This probably isn't the right place to ask, but..

[jggg]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY

I am posting this question here because I got tired of searching for answers and found this board, so if I am out of line asking any questions here please let me know.

The town in which I live entered into an agreement with the board of directors of the company in which I work to buy the company. Aside from our director, the employees are all part time with no benefits; some are on call with no set hours, and some, including myself, were hired to work a set number of days and hours per week; in my case, five days a week, six hours a day. I would have preferred a full time job with benefits, but as I am over 50, I was grateful to find this job, and have held it for the last four years in an administrative position.

Our director has informed us that we will all be converted over to part time seasonal civil service positions, which require no testing and offers no benefits, and that we will not be allowed to work more than 3 days a week and no more than 130 days per year. This naturally makes it a bit hard for me to budget. I have requested additional information as to the terms of the sale and have received none, having been told that I will be informed when the town officially takes over, and nobody at the town will respond to any questions as the takeover is not yet official until some time next month and that I should direct all questions to my current director, so I am stuck in a loop as he keeps claiming he doesn't know anything.

Those of us with regular hours have started sending out resumes and looking elsewhere for work, as we feel we are being forced to quit. In addition, some of us are facing that old stone wall of ageism once again...and I am only 54, I have quite a way to go before Medicare and the only way I can pay for my own insurance is with a job.. I guess my question here is what if anything can I do about this situation, as it seems that as a constituent and taxpayer, my own place of residence is depriving me of making a living, while ostensibly having used my tax dollars to buy the business in which I worked...

Thanks for any advice or pointers to the right place to find more information.

 

[swalsh411]

It is entirely legal for your employer to alter your schedule, reduce your hours, etc. You have no legal right to advance knowledge of this action. If you find this unfair, you have the absolute right to seek other employment. If you pester them they have the right to fire you.

In order to have a valid EEOC claim for age discrimination, you would need some very good evidence that you are being discriminated against because of your age. The fact that all employees are being converted doesn't make a very good case that you're being singled out.

 

[Hot Topic]

In this day and age, it's SOP to prepare for major changes when you hear that your company is going out of business, been sold or is going to merge with another company.

Do I believe that my age (older than you) had something to do with my being laid off? You bet I do! I have an indicator, but that's not rock solid proof. That's not email or memos or age related comments that I have a witness to.
Believe me, a LOT of us are in the same boat.

I agree. Stop asking for information. You'll be told when your director has information that he can pass on to you. Continuing to ask makes you sound like of them young whippersnappers . Seriously, though, I agree that it could get you terminated.

 

[commentator]

In any case, don't quit this job, however puny it is, until you have a new job. If your amount you are making in gross wages is less than the amount you could draw in weekly unemployment benefits, you can draw part of an unemployment check while still working the weekly hours.

How you would determine how much you could draw is that you would, when your hours are actually cut to part time, determine how much you are making a week now, gross wages, and file for unemployment benefits. State that you are working all the hours the employer has available for you.

They will be contacted to determine that it is true you are only working x number of hours a week, by their request, not yours, and they will probably have a conniption fit. They might fire you, which would very likely result in your getting to draw full unemployment benefits from the county until you find another job. This would be the best revenge, as their cost saving efforts have made you eligible for unemployment. Even if you got to suppliment your part time job with some unemployment benefits, this would be nice.But you can't do anything much right now except wait to see how much you're going to be making in this new arrangement.

 

[jggg]

Thanks very much to all of you for taking the time to give me sound and thoughtful answers and advice.

When one company buys another company, you can safely bet that you will be looking for a new job very soon; it just really rankles when it's a government entity doing the housecleaning.

And, Hot Topic - if Hugh Jackman ever does PM you, please share and tell him to PM me too