Are You 'Funemployed'?

Twice last week I read articles about ‘funemployment’. At first I wasn’t sure what to make of it, and the more I thought about it, the angrier I became (I even sent an email to one of the ‘journalists’, but I haven’t heard back yet).

Apparently ‘funemployment’ is a term used for someone who is unemployed and instead of spending their days looking for work they are having the time of their lives: golfing, surfing, camping, traveling, reading and going to the beach. How can they afford this, you ask? Well, maybe they have saved some money and are using that, or maybe they are tapping into their 401(k), or maybe they accepted a lucrative buyout, or maybe their parents have a little (OK, lot) of extra spending cash, or as one of the articles suggest: they are using their unemployment checks.

Excuse me, but did you just say ‘unemployment checks?’

So, let me get this straight. You, as a reporter/journalist, just interviewed several people who have recently been laid off and they told you this? They volunteered that they are having the time of their lives, travelling, playing golf, going to movies, etc., instead of looking for work? And that they are ‘entitled’ to the unemployment checks? Hmph. I need to think about this again.

I think I understand the arguments for why you say these people are doing it:
“I’ve been working a long time and all my past employers have paid into the unemployment fund, and since I’m not unemployed by my own doing, I’m going to sit back and collect the money. Technically, I earned it and now I’m going to take it. The economy isn’t picking up yet anyway, so why not enjoy the time off while I have it? Things will turn around soon enough and I’ll have to go back to a cube-farm and spend all my days indoors again. Then, if I want to take some time off, I’ll have to use my vacation time and that’s not fair. I’ve worked so hard for the past few years and now I want a break. I want to enjoy all the things I didn’t do when I was working. It’s only $450 (in CA and WA, apparently) per week anyway, it’s only paying the bills, I’m not getting rich off it.”

Let’s break this down:

‘I’ve been working a long time and all my past employers have paid into the unemployment fund’ – That is true, all employers pay a percentage of taxes on their employees wages. Only a small percentage, however, and the balance comes from your state’s budget. I could be wrong, but I think California has been in the news lately for being close to bankrupt as a state. I wouldn’t consider it a good thing for someone to keep drawing unemployment checks off the state in that case. Where is your responsibility to your community and the well being of the great state you live in?


‘Since I’m not unemployed by my own doing, I’m going to sit back and collect the money’ – Partly true. Many times arrogance is coupled with entitlement. Meaning, that yes, you are unemployed, and while you don’t think it is because of anything you did, you could be wrong. It’s a lot easier to tell people, even yourself, that you are now unemployed due to the ‘economy’ or bad business decisions by your former employer. It’s a lot harder to be introspective and admit perhaps this had something to do with you. Set the ego aside and take a real good look at the situation. You can’t make any personal improvements if you don’t admit that you need them. Not to mention, if you are collecting unemployment, but not looking for a job, isn’t that constituted as fraud?

‘The economy isn’t picking up yet anyway, so why not enjoy the time off while I have it?’ – The economy may not be picking up yet, but people are still getting hired. Some estimates are that even during an economic downturn there is a 20 – 25% turnover in employees. If you don’t take advantage of even that small percentage, you may be missing out in the long run. If your dream job is something that comes around only in a blue moon, then you had better be on the lookout every day to see of one has come available. If you choose to spend your time golfing, you may miss this great opportunity. It’ll be a lot harder to explain an extended absence from the workforce when you do run out of savings and unemployment. Recruiters and HR staff know what the markets look like and can probably spot someone who has been taking advantage of their ‘paid leave’.

‘Things will turn around soon enough and I’ll have to go back to a cube-farm and spend all my days indoors again.’ - Who says you have to go back to the same thing you came from? If you are going to take advantage of anything, let it be the opportunity to explore other industries and careers. Instead of going back into a cube-farm, take a look at what you love to do and explore that. Love the outdoors? Work in Parks & Rec. Love working with/helping people? Work in retail or at your library. Think outside the box to find something that you will love and pursue that. If you have to call it a cube-farm, it’s not the place for you. Chances are you won’t excel in that environment anyway. Your spirit will be better in an environment where it can grow and thrive.

‘I’ve worked so hard for the past few years and now I want a break. I want to enjoy all the things I didn’t do when I was working.’ – Don’t we all. Seriously, use your time wisely and you can still spend a week hiking or camping or golfing. Plan accordingly and you may even be able to take two weeks off together and travel to Europe. Who knows? If your employer knows you are a committed, happy and enthusiastic employee they may make allowances. If you grump about you all the time and about all the things you are missing out on because you are working, your boss may not be so inclined to work with you. One more point, if you maintain a good work/life balance, you will not feel the need to give things up when you are working. There are many ways to create this balance, and what constitutes a balance can vary from one person to another. The important thing is to figure out what is important to you and to plan for it. And, yup, that is what vacation time is for.

‘It’s only $450 (in CA and WA, apparently) per week anyway, it’s only paying the bills, I’m not getting rich off it.’ – Only $450? That’s a lot of money. For some people, that is all they would have made in the week, not on unemployment. Unemployment is only meant to help you get by until a job. It should, in no way, take the place of a real paycheck. It should also, in no way, be enough money to pay all your bills and then some.

Where would the incentive be to get a job if you could live off unemployment? I’ll take the job over the ‘funemployment’ any day. While I do enjoy a vacation or simply time on my own, I still value a job and my contributions to my community. To quote Aaron Tippin: “If you'll check out my paycheck; Well, you'll see that there ain't that much on it; But ev'ry single penny I'm paid, I got it honest.”

Celebrate June as National Rose Month with Blumz

Recently, I contacted one of the owners of locally owned and operated Blumz, in Downtown Detroit and “Fashionable” Ferndale, requesting permission to write about his company on our blog. I’d love to highlight a local business for National Rose Month, so I did (very) little research and called a local florist we had just learned about. I asked him if there was anything special he would like me to mention about his company and his response was really very modest. He simply asked for us to mention that they are a full service floral and gift shop.

No problem . . .until I looked further into their website and discovered that they had achieved quite a bit in their seven years in business. So, I’ll mention their full range of services (floral arrangements, gift baskets, candle arrangements, funeral, wedding, corporate affairs) but I also want to highlight just a few of their other nods:

2006 – Received “Spirit of Detroit” award from Detroit City Council
2006 – Received “Beautification Award” from City of Ferndale
2007 – Selected as “Retailer of the Year 2007” by Michigan Florist Association, per the Detroit News
2007 - National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) Award for “Best Table Design”
2007 - NACE Award for Best Table Design

For those of us who are ‘florally challenged’, they even offer classes. Grab a couple of your girlfriends/coworkers/sisters/cousins and ask for a private class. Who wouldn’t love to learn from the best!

On a personal note, I love that Blumz gives back to the community. Not only do they support GLBT activities and organizations, but they also support their local community. We were turned on to Blumz through a networking event held in their Ferndale location. I’m glad we went, and I’m glad we learned about Blumz. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives that we forget about things going on to those around us. Give the gift of a personalized gift basket, or an arrangement of someone’s favorite flowers, or something simple, just because. Check out Blumz.com and be prepared to be impressed.

And for those of you, like me, always wondered the meanings of the rose colors:

Red - True Love
Blue - Mystery, attaining the impossible
White - Eternal love, silence or innocence, virtue, purity
Black – Death, hatred, farewell, rejuvenation or rebirth
Yellow – Friendship of dying love, jealousy or infidelity
Pink – Grace
Dark Pink – Gratitude
Light Pink – Desire, passion, joy of life, youth, energy
Coral/Orange – Desire, passion
Lavender – Love at first sight
Red/White together – Unity
Red/Yellow together – Joy, happiness, and excitement

Check out www.blumz.com or contact them directly at their Ferndale location 248-398-5130 or Downtown Detroit at 313-964-5777.

Job Loss and Grieving

In 1969 Elisabeth Kubler-Ross published “On Death and Dying”, bringing, for the first time, a mainstream awareness to the human side of terminal illnesses and the like. When she identified her ‘five stages’ of grief’, I’ll bet she had no idea that 40 years later they would become ‘mainstream’ when talking about job loss.
We’ve seen news reports, read articles, listened to others ask if it’s really that bad and wiped a few tears, unfortunately with increasing frequency, over the past few years. Every time a news reporter puts a microphone in someone’s face and asks ‘what is next for you?’ I just cringe! How can they possibly know? None of this information has processed yet! If we were aware of, and educated others, on how Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief can be applied to just about any personal loss, we may have a better understanding and preparedness for such occurrences.
I first learned about Kubler-Ross back in college and this theory has stayed with me. On a personal level, they have given me a better understanding of how I was feeling at the time of loss and whether or not it was ‘normal’. Throughout the years, I’ve leaned on this theory to get through some tough times. Here are the five stages:
1. Denial – Usually the initial response. Temporary in nature. ‘Not me, you must be wrong’.
2. Anger – Strong feelings, albeit misplaced, of rage and envy. Often directed towards anyone/anything who symbolizes what was lost. Spouses/partners who are still working usually take the brunt of the anger.
3. Bargaining – Strong negotiation to somehow postpone or delay said activity. Most ‘negotiations’ are made with a ‘higher power’ in exchange for ‘one more chance’. Often puts into perspective the true value of someone/something compared to other, more materialistic, things.
4. Depression – The beginnings and comprehensions of what just happened and what lies ahead. In situations of job loss, we may distance ourselves from former co-workers and friends as the pain of ‘what we used to have’ is too great. Trying to cheer someone up during this stage robs them of the chance to come to terms with the situation on their own.
5. Acceptance – Fifth and final stage of grief. Understanding and peace with the situation. When relating to death, this is the stage where people have accepted they are dying. They often want to be alone and may seem emotionally detached. In terms of job loss, this stage often brings peace and acceptance, quickly followed by the desire to figure out ‘what’s next’. This is when words of wisdom and help in the job search will be welcome. Not before. You’ll be met with resistance and anger if you offer it too soon.
Things have come a long way since 1969. Some things, fortunately, haven’t changed so much. These stages are just as valid today as they were when Kubler-Ross first put her theory into words. Today, we need to acknowledge that there is a grieving process for any sort of loss. If we don’t , we are doing a great disservice to ourselves or others we know going through it. Take a minute and think about these stages and where one may be. Only then can we truly help ourselves and our neighbors.