Apr

16

The rise of the unpaid furlough

Posted by Dan

April 16, 2009 |

I heard from my very first editor yesterday. He knows I sometimes write scripts for comic-book companies, and he wanted me to put him in touch with one of the publishers that I sometimes work with.

Seems my former editor needs the work: He’s on a one-week unpaid furlough from the newspaper chain where he works.

He actually feels fortunate. He hasn’t been fired and his newspaper is still in business. That’s rare these days. But he’s taking the proactive approach, and is trying to diversify his writing skills just in case either of those two factors change.

I’m hearing from a lot of people about unpaid furloughs. It’s a pretty nasty sounding proposition. But I suppose if companies pitch it as an alternative to layoffs or firings, it’s not so bad.

Problem is, there are a lot of people out there who live close to the bone. If they miss a week’s worth of work, they may not be able to make their mortgage payments or their rents. That one-week unpaid furlough can really hurt.

Follow my former editor’s path and prepare yourself for the day that you might be laid off. Boost your skill sets in whatever way possible. There are a lot of people out there now looking for work, in just about every field. Do something now so that you will stand out in case the worst happens.


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