

States vary but here you file on line the day they lay you off.  No you don’t have to go to unemployment office at all. Everything is done on line.  

 Want a $20/ hr job?  Become a school bus driver.  They will train you and get you the license plus pay you while they are training you. 

 It really works well for college. You drive the bus in the morning have classes during the midday and drive them home in the afternoon. Then go home and study. 

Thanks for the concern and advice everyone. I've been worried about this for a while now but sort of brushed it off as silly rumors that would go away eventually. Suddenly coming to terms with the fact that the situation was definitely very real and something I should be planning for threw me off and had me feeling like chicken little for a minute. I realize now I'm actually in way better shape than most of the other guys I work with I just need to stay calm and try to be ready for whichever way this thing falls. 

Honestly, I think you're even better off than you think... as you just wrote half of your new resume in this thread; and you've gotten some ideas for how to extend your skills too?

You might want to find a way to get more 'formal recognition' that you're acting in an "Associate Team Lead" role, troubleshooting issues that people with less experience than you are having, so that the Team Lead only has to fix 'the really hard things'.  That's showing both initiative, and leadership... and puts you on the path of being a Team Lead, maybe somewhere else... or potentially a "Production Foreman"... depending on credentialing requirements.  It's worth it to bring it up, maybe tangentially... like "I've enjoyed helping figure out xyz with this problem", from time to time, so that mgm't knows you're going above/beyond.

These are traits employers are looking for.

I'm not sure how much time you have, with finishing up your degree... nor the company's policy about 'being on the grounds after punching out'.  But, they should have the documentation for the machines, and maybe the codes too.  You might think about taking 30mins-1hour each day after punching out to sit down and read the manual for whatever machine either peaks you interest, or would extend your skills the most.  Basically, take advantage of the documentation you should have access to, to level up your skills... and doing it so your current employer can see it.

Even if upper management hoses things, and you get laid off... these steps should help you with getting good recommendations out them to put forward to the next job, and gives you more to write about on your resume/CV.  Until then, work hard, don't complain... and make them sad they have to let you go because peole above them screwed up.

Can you design some stuff in Master am that will improve what you are making at work , 

Maybe a new design that gives the company something else to sell ?

Most companies that get into money trouble stop spending money on new designs , maybe you can be the hero that saves the place !

yeah don't 'ride the slide' ( should be 'googleable'. pretty funny story. )

See if they'll allow you to work some unpaid overtime.  Just because they stopped paying for it doesn't mean they don't need it.  That could make a real big impression if they are choosing between you and the next guy.

Also start writing up a weekly report for yourself and go over it with your lead ( if he doesn't push that upstairs decision time he'll look not so great. ) What you produced/learned this week and want to improve on next week.

If anyone gives you kudos ask/get them to send you an email.  Create a physical report why they should keep you even if they do let you go.

They might actually rescind your layoff and pick some other poor bastard. 

I would point out that some companies can limp along a very very long time while being completely unsustainable. December is not that far away. Ride it out. 

Situation at work is still about the same. 1 one of the guys on my shift already found another job and will probably be leaving soon. Another guy says he's going to try to follow him over to that place. My plan is still to wait it out but I just spoke with a friend of a friend that works at a machine shop in town (as in the one I live in not the one I'm driving 40 miles to get to). He suggested I keep bugging the HR people at that shop and I can probably get in. It's closer to home, more interesting work, and I already talked to these people and they suggested that they were willing to put me on day shift but give me mornings off to finish my last semester of classes. 

I think I'm going to talk to them again Monday and see what happens. 

More updates on this. Apparently the director of operations put his 2 weeks in last thursday while I was out. Decided to leave Kentucky and go back to Grand Rapids. So now the mess upstairs is even uglier. 

Not much I can do about that though. So I guess I'll go back to my waiting game trying to finish the year out.