Budget layoff's, elimination of my position on the employers side. Breast cancer survivor, reconstruction costs, plus a few health issues requiring health benefits which in turn, cost the insurance company much more than average on my side.

It would be worth mentioning the medical insurance company is in part, under the same umbrella as my employer. All owned and operated by one organization. It does make one wonder if my costs were such that they could foresee me costing them way too much! I am 52 and that too, makes one walk around on eggshells.

I never was offered another position within the same organization that I could have done, they were clearly advertising for positions that I could have handled. I only received a "layoff" letter at the time saying if I found anything on their website I could be considered for re employment. They would give me two more weeks in addition to the layoff date so my insurance would be at the lower rate rather than the full rate. Also they told me it would look better that I was not here one day gone the next.

Now in all fairness,I did have my house for sale and was going to move away about six months ago. The market had slumped and the house was not selling so it was common knowledge,I had spread the word that in September when the listing ran out,
I was going to stay in California and stay with my job. I had too. I had stage 3 breast cancer in 2004 had undergone a mastectomy chemo radiation and now recently, breast reconstruction, I needed the coverage more than ever. Having had cancer one knows that it could come back at any time so having coverage is crucial. I didn't get the usual cobra 18 months coverage. I was offered 6 months at a higher rate then if I don't get another job I do not know what I am going to do.

I have to wonder if my diagnoses and future health issues that may have developed, were in question as I had never heard one complaint about my performance. As far as I knew, I was well liked, did my job with dedication and commitment. It is a crying shame that when one puts their all into what they do, they can come and at any time say, due to budget cuts, you are gone.

No matter how much you do for an employer or how liked and valuable you think you are, beware, it could happen to you.

Learn more about this author, Maggie Ney.
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