Last night, after years of dedicated service to the company he's worked for for almost 13 years, Hubster was 'let go'. No notice. They just laid him and 4 other people off from their jobs. His problem was that he'd done such a good job that he had the highest hourly rate of any of the drivers, and they felt they could no longer afford to keep him on.
They informed him that as of midnight last night, we are without insurance. He was given a small severance package, and it will help out, but it's only going to be a fraction of what he'd have made had he actually been working, because it includes no overtime or shift differential, of course. I can't tell you how incredibly thankful I am that I'd already had my surgery, and all I have left is a follow-up visit to the doctor. I'm hoping that the follow-up is covered as part of the surgery. They often are. Hopefully this one is, too. If it's not, I'll find out, if it's even necessary to go, and I'll skip it, if I can.
And talk about timing! Yeah. It's going to suck to have the payments for the sewer repairs, but I can't tell you how incredibly relieved we are that we're not going to have to deal with sewer problems on top of being and uninsured and unemployed family! I mean seriously. It could be worse! Oh! I almost forgot! When he got the sewer work loan, he signed up for an insurance plan thing that will pay the payment on the loan, if he has unplanned unemployment! So hopefully, we won't have to worry about that payment, after all. That would be nice.
We've got lots to look into. There's a chance Hubster can get training to get into a different line of work through the VA, since he never had GI Bill benefits due to his entry date into the Marines. If he qualifies, he'll jump at the opportunity, and things will just be tight for awhile. If he doesn't qualify, he'll start a job search immediately. He's planning on going down to the VA Tuesday to see what he can find out.
Even though this has set our world upside down temporarily, I cling to Romans 8:28 and the thought that all will be okay. I mean, we still have each other, and we all have our health, and we no longer have sewer issues. Things really could be so much worse.
Hubster will no longer have to deal with getting called out at 2 and 3 in the morning to deal with patients. He'll no longer feel like throwing his phone through the wall when it rings in the middle of the night and startles him out of his skin. He'll no longer have to deal with some of the incompetent supervisors he's dealt with all these years.
For over a decade, he's gone to work around 1:30 pm and has gotten off work anywhere from midnight to 4:00 in the morning. In all those years, we haven't gone to bed at the same time unless I stayed up late to spend time with him, and even then I fell asleep in the recliner long before we ventured into bed.
So for the first time in almost 13 years, I get to sleep with my husband again.
Woot!!
I'm so sorry to hear that your husband and benefits were both cut off without warning (GRRRR...), but it sounds like you realize this could actually be a good thing :)
ReplyDeleteMy husband had 3 years left of teaching and coaching before retirement, which wasn't going to arrive a moment too soon. Surprise, surprise, he learned that he'll probably be booted to the curb at the end of the school year to make room for the assistant principal's son, who left his coaching job and came home to daddy... and a job.
Since the stress of 'education' (ha) has taken a toll on hubby's health, we decided to look into early retirement. We were stunned to learn that if he stayed 3 more years, his school check would only be about $300/month more. We could use that, but it certainly made it easy to make arrangements to ESCAPE at the end of the year instead of worrying about finding another teaching job... which I figure would be virtually impossible at his age.
His birthday last month qualified him for early SS, so we're actually celebrating old age :) He'll find a little job somewhere to make up for what we'll lose, but the thought of actually having time to get things done around here, like clean out the storerooms(!!!) makes us both giddy.
I can relate to a portion of your nighttime insanity, thanks to long nights with football (and baseball) games and then a long commute home afterwards. YAY to your being able to sleep with your husband again!
'Lucy'
Thank you, Lucy. :)
DeleteI can only imagine how much stress that added to you and your husband's lives! I think I'd take the early retirement, too!
And I have to admit that it has been absolutely wonderful getting to spend time with a more stress-free husband than the one I've had for the last 13 years!! :)
I am carefully not making any x or even R rated remarks about your title.
ReplyDeleteI know things will work out, they usually do. But what a shit thing to have happen. And I'm really sorry.
LOL. I appreciate that,Ami! :D
DeleteYep. Things will work out. We still have one another, and that's the most important thing! :)
ReplyDeleteThat really, really sucks. Seems the world is rewarding hard working people with...well,not much.
My motto for the last month has been "It could be worse" and it always could be.
I will be thinking of you and hoping your hubby can get in to the VA program.
Thanks, Mrs. I'm sorry the last month has been an 'It could be worse" sort of month! But you're absolutely right. Things can always be worse, and I'm so very thankful for what has happened. It has been a real blessing in disguise!
DeleteI too am very sorry to hear your husband was let go. I know this presents many worries for you but I am also reading, with a great of admiration, how you and your husband are coping with this in a very positive manner by moving forward with some plans of what to do next. It sounds like your husband had a wonderful work ethic and that is something that employers do look for - I bet he will be employed again very soon.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Krystal. :)
DeleteAfter the initial shock and feeling of betrayal, we've found new things every single day that we're thankful for that have resulted from his layoff! God is good! :)