I worked for over 20 years at major northern calif newspaper. It became like another family to me. Support most gave me when my brother passed. how i found out i had SLE(lupus) in early 80's when no one had heard of it or those that did, thought I was going to die within 20 years at most. But it was a family with all the pros/cons of a family.
When this company went public it clearly was the beginning of the downfall of all that was good and great about this company. People instead of being looked at as part of family were now just commodities. lay off a few and easy way to save some money! And that is just what has happen down there now. Saddest is they like many other companies lay off people who are with in 5 /7 years of retirement so this impacts their pension greatly. Actually is is great way for these companies to save thousands if not millions of dollars in paying out of pensions....all which many employees loyally stayed and worked just at the one company..at least partially. I know now ...companies want their employees to keep moving around to other companies but i just wonder financially how smart that is..in training etc. Experience does count for a lot.
Oh look at computer programmers..how many of you know that they are excepted from overtime unless the state they live in changed state law ..that is federal law. So , i have friends who went into programming thinking good idea, right always a job etc...now they are working for places that work them 7 days week more than 12 hrs per day at crunch times...no extra pay at all! Even at my most healthiest....i could not have done those hours! Yes, most likely i have had lupus all my life or since late teens for sure. What would I do? If l lived in state like that?
I loved how i could work hard and did a great job juggling many tasks at once and always against deadlines. I kept struggling do do that but every 5 years i had to slow down a bit...so i thought i will learned all plus i enjoyed it to keep myself a valuable needed employee. I was lucky that my boss thought it as good idea as well since i could fill in as needed. But when i was getting diagnosed...it was hell dealing with him due to work the missed doing all the tests etc. What stopped it really..i got sick at work and it took over hour and half for my husband to come get me. So lets say...the only bathroom with bed to lay down in...was main one...i literally had other employees puking from how sick i was. No one ever again question it and they realized how hard i tried.
But on flip side, my husband's brother and my sister in law both were laid off with in month of each other in late 2000's. IT was before Obama extended unemployment so luckily for both they got another year or so. My brother in law looked high and low....he lost his house like many of my friends. My sister in law never bothered to look for a job since these young guys who ran a extremely well doing company into the ground within 2 yrs. They had illegally laid of my sister in law because she had seniority and they kept friends they had just hired instead of her. They did tell her that in just month or two they hire her back and she believed them...though no other employees that i know of did...so i think she liked not working to be honest. After it was getting near for her unemployment to stop they suggested she work as independent contractor for them. But she have to buy all her own machines, computers etc. So her parents bought it ...than Obama extended the unemployment thankfully! 3-5 years she still has not broke even. They offered this same thing originally to other ex employees and they said no way. So having well off parents helps..but she is only one i know of who parents did this or can afford to help like ...she was only girl with 3 brothers so most likely bit of spoiling.
My brother in law did get a job but at 30 hrs a week less than half what he had been making. He has heart condition so needs medical and now just ignores it as much as he can.
My friends from the newspaper some have got jobs only to than have them laid off or go broke. It has been so hard most work now under 20 per hour.
Where most before made more than double...many do not have benefits with their jobs. One excellent sales person...is near 60 now and cannot find a job and looks so hard daily it breaks my heart...or they expect them to pocket out and invest in their new company lol! I guess people are desperate all over.
I keep thinking of this reporter and photographer who in the 80's won a Pulitzer for our paper..themselves. They rode the trains all across US and did story about disappearing middle class...how homeless are families now. They went on to say that unless something is done to now to create more jobs for the middle class it is going to completely disappear...and that is coming true it seems.
So yes of course it affects one's health ..all that stress and extra work just to eat, have water or place to go the bathroom. Stay dry and warm ..give your kids a lighted place to do their homework. The complete families are over stressed...and i often thought is this why diseases like fibro, CFS and others along those lines are becoming almost epidemic.

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