Alumni of Toys R Us

Companies close, it’s a hard and sad truth. My friend Sarah's mother devoted 15 YEARS of her life to working for the same dental office. Then one day it was bought out by another company and she suddenly found herself without a job. No matter what the case is don’t hit that panic button! Take some deep breaths and check out these tips on what to do next.

1- Take care of YOU Your health is important so don’t go without health coverage! Speak to your former employer about extending your health insurance benefit for up to 18 months under COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) if it's available. You have 60 days after your coverage lapses to opt-in or start shopping for your own policy on https://www.healthcare.gov/ Your new employment status allows for you to actively enroll even if it's not open enrollment time.

2- Apply for unemployment benefits To receive unemployment benefits, you need to file a claim with the unemployment program in the state where you worked as soon as possible. Don't delay because this process can take awhile! The government-sponsored site, [CareerOneStop] (https://www.careeronestop.org/), has details on unemployment benefits in each state. You also can do a quick Google search to find your local Department of Labor and unemployment office and apply there.

3- Revisit your budget There’s no way of knowing how long you will be unemployed and because your income is now significantly less it's important to plan for the future. Revisit your accounts and see where you stand. Cut down on your expenses to only what is necessary for the time being. Put together a list of all the bills you currently pay such as car payments, student loans, rent, mortgage, groceries, etc. that are non-negotiable. Anything that isn’t essential cancel it for now and focus on the more important bills.

4- Stay in touch Don’t be afraid to connect NOW with your coworkers/managers! Ask them for their contact information and if they would consider being a reference. Stick to anyone you worked closely with who can attest to your skills on the job. If they ask you, offer them the same courtesy.

5- Be positive Right now is a difficult time but remaining positive will help see you through this! Surround yourself with loved ones who will support and guide you. Stay strong and look to the future. As the saying goes, "This too shall pass."

6- Apply It goes without saying that once you lose a job you need to replace it with another. So revamp that resume! Be sure to add any new skills and experiences you gained over your employment. Then when you are ready, search and apply to jobs in your area [here] (https://www.jobcase.com/jobs/search).

Wishing you the best during this difficult time, stay strong!

My mom has worked for toys r us for like 15 years and now she is jobless. Not sure what to do. She and my dad talk about bills a lot and late last night I heard her tell my dad that we might have to move. :*( What should my mom start doing? How can I help her??? Please.

My little girl was SO proud that her papa worked for a toy store. I would bring her home all the newest dolls and puzzles we got in. She really loves those. I am looking for work since Toys R Us closed, but I feel like a failure. My family really counts on the money I take home! I was doing good the last year there too. Now I can't look my daughter in the eyes.

I didn't work for Toys R Us but I do work for Babies R Us. We are closing soon too but I heard they are keeping their registry going online a little longer in the hope someone will buy them out. I wonder if Amazon will since they have registries and the money to do it. Who knows right? I loved my job and seeing all the expectant mommas come in. Like other people who shopped and worked there, I am deeply saddened by the closings. I just can't believe it.

I have a top tier healthcare plan coverage for me and my daughter. She’s had some health issues with asthma so she’s been in and out of the hospital several times last year. My employee insurance coverage helped to keep my out of pocket costs low. Now we’re also losing the kindercare discount so that’s another $80-$90 a week I have to figure out a way to budget for along with job loss. Should I be looking at obamacare now? That plan didn’t make sense for us in the past because the premiums were too high with my income. Different story now. Anybody here healthcare savvy or have experience with a major life change like this?

I worked at my Toys R Us store for two years as a sales associate. I had a good paycheck and benefits and now those things are ending. I have been looking for work and you need to do it too. Yeah we are sad, but when you lose your job you gotta just keep going. Get your head on straight and look to the future. Toys R Us is gone, but we aren’t.

My Toys R Us store is closing! I honestly saw the signs this was going to happen years ago but somehow found a way to unconsciously convince myself to ignore it. 8 years of work and in all that time my hours never got cut, we never stopped hiring and our store always looked like it was business as usual. Fear of change or maybe I just enjoyed the people I work with too much but that’s neither here nor there anymore because now we all have to leave. What happened!! I’m not wall street expert but is this a result of bad business management at the top of the company? Going back to the job sea hunt grind at 48 is scaring the hell out of me. From what I’ve heard it hasn’t gotten any easier. My oldest brother is a mechanical engineer. He lost his his job last summer and still hasn’t been able to find another job. Now, get see first hand what a loss of income has on a family, it’s destructive. I’m a single mother of 2 very active and demanding boys, 8 and 12. This household cannot survive more than 1 month without a steady income. We still have about 2 or 3 months of work to do at the store clearing out all the remaining merchandise and shipping displays but we have been led to believe that anyone of us can get released at any time. I appreciate the work but fear I could be missing out on jobs openings now. Summer job searching doesn’t make it any easier. Not sure what to do or where to start?

I wasn't at Toys R Us as long as I am sure some people here were, but I shopped there for my children like many of us had. Then eventually I went to work there. Toys R Us helped me by offering me part time flexible hours. My kids are still young and now it will be hard to find a job that will support my needs. I am worried because they have closed. I really loved my co-workers too....just pretty disappointed but businesses close what can you do?

I worked managing a Toys R Us store near my home for the last 9 years. I adored my job and the kind folks I worked with, but now it is over. I am older, scared and unsure what is coming next for me. I am hearing different things that we will be given severance packages and others that we won't. Everything is uncertain for Toys R Us employees right now and it's not fair. I need my health insurance for my medications and that will be gone soon too. Friends, what should I do now? Feeling so alone.