At Work by Lindsey Novak

Q: I was let go because, according to my termination letter, my job was being eliminated. I discovered later that my job was not eliminated. The company simply trained an employee in another department in the company to do the work. I had been in the job for two years and had a very good production rate. The person who took on the work had to learn how to do it. I heard that her department had lost a big contract, which left her with no work to do. What can I do?

A: You can apply for unemployment and start a serious job search. It sounds as if the company wanted to keep this other employee over you despite your doing the job successfully for two years. It may boil down to the other employee being better connected to upper management or more senior than you. Turning the work over to another department may just be a way to balance the loss on the company's financial records. The company did you a favor by stating that your job was eliminated, because that reason is what allows you to be able to apply for and receive unemployment benefits. If you had lost your job for cause, you would have had to represent yourself and argue with the unemployment office on why you should receive unemployment — not a pleasant situation to experience.

 

Gain Skills Quickly To Increase Job Opportunities

Q: My husband has been in information technology for nearly 20 years and is looking for a job. His experience and skills are in one language, but he lacks many of the supplemental skills also listed in the job ads. In his spare time, he is trying to develop those skills. He has been freelancing, but the company at which he often has had jobs has less work now.

My part-time job pays for much of our expenses, but it doesn't pay for health insurance, and I am due to have a baby in six months. We both have been applying for jobs, but how do we answer questions about required salary? We know jobs are scarce, so we have been looking up the salaries on various Web sites and then splitting them in half.

A: Ask for a "salary that is commensurate to the job." Halving salary requirements on your applications won't make you or your husband more appealing job candidates if you lack any of the skills required. Though money is tight, your husband should take a formal class to quickly learn the skills he is missing. He then would have proof as to those skills and could add them to his résumé. Employers can be as demanding as they want now; they will find good applicants regardless of how demanding they are. One company received 700 résumés 10 minutes after it posted a job opening.

To compound matters, you have chosen a difficult economic time to have a baby. No employer will admit to it, but it's unlikely you will be hired for a full-time job. If you are, your delivery probably will not be covered by the employer's health insurance. Ask your part-time employer for any extra hours available. I hope you and your husband have family you can rely on for help, as well. You can cut back on household and personal items, but you won't be able to cut back on things for your baby.

Please send your questions to: Lindsey Novak, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. E-mail her at LindseyNovak@yahoo.com, or visit her Web site at www.LindseyNovak.com. She answers all e-mails. To find out more about Lindsey Novak and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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