Sunday, June 21, 2009

Hitting home

Last week at work the President of my agency called two emergency meetings. The first was to announce that due to the State of Illinois budget crisis, major funding cuts were looming and if passed this would lead to many programs being eliminated or reduced and possible layoffs. The second meeting stated with more certainty that 25% of the staff would be layed off and the announcements of who would be cut come this Tuesday and Wednesday. Pretty bleak news. Unfortunately it's happening all over the State, social service agencies are laying off staff or even closing their doors. The State can't balance it's budget and the current "solution" is to slash funding for social services. Everyone I have talked to feels that in the long run this will make things worse, ERs will be overflowing, mentally ill and disabled will be without services and out on the streets, chaos.

A co-worker said her supervisor hinted that our programs would be OK and survive the cuts. I don't know how to feel. I know several co-workers who have gotten all but the official news that their programs are being eliminated. If I stay, I will probably feel guilty. And I am always complaining about my job anyway, so being layed off and eligible for unemployment while searching for a new job might be a blessing in disguise. Of course finding a job will be hell, since I would be competing with thousands of other laid off social workers and counselors and would have to seek employment somewhere NOT funded by the state...

Unfortunately my husband works in social services too and his agency is facing the same cuts.
The bad economy is definitely hitting home.

2 comments:

  1. Aw, I'm so sorry to hear this! Hopefully things work out well for you and Michael. At my job, the cuts in my department were all middle management.

    I'll be thinking of you both this week. Let me know what happens!

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  2. thanks...we hear today and tomorrow. rumor is our program is safe, and Michael just heard yesterday that at least two of the programs he is over aren't being cut, one probably will be but he is hoping his job will still be in tact. like I said though, as much whining as I do about my job maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing?

    glad you made it out"alive"!!

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