I'm new here and not sure this is the right sub but I am definitely anti-work, anti-capitalist, just anti-corporate in general. I love my job, I'm a mental health therapist working in a day treatment program located within an elementary school. Rural Oregon, USA. This is the first job I've EVER had that I like and I am 54F. I've been here 4 years and I am very good at my job. About 6 months ago my agency said they were expanding into outpatient services, planned to hire 3 outpatient therapists, and offered me one of those jobs. I considered it, but decided to stay in day treatment. This may have been a BIG mistake.
My boss had decided to close day treatment for the summer as most of my kids are “graduating” from treatment. I was told I could have an easy summer of planning for next year. My boss encouraged me to take a couple weeks off and only work 4 days a week. I had planned some projects to keep me busy, like creating a parent handbook for day treatment, revamping the program, etc. Then yesterday, boss told me I am laid off for the summer but will return in the fall. She said I could get unemployment no problem and get on my state's medicaid for health insurance. She said please, please come back, we have 12 kids on the waitlist and we really need you. She said 6 weeks off, I think it might be more like 7-8 weeks. I think this is coming from her boss, the CEO, this clearly isn't her choice. I have savings so theoretically I will be fine financially, as long as the lay-off is just for the summer.
My coworker, who is also being laid off, says they are lying to me, that I am flat out being terminated, not laid off, and I probably won't be invited back in the fall. He thinks they're just, like, softening the blow. I think my boss is being truthful, I think if they were firing me they'd just tell me that so I could find another job. I think our situations are different as they aren't sure they will have a job for him, but seem very sure they will have a job for me. (He is not a therapist, but a paraprofessional, and due to disability can no longer work in day treatment.) He tends to be pessimistic, but his remarks have got me worried.
I'm sure I could find another job, but I like this job and I don't want to move. I'm worried I'll relax all summer and then not have a job in the fall. I looked at the unemployment application and it seems directed at people who are not in a temporary lay-off situation, like it looks like you're required to job-search. I am SO ANXIOUS about all this. I don't see how the few thousand bucks they're saving doing this is worth the trouble of off-boarding and then on-boarding me again. None of this makes sense to me and I am very distressed.
- Are they likely telling me the truth or likely lying to me?
- Should I start a job search anyway, or trust my agency to bring me back as promised?
- Do people get “temporarily laid off” a lot, is this common?
- Should I use up all my PTO before my “last day”?
- Am I being fcked over and I'm just too autistic and trusting to see that?