Miscellaneous

I received my first biweekly severance check today after being laid off from my job in California, and I noticed it's about 25% lower than my usual pay. The company had informed us that we would receive one month's severance paid out in two biweekly installments, but this check is missing around $500 compared to what I typically earn. I'm wondering if California has additional taxes on severance pay, similar to how bonuses are taxed. If not, I'm curious about other reasons for this discrepancy. Losing 25% of my income is quite significant, especially here.

I'm currently facing a tough situation as I'm about to be jobless in six weeks. I've been networking extensively and praying for a miracle to land a new job. In the meantime, I'm thinking about how to celebrate if I do find a new position. My first plan is to go to church since I haven't been in a while and feel it's time to reconnect. After that, I want to volunteer and help others in my community who are also struggling to find work. It’s really difficult to secure a job where I live, so I believe that doing good deeds might bring some positive karma my way during this challenging time.

I just learned that Essity is planning to lay off 800 employees globally as part of a cost-saving initiative aimed at reducing expenses by 1 billion SEK. This process will continue until the end of this year. It's concerning to see such a significant reduction in workforce, and I'm curious about which specific roles will be affected.

I work in a government organization and have been here for two years. Lately, I've been feeling anxious about potential layoffs. Recently, two colleagues in my department left and weren't replaced, with management citing hiring difficulties and budget constraints. In an adjacent department, five people were let go over the past year, including a key role that won't be backfilled due to significant budget cuts. Our department was also asked to reduce our budget for next year, and we've lost perks like snacks and travel for everyone has been canceled. All these signs have me worried that layoffs might be on the horizon. I'm considering updating my resume and preparing for the worst.

Got a project invitation on Upwork.com for a TrueCaller project, but I rejected it as TrueCaller has limitations on its end which I can't bypass for that project.

Rejected for Senior Web Developer position at Equip ... reason being hired another candidate.

One positive feature Upwork added is returning of connects when a job is cancelled by client.

The job search is a grind. Bidding on platforms feels like a "pay-to-play" cycle with no replies. I’m logging my journey on LayoffLog.com to track apps and block scams. Turning the search into a system—from setback to setup. Join me there!

Bidding on Upwork.com is a financial drain. As seen in the image, clients don't even view many of my bids. I am losing money on connects while Upwork benefits from these sales, despite the lack of client engagement or responses.

Job application rejected w/o specific reason for Backend Team Lead (PHP/Laravel) at Sphise ... an Armenian based company.

Job application rejected w/o specific reason for FreeUp Marketplace

Rejected w/o interview for Mid-Senior Software Developer position at Nir Yu ... However, good thing was they did let me know that they hired someone from Mexico.

Job application rejected for MarTech Fullstack Developer at LeadTech, no reason specified.

Left the job due to burnout

Completed case interview: cohort retention analysis and recommendation memo delivered on time.

Technical screen complete. Solved component state bug quickly but over-explained once.

Reference checks cleared at AtlasMeals; compensation discussion started.

Hiring manager interview done. Strong conversation on experimentation roadmap.

Completed design challenge for Northline Labs and submitted 12 hours before deadline.

Panel interview at NovaGrid finished. Sent thank-you notes to all four interviewers.