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  1. #1
    copious
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    Anonymous Tech needs help/advice

    Let me preface this by saying I love my job. I love what I do and my customers love me too. I am not new to this forum and have been doing this since 2006. But here is the conundrum..... I have fallen into this vicious cycle and am trapped. The immediate issue is that the transmission in my car is going (no car, no job)

    Runzheimer is now taxing my mileage and the base pay went from $365 to $122 (my car no longer meets the criteria)

    I dont have the credit to get a new car, nor the $$$, my company (a large fortune 500 company) has had a wage freeze for the past 4 years

    because of losing so much with Runzheimer and the cost of everything (Gas, Food, Insurance, etc...) going up and up and up, I cant make my student loan payments and now they are garnishing my check ($237 each pay period)

    It has gotten so bad that I am having to go hungry now. Since I work Im not eligible for Quest or Food Stamps. I've looked for part time work on weekends (even Burger King, etc) but no one is hiring right now. I am just not sure what to do at this point...

    I have heard that (even though we use our personal cars 80% travel) if the car breaks down catastrophically you are SOL. You cannot get unemployment insurance.. I am beside myself that this could be true. I could see if it were just for commuting you would be SOL, but not 80+% travel.

    Can someone please just clarify this unemployment question for me.

    I even applied for a "hardship withdrawal" from my 401K (which hasnt made a penny in 3 years) and they said "No! Your [lady on phone in snide voice] transmission, doesnt qualify as a hardship" Since the 401K is less than 5 years vested, I am not eligible for a loan against it either.

    It has been this immense uphill battle to get through college, I went hungry from 2001 to 2006 to get a degree only to get out and not only be faced with a mountain of debt and now this crap from our company. it just seems like no matter how much I try it just keeps getting harder and harder to sustain. my legs are so tired from treading water. Can it really be this messed up in America? Am I th only person going through this or are other companies screwing there employees too? So much emphasis on the unemployed but it seems like either way we are going hungry as a nation... smh....

  2. #2
    copious
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    Re: Anonymous Tech needs help/advice

    Also to add: no I dont have parents to help me, I was orphaned so I only have myself and some good friends (also struggling) So livinv with or borrowing from my parents isnt an option.

  3. #3
    General Troublemaker 250+ Posts ddude's Avatar
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    Re: Anonymous Tech needs help/advice

    I feel for you, friend. There are hard times here for sure. I have no advice, but I do understand your plight. Hopefully you will find a cheap replacement car to get you through, or maybe someone with a heart will allow you to make payment on the repairs when you need them. One of my fellow techs where I am at would rent a car from rent-a-wreck, or ugly duckling type cheap outlets, when his car would break, because he knew that it cost less to rent the car and make a day's wage than to lose out. it wasn't a good situation, but it was better than the alternative.

    As far as companies screwing their employees, well, I wouldn't say that. The companies are screwing everyone, the employees are just collateral damage. As long as the big fortune 500 companies continue to lowball and low-bid everyone out of business, they will continue to hurt themselves and others along the way. There is NO REASON any mid-size copier or MFP contract should be bid under a penny per click, yet they (the big guys) continue to give away the farm.
    2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds

  4. #4
    Field Supervisor 500+ Posts
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    Re: Anonymous Tech needs help/advice

    Sorry to hear that you're going through some really tough times right now. I'll try to offer what help and insight that I can. The most important thing you can do is try to keep positive and not get depressed! It might not seem like it now, but eventually things do get better. If you're religious or not, PRAY. It's free, you can do it as often as you please and there's no downside to it. Who knows, maybe it will work or even make you feel better.

    I'm not familiar with Runzheimer so please forgive me on not being able to offer advice there. However, if your actual driving costs exceed the reimbursement, they should not be taxed because it would not be additional compensation, it would be treated as a reimbursement, just like you buy a case of paper for the office and they reimburse you. There's no taxes withheld on it. You may want to sit with a tax planner on this issue because let's assume that you didn't get reimbursed for travel. You have two options to deduct on your 1040 and possibly state form. You can do actual cost and mileage reimbursement. There's criteria and rules for both.

    I know what you mean by costs going up, especially food. Our wonderful US economy tanked and American businesses acted so patriotically that they increased prices on just about everything all the while people got wage freezes or decreases. Unfortunately America leaves much to be desired but thankfully we aren't the worst nation by several standards...not yet anyway. So keep positive!

    I'm glad you checked into welfare programs. Too many people feel too proud or shameful when considering them. You shouldn't. You pay into them and they're like an insurance policy. We have them for a reason. Unfortunately you have to make almost nothing to qualify for them so they're very unrealistic.

    On the car breaking down and unemployment, don't believe everything you hear. Most people are wrong and don't know what they are talking about. Even government employees can be dead wrong about things. 99.99% of all people never read rules, laws, or court cases. So how could they possibly know anything? They supposedly heard it from the other 99.99% that never read the rules, laws, or court cases.

    Unemployment compensation, even though you pay a state and a federal unemployment compensation tax; is actually run by the states themselves. The federal government mostly passes money to each state. Remember when some states kept extending unemployment compensation and some didn't. Although there may be federal guidelines to follow, states are left to run the unemployment compensation programs. While your employer may not pay for damages if your car breaks down. The mere fact that your car would or wouldn't break down has nothing to do with unemployment compensation. If it breaks down and you can't get to work and then are fired, the firing is what triggers the unemployment compensation possibility. Your state should have forms and a website with information on unemployment compensation. Typically it is under the state's department of labor and industry. Tell me your state and I'll help you find it.

    Keep in mind that a decrease in pay can make you eligible for partial unemployment compensation as well. This again would need to be looked into for your state. If you're unsure if you qualify then just apply. The worst that can happen is you get denied.

    A few tips on the 401K. First, I would strongly suggest not cashing out the 401k. You should really think of this as money you "can't" touch even though you really can. Remember you don't want to be old and without sufficient retirement money. Most people would probably not pay back what they withdrew. Some things to consider if you're dead set on cashing out your 401k: maybe you didn't qualify for a hardship loan against your 401k. Remember though that 100% of what you contributed is your money and they can't keep it from you. You can roll it somewhere else for free without penalty, withdraw it and pay the IRS a penalty fee, or get a PO Box somewhere, set up an investment firm and roll it over to that company that you control and avoid the penalty (you didn't hear that from me though). Also, unless you are "fully vested" you might lose your employers contributions. You need to see your employee manual or benefits book to see the details.

    Next tip. If you haven't done so already, set up a budget. It can be done on paper, in a spreadsheet, or by putting cash in labeled envelopes or bags. Without a budget it's hard to see what you have and where it's going. It also helps control impulse spending.

    I know what you mean on the student loans too. They are a never ending b*tch and are as much as a mortgage or rent. Our country has really left students behind on education costs. Jobs just aren't there. You can do a few things. Get forbearance or deferment or set up lower monthly payments. Here's some information: Student Aid on the Web

    Some other misc. suggestions:

    1. You deserve an A+ for effort in trying to find anything for extra employment. Don't be afraid to look for jobs out of your field. A buddy of mine has been looking for a different job even though he is still employed but he focuses too narrowly. Sometimes broadening your search or trying something completely different can pay off. So you can fix copiers/printers, apply for some Information Technology or Networking jobs. Be creative, it might help, it might not.

    2. Kind of going along with suggestion 1, don't be too concerned with criteria in job postings. Many times requiring a certain degree, or a specific number of years experience is often meant to deter people who think they are unqualified. So sometimes it's a weeding technique. Remember, sometimes ambition and drive go farther than paper accomplishments.

    3. Going along with points 1 and 2; don't feel inferior. Remember you can learn and do learn most of a job on the job and as you go. No one ever knows everything about a job and if you did you'd probably never have to look for a job again.

    4. At some point in my life I got into the habit of not giving future employers my salary information or salary history. It's none of their business and it is truly irrelevant to the new job and position. A future employer wants salary history because they know it's expected that on average people looking for a new job want or need a 15%-25% increase over the salary of their previous or current job. So considering most people are underpaid to begin with, your new job will still keep you underpaid. If they are insistent, simply point out that your old/current job is different from the new position and focus on what you SHOULD be paid for the new job. If they can't understand that then trust me, you don't want to work for them anyway.

    Some suggestions for your current employer:

    1. Ask for a raise, bonus, or pay increase. State the hardship and see if they're willing to help you. Sometimes they do. Maybe they have extra work you can for extra pay as well.

    2. I know some car rentals include unlimited mileage. Maybe you can get them to pay for a temporary rental until your personal car situation can be improved on.

    3. Is there another or higher paying position within the company? Check around and ask.

    4. There's got to be a lot of competitors out there. I'd check into every single one of them. They may be interested in how your current employer operates. They most likely will give that new job pay increase that I referenced earlier.

    I hope some of this really helps you. Just remember to stay positive and eventually things will get better.

  5. #5
    Service Manager 2,500+ Posts rthonpm's Avatar
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    Re: Anonymous Tech needs help/advice

    You're reminding me of where I was this time last year. The dealership I was working for let me go thanks to another round of cost cutting right around the time I needed a new engine for my car. I had been renting cars for a week at a time to get through until I could hopefully scrape enough money together to get mine fixed. Three weeks later, my wife learned she'd be losing her job as well. Panic mode kicked in, and then PANIC mode as the credit cards, electric and all the other bills mounted.

    We sold off 95% of our furniture, put our house on the market, and began hammering the job search locally and further away where our respective families live. Going through November 2010 to March 2011 without work I learned a lot. We ended up moving East to Pennsylvania and I was lucky enough to transition my copier skills to an IT position that pays much more, but still gives me the interaction and troubleshooting I loved about the copier world. Also, I'm my team's go-to on printer and MFP issues. Often I've diagnosed the problem before the vendor's technician can even get out to look at the machine! I have also been lucky enough to start my own company repairing computers, copiers, and just about anything you can plug a network cable into!

    Even at close to a year in, things still aren't as good as they were before but the hill is getting a little closer to the coasting side each day...

    Overall, a few things that helped me through that you should look into:

    1. Check with your bank to see if they offer any kind of credit managing help. Working with a third party that my credit union uses I was able to lower some of my credit card and loan payments by a good amount.

    2. Check to see if there are any car auctions near you. Often, you can get a trade-in vehicle sold by a dealership for less than half of what they pay for the car. It will at least get you through and be reliable.

    3. Leverage every connection you have: friends from college, coworkers, neighbours. Someone somewhere may need to have some side work or know someone who's looking for something. Plus, with a good word from someone that knows you, you're a little less of an unknown commodity.

    4. Put a resume in with any and all local temp companies. You may not be able to use your car, but if you're in Chicago proper you've got a great train system. Even if you need to work weekends or overnights to get by, at this point you really need to be in survival mode.

    5. Craigslist: got anything lying around that you don't need? Try selling it. Post that you're looking for work, yeah there's wierdos but a lot of smaller companies are using it to try and reach out, especially if they don't have their own dedicated HR or recruiting.

    6. Like King said: check into state assistance for real. Make a visit to their office. Call their numbers, get the real facts instead of relying on what other people 'think' they know.


    Everyone here knows how hard it can be to make a living in this field. There's few jobs that give you the sense of independence and accomplishment that you're able to find, but the main thing is to try and remain positive. We're all pulling for you, you're sadly not alone...

  6. #6
    Service Manager 250+ Posts Hemlock's Avatar
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    Re: Anonymous Tech needs help/advice

    The previous couple of posts covered darn near everything but, after 16 years in the biz, I can tell you it's easier to get a raise from a new employer than a current one. You give them (current company) 40, they give you a paycheck, and the loyalty goes no further than that. They'll dump you to save a buck, don't be afraid to dump them to make one.

    I *love* Chicago (been there 12 times for training w/ Oce' & Konica) but would encourage you to send resume's to all the major metropolitan areas and don't be afraid to pull up roots. DC is an expensive area, but fairly well insulated from the effects of the recession. I wanna say Nebraska (iirc, due to oil exploration) is doing better than most states as well; would be worth looking into.

    Good luck. All you can do is charge forward and meet life head on.

  7. #7
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    Re: Anonymous Tech needs help/advice

    Don't know if you resolved your car issue but worse case scenario try Drivetime if they have one in your area. It is usually low down and a payment schedule to fit your paydays. Not the most optimum but they are for people who are "credit challenged". Runzheimer sucks and always has!!! As far as the job, once you get the car issue resolved start looking elsewhere. The one good thing about our industry is that there will always be a need for a tech. If you are in the Houston area stay away from Marimon. They have company cars but are hell to work for. As the others have said don't be afraid to pull up stakes and try somewhere new. Not sure where you are located but check Copier Careers, Monster, Caree Builders etc. Good luck and have FAITH!!!

  8. #8
    Field Supervisor 2,500+ Posts
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    Re: Anonymous Tech needs help/advice

    Home Depot/Lowes are excellent part time jobs..usually start at above min wage..they want evenings/weekends so it wont interfere with day job...Another good part time avenue is in sports..if you can play baseball, soccer, hockey etc..become a ref..I do Ice Hockey...I believe the pay is a little lower in the south, but 35-40$ for an hours work, 2 games at night, 1 or 2 during the week and a few over the weekend gives me close to 1k per month..1099 at the end of the year, but expenses usually wipe any large tax bill..thick skin is a requirement, but 99% of games are good. Emujo

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