at 60 years old should keep new job or go back on unemployment (employee, apply)

[captnemo]

60 years old was on unemploymnet for 4 months after being layed off on my $65,000 job. I just started working on new permanent job paying 45,000 which i am over qualified for, and found out I have this crummy oxford liberty pos medical plan costing $116 a month and need pcp referrals. I do have 12 sick days, 12 vac days, 5 personal days, 11 holidays, free ST and LT ins. Work is lower level than what i am used to. I am Two day on new job.

Having second thoughts about new job as I still am getting responses to my resume, but just cant take off time for interviewing and jeopardize on new job. So would you quit and go back on unemployment to try to find a better job and interview as i am so tempted. I can still keep my cobra good medical for $400 a month. I have a 3 month probation period but all benefits start within 30 days. In this marlet do what do i do

so crummy medical but a lot of time off

[MaryleeII]

A few thoughts---I thought everyone knows the ins and outs of UE, but---

you do NOT get UE if you quit!

You cannot just quit and go back and re-apply for UE. You must work a certain number of days to qualify for UE. I believe once you take a job, you have to work a certain number of days to collect UE.

Also, tread very carefully with the cobra issue. You can't just buy it forever, I believe the maximum is 18 months. Ok, so, your Cobra timeline might be ticking now, however, if you have worked even one day with your new employer, and they offer group health, they must offer you cobra. You might extend your coverage that way. You do NOT qualify for Medicare until you turn 65, even if you take early retirement and take Social Security at 62, you have to cover that gap between 62---65.

You sound like my dh. he was laid off for almost 4 years, except for pt contract jobs. We stretched his Cobra, then, I has a job I was laid off from, and I managed to carry Cobra, so we carried cobra for 36 months. DH snagged a govt job just as my cobra ran out. DH keeps talking about finding a better-paying job, but in reality I doubt there's much out there for a white male age 58.

Good luck whatever path you take, and remember the benefits are a slippery slope!

[seain dublin]

Like Marylee said you don't quit a job and decide to go back on UE. You don't get UE when you just decide to quit a job.

I would hope you have savings, you were making a decent salary and if you didn't overextend yourself and you were only unemployed for 4 months. That is considered a brief period of time these days.

So your finances should be OK if you didn't live beyond your means all these years.

I really don't get your beef, you're 60 why not be thankful you found a job that isn't too stressful and while the salary is lower it could have been 25K a year.

And you have been on the job two days and you're complaining about it? You need more time than that.

To be honest you sound kind of whiny. You beat the odds. You're a 60 yr old guy who got laid off 4 months ago and found another job fairly quickly with a lower but not an extremely lower salary.

Try being thankful for what you have.

[Three Wolves In Snow]

I agree with the above. While it's not a nice fact, the fact is that many times older people are passed up for work. Typically it can't be proven but it's there, know it's there.

You have a job. Keep it.

As stated, you can't go back on UI because you now have a job and quitting a job does not give you benefits. Best thing to do is when someone asks you if you can come in, if they really want you to work for them, they may be willing to work around your schedule. They may not, that's a risk but it's far riskier to quit this job and have nothing.

While you may have to pay $116 for your benefits, it's better than having to pay $400 for your benefits and no income.

[pvande55]

Serve your time: five years or until the next layoff. It's more than unemployment.

[Hemlock140]

If they have a retirement plan, just hang in and be grateful for what you have. At 67 when you can collect social security you will have 7 years in and probably be eligible for some small pension. Keep changing jobs this late and you won't have enough years in at one place.

[mash potato]

Originally Posted by captnemo

Having second thoughts about new job as I still am getting responses to my resume

I sometimes wonder whether the new employer has friends call their new employee posing as potential employers interested in their resume (to see if the new employee is still considering other offers).

Originally Posted by captnemo

just cant take off time for interviewing and jeopardize on new job.

Sometimes recruiting employers will meet with you before or after your working hours or on the weekend. If you both have skype that could work, too.

Originally Posted by captnemo

So would you quit and go back on unemployment to try to find a better job

If you went back on UI, would you be able to say that you took the job because you beleived it would be one thing, but it turned out not to be that at all?

[captnemo]

Thanks for your answers. I will stick with job and in a few yeare retire and work part time as my wife is still working full time. My wife is 5 years younger and does not want to retire

[joe from dayton]

At 60 years old you need to be thankfull that someone offered you a job.

[1mikey1]

Originally Posted by captnemo

Thanks for your answers. I will stick with job and in a few yeare retire and work part time as my wife is still working full time. My wife is 5 years younger and does not want to retire

I feel you made a wise decision, esp. since I am just two years younger than you are. Good luck.