It Looks Like We Aren't a Statistic...At Least Not Yet Anyway

This just in, it looks like I was not laid off. Cause for celebration you say? Not so, my friend. At least that is my opinion. Due to a recent merger with another company, the planned layoffs that we had yesterday included a severance package of one years pay + 2 weeks for every year you have been at the company. For those counting, if I would have been laid off yesterday I would have been paid (twice a month, not in a lump sum so taxes would have been the same) until mid-April 2010. EVEN if I got another job in the meantime. HELLO?! I spent all yesterday waiting for "the call" - and yes, for those wondering, in cases of blanket layoffs it is legal to lay off someone on maternity leave. Much to Taki's chagrin, I even offered myself up as the sacrificial lamb before I left on maternity leave, thinking that if our group was going to lose someone it would be better to lose the person that was going to be out for five months anyway, as opposed to someone working every day. Well, St. Patrick's Day may be lucky for some, but not for me as alas, I still have a job to go back to in August. Taki (aka Mr. Rain-On-My-Parade or Mr. Glass-Is-Half-Empty) is happy because he was afraid I would not be able to find another job in the next THIRTEEN AND A HALF MONTHS (and this does not include the 5 weeks vacation I would have cashed out) or find on with the same salary. Blah blah blah. So looks like it is back to work for me in August...wooohoooo.