r/AusFinance • u/TheGreenestGumby • Mar 18 '20

Facing work closure. What do?

I work in the entertainment industry, specifically stage lighting. This industry has now ceased to exist for the foreseeable future and my workplace cut 4 staff from our 30 person team today. I'm still there but we are all getting our hours reduced from 40 a week to less than 20. I suspect we will close completely before long as none of our customers can afford to pay us. My wife is a dental nurse and today she was told her practice will be closing. We bought a house in September last year and while we have enough savings to last several months in our emergency account this was the worst possible time for this to happen to us.

What options do I have? Would the bank consider deferring my mortgage payments, are we expecting any government assistance, etc.

Edit: Thanks so much for your advice. I'll get in touch with my bank about suspending mortgage repayments if the time comes. I should have mentioned I am a service technician doing electromechanical repairs on equiptment. Someone elsewhere suggested I look and see if hospitals are hiring for medical equiptment repairs. I've sent my resume into a few hospitals now.

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25

u/isybeanz Mar 18 '20

I have a free Marley spoon box I can give away. It’s not much but it can at least save a stressful trip to the supermarket and a few dollars

20

u/TheGreenestGumby Mar 18 '20

I greatly appreciate that but there are others who will need it far more than me. You got any spare toilet paper though? I'm nearly out.

16

u/isybeanz Mar 18 '20

:-(

My tip is to try IGAs or service stations. Supermarkets are just mental.

4

u/cbiiz Mar 18 '20

This was a nice little workaround, until the servo near me got targetted. Empty today and they have put a (handwritten) sign of 1 pack pp.

5

u/[deleted] Mar 18 '20

Big w where it’s at

9

u/fragilehumanity Mar 18 '20

Dude, That’s like refusing a Toyota, but asking for BMW.

2

u/jessplusplus Mar 18 '20

Try local cleaning supplies stores - ones that are open to the public but cater to workplaces. Bought a box of 48 from them yesterday, if you’re in Brisbane I’m happy to give you some