Bad start 2010

[stryken]

We just had a meeting Tuesday and found out our company is handing off some of it admin to Administaff. I don't really care what they do up front in that respect, however there was a huge downside. Found out this also includes an insurance change which ends up costing me an ADDITIONAL $250. a month for insurance with a higher copay. Nice, all is going OK then I find out in one 90 minute meeting that I just took on what equates to a car payment without getting a car. Guess there will not be much modding done this year, at least I can get some throttle therapy , 55 degrees here tomorrow and I have some stress to relieve. Sorry, I know at least I have a job right now but ... you know I just had to get it out! :banghead:

 

[OZXJR]

Found out this also includes an insurance change which ends up costing me an ADDITIONAL $250. a month for insurance with a higher copay.

Sounds expensive Mike,could you explain to us non-us members what the insurance and copay is ?

 

[CCHOUSEKY]

That's awful! Jeez...this is my nightmare scenario (outside of completely losing my job). I work for local government and we've got really good health insurance, but you know how government works...it's always the employees that take it up the wazoo. So I'm just preparing myself for something like this to happen.

Sorry to hear this, stryken. I hope something changes for the better!

 

[DaveOTZ]

Insurance is an antiquated term for what use to insure that we wouldn't go bankrupt when we go to the Doctor... Copay is a slowly eroding concept whereby you toss in $20 or so per visit to the Doctor so the Doctor can have a few bucks to tide themselves over while the Insurance company invests your Insurance premium prior to challenging the Doctors opinion on your treatment... Then they pay half what the doctor would have charged you...

 

[stryken]

Insurance is an antiquated term for what use to insure that we wouldn't go bankrupt when we go to the Doctor... Copay is a slowly eroding concept whereby you toss in $20 or so per visit to the Doctor so the Doctor can have a few bucks to tide themselves over while the Insurance company invests your Insurance premium prior to challenging the Doctors opinion on your treatment... Then they pay half what the doctor would have charged you...

Yeah... thats about it.

I have been with this company for 19 years and when I started the insurance was completely paid for and seemed to cover everything. When I started it was owned by two old Germans who taught me a trade. Now its owned by a "college educated" prick who has no love for the trade and only cares about himself. The place looks more professional that it ever did in the past but the quality of what comes out of it is not even close to what it was.

 

[Dennis in NH]

Yeah... thats about it.

I have been with this company for 19 years and when I started the insurance was completely paid for and seemed to cover everything. When I started it was owned by two old Germans who taught me a trade. Now its owned by a "college educated" prick who has no love for the trade and only cares about himself. The place looks more professional that it ever did in the past but the quality of what comes out of it is not even close to what it was.

That's because it's all about money and facade -- screw quality, pride in workmanship, or anything that costs -- the idea is to squeeze every bit of profit so you don't have to work anymore. It's really sad.

It seems no matter how the economy is doing, insurance can just keep going up and there's nothing we can do.

I hope you weather this well.

Dennis

 

[jrevans]

Yeah... thats about it.

I have been with this company for 19 years and when I started the insurance was completely paid for and seemed to cover everything. When I started it was owned by two old Germans who taught me a trade. Now its owned by a "college educated" prick who has no love for the trade and only cares about himself. The place looks more professional that it ever did in the past but the quality of what comes out of it is not even close to what it was.

Bummer about the changes. I have been unemployed since October myself. I had been at the company for 15+ years, but things had changed. It was a company started by a German engineer who ran the company like a large family business. He was quite successful, with around 550 people employed at the peak. Then he turned the business over to his sons, who weren't the same. Then, the sons sold the company to a mega-corporation (the same parent company of Matco tools and company that makes Craftsman hand tools). Well, focus went from making the best product and totally satisfying the customer, to maximizing shareholder profit. The product line hit the crapper, lots of outsourcing was done and by the time I was laid off in October they were down to 240 something people....

The job market seems to suck too. I'm a Software Engineer who does gEEky Embedded Systems stuff, but I can't find a job around where I live.