Laying people off?

[th3w01f]

Well, I have a shitty week coming up but at least I still have a job.... I've been going back and forth between volunteering or not but with a 5 month old and my wife having 0 chance of getting insurance I'm staying for the time being. These are top performers, in any other company or team within the company they'd be safe but since we're an 'elite' team some of the best of the best have to go and there's no room to move them to other teams (everyone has a number to meet).

I'd be curious to hear about others' experiences on either side of a major layoff, what worked and what didn't. What we can say to them is very scripted and there's a generous package but it's still hard to let friends and co-workers go. I'll be able to have real conversations with them after the dirty work is done.

Similar thing happened to me at Cisco back in 2001, I'd only been there 3 months and even though I was doing well I knew the writing was on the wall. My boss pulled me in on Friday and told me I was 100% safe and on Monday (after letting me sit through the Monday morning meeting) he told me the list had been expanded over the weekend. It was really the best work related thing that ever happened to me. They paid me to take the summer off and go fishing, I'd just separated from my wife at the time and me and my girlfriend (my current wife) took a couple weeks and went fishing in Montana.

[fullmann]

Part of the reason I moved back from GA 2 years ago.

The sequester was looming and working at Lockheed (being 100% govt funded) I was nervous about layoff. At one point there was 200+ under me, when I left I was #32 from the bottom of the list. An opportunity opened here, so I jumped.

The scary part is that I'm closer to a layoff currently than I ever was down there, luckily I moved to QA about a year ago and that allows me a better level of protection, also, non Union here, so I am more than just a number.

in related news, my wife was downsized last week...but the good part is that she can dedicate all of her time to the 10 month old now.

[gnihcraes]

2001, I didn't think I'd be in the layoff, wrong. Boss called @ 8:15am, never hear from the guy usually. I told my co-workers it was nice working with them. Last they saw me.

Offer package on the desk, can't tell you what it is, take it or leave it. Sign here on the form. $8000 check, severance. Turns out it's listed as a "Bonus" on the taxes and IRS got %50 of it. f*ckers.

We are pushed out the back stairwell loading dock, told to follow the line of people walking over to the Marriott tech center where they had counselors and job recruiters to help us. Along with some additional stuff later on. All of it ended up being not worth a dang.

I worked my ass off for that fortune 500. O'well. Move along, eventually landed where I'm at now with government agency that has been challenging to work for. Shut up, do my work and go home.

[th3w01f]

Wow, that sounds like a shitty experience, sorry that's the way it worked out.


2001, I didn't think I'd be in the layoff, wrong. Boss called @ 8:15am, never hear from the guy usually. I told my co-workers it was nice working with them. Last they saw me.

Offer package on the desk, can't tell you what it is, take it or leave it. Sign here on the form. $8000 check, severance. Turns out it's listed as a "Bonus" on the taxes and IRS got %50 of it. f*ckers.

We are pushed out the back stairwell loading dock, told to follow the line of people walking over to the Marriott tech center where they had counselors and job recruiters to help us. Along with some additional stuff later on. All of it ended up being not worth a dang.

I worked my ass off for that fortune 500. O'well. Move along, eventually landed where I'm at now with government agency that has been challenging to work for. Shut up, do my work and go home.

[cableguy11]

That really stinks, especially when you know you are losing good hard working individuals that probably cannot be replaced. Thankfully I will never be in that position. I cannot imagine working for a company where that is even a possibility. Glad you made it through this round of layoffs, and hopefully there won't be anymore.

[OtterbatHellcat]

2001, I didn't think I'd be in the layoff, wrong. Boss called @ 8:15am, never hear from the guy usually. I told my co-workers it was nice working with them. Last they saw me.

Offer package on the desk, can't tell you what it is, take it or leave it. Sign here on the form. $8000 check, severance. Turns out it's listed as a "Bonus" on the taxes and IRS got %50 of it. f*ckers.

We are pushed out the back stairwell loading dock, told to follow the line of people walking over to the Marriott tech center where they had counselors and job recruiters to help us. Along with some additional stuff later on. All of it ended up being not worth a dang.

I worked my ass off for that fortune 500. O'well. Move along, eventually landed where I'm at now with government agency that has been challenging to work for. Shut up, do my work and go home.

I know you're a good guy......that sucks. :(

[gnihcraes]

Thanks everyone. All is good, things worked out. I've made great new friends with the current employer and it pays the bills if you can deal with some of the .gov bs. :)

[OtterbatHellcat]

That's cool, Man.

[Ridge]

My company is pretty famous for what it calls "Talent Upgrades," every couple years they lay off one person from each department with the intention of refilling their space with new hires. My department has 3 teams, each one lost a person. One of those teams then took a guy from my team to fill their spot.

It was a pretty terrifying experience, I found myself holding back a panic attack when it happened 5 months ago. It signaled a big change in our team. We were happy people last fall, but when that happened in November, we all got really depressed and we haven't bounced back. I love the people I work with, and my direct management, but we all pretty much despise our upper management as a result of that and other decisions they've made, openly criticizing them amongst ourselves.

[OtterbatHellcat]

You're a good guy too, Ridge. It sucks what corporate entities do to DECENT PEOPLE...in the name of bottom line type stuff....fukers.

[ben4372]

That really stinks, especially when you know you are losing good hard working individuals that probably cannot be replaced. Thankfully I will never be in that position. I cannot imagine working for a company where that is even a possibility. Glad you made it through this round of layoffs, and hopefully there won't be anymore.
Must be self employed.

[jhood001]

Capitalism. Quit bitching or go commie.


Or... Hold businesses to moral standards with your purchases. You can't have both even when cheap is appealing.

[flogger]

I worked for a big builder for over 20 yrs. They called everyone on a Friday morning and told them to come to the main office, the 'keepers' were instructed to go to the third floor, the 'temp keepers' to the second floor and the lay-offs to the first floor. No one knew what was going on, it was a crappy way to do it in my opinion.

[blacklabel]

My layoff was pretty easy to see coming. Our workforce management team was duplicated in the Philippines and it was just a matter of time before all of our positions were offshored. Severance was alright considering the company. I ended up going back to that company for 2 years before I saw another layoff coming and jumped to my current employer.

[RCCrawler]

When they did layoffs at my job years ago We got word it was going down, then just a few hours later HR showed up with 5 police officers. The people who got let go got handed their last check, told to grab their personal items under the watchful eye of a police officer breathing down their neck, then escorted off the property like they were criminals.

they got rid of about 15% of the employees this way, they locked all hiring, promotions, and raises for 5 years. Needless to say morale took a major dump.

[StagLefty]

In 2010 I went into involuntary retirement when our department was outsourced. New company told me I wasn't qualified to do the job I'd been doing for 9 years.
Did I ever mention how much I love corporate ?

[Ramsker]

It's hard, for sure. I have been with the same company for 15 years and have been through several . . . seen many good friends and people impacted. I've been pretty fortunate as far as being in positions where I have been pretty well insulated. The one time I was hit was kind of funny. The company I was with at the time was acquired by the company I am with now and I was the only person left from the marketing dept (which is usually one of the first to go--so I was not in a great spot). Walked into the office one morning and the CEO stopped me and said we needed to talk. Told me my position had been eliminated . . . but that they had someone at the new parent company who wanted to talk to me. Ended up being hired by the parent company into a position tied into the executives at the HQ by that afternoon, so that was a really bizarre ride for a day that ended up turning out extremely well. Was like a scene from Office Space in real life. I was laid off in the morning, had a few video interviews, they told me to sit tight and not to go home and they'd get back to me--took all day.

But you never really get used to that stuff happening. Sometimes you are given numbers to hit and not given options to keep people you really feel you should keep (no place to put them). All you can do is try to be supportive and understand that business can be a real crappy thing sometimes.

[Skip]

You're a good guy too, Ridge. It sucks what corporate entities do to DECENT PEOPLE...in the name of bottom line type stuff....fukers.

All the more reason I don't do that anymore. The old model of being loyal to a company is over and dead, most just don't realize it. And I talk to lots of people that go on about the benefits... Well, that can be taken away and scaled back over time as well.

It's just business is my new motto. The only loyalties I have is to family, friends, maybe neighbors. That's it--seen too many get stabbed in the back and gotten it a couple of times myself.

----

OP -- Do talk to everyone after and keep in touch. Write them recommendation letters coming from you personally. If they are good, they will be okay. And if they aren't okay, don't put it on your back (you're not the CEO).

Anyone who works for a major employer long enough will be impacted by a reduction/realignment. It's inevitable. The last time I played along I was taken away from my family for two years (that's how long it took to move back). Things like this make you look at a job and wonder what is really important in life. And sometimes it's good to sit back and get that perspective. I know people who have made different decisions and are much happier as a result--they likely wouldn't have taken that initiative on their own.

ETA: And keep your ears open for opportunities for these folks. If you work with vendors don't be afraid to ask if they have opportunities open. "You scratch my back..."

[Alpha2]

I've never been "right-sized", when the right size was larger. Both times, I was let go because of gross mistakes that management had made, requiring a reduction in employees to attempt to arrest plummeting stock values. The last time, they had to hire two people to replace me, and I just found out from another previous employee of the same company that eventually they just gave up on my old territory. Seems they couldn't keep anyone willing to put up with what I had been putting up with.
I have to say though, that I was an idiot for staying as long as I did. They did me a favor by letting me go. My life improved DRAMATICALLY and immediately. Kind of like my previous marriage. I'm such an idiot.

[flogger]

I forgot all about the police showing up for layoffs. Thats always a nice touch.

[OtterbatHellcat]

I forgot all about the police showing up for layoffs. Thats always a nice touch.

Yeah, no kidding. Talk about making you feel like a real douche at the same time you're getting "let go". sheesh.

[SamuraiCO]

This great economy is even affecting me. I work for a large pharmacy chain. They decided to close stores last year and mine was one of them. I have been in their float pool since July and can't get placed at a permanent location. The company is not restructuring management and forced retirement on many older supervisors and flattened regional management structure. Guess they were worried more about their own jobs and not mine. The company will close another 200 stores this year so I will have more company in the float pool. They are not hiring for those that have jumped because of the upcoming store closures. It has forced me out of complacency and after 10 years I have brushed off my resume and started looking again. Another chain or food/drug does not meet the bill so hopefully I find a better fit.

Like so many others got to pay bills and put away for retirement. Keep professional and of good spirits.

[th3w01f]

Police showing up??? Wow, that's a crappy way to so you that they still respect you. At least we're not going that far.


We were happy people last fall, but when that happened in November, we all got really depressed and we haven't bounced back. I love the people I work with, and my direct management, but we all pretty much despise our upper management as a result of that and other decisions they've made, openly criticizing them amongst ourselves.

This is my main worry, the people leaving and the people that are left can easily find work so that's not a concern. I'm worried that morale will never bounce back to where it was.

This is a massive restructuring thanks to a Leveraged Buy Out. I don't have exact numbers but my initial guess is 1000 of 2500 are going across the company. We were very profitable but sales weren't increasing fast enough. I'm not sure who's going to be left to sell after this is over.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

This great economy is even affecting me. I work for a large pharmacy chain. They decided to close stores last year and mine was one of them. I have been in their float pool since July and can't get placed at a permanent location. The company is not restructuring management and forced retirement on many older supervisors and flattened regional management structure. Guess they were worried more about their own jobs and not mine. The company will close another 200 stores this year so I will have more company in the float pool. They are not hiring for those that have jumped because of the upcoming store closures. It has forced me out of complacency and after 10 years I have brushed off my resume and started looking again. Another chain or food/drug does not meet the bill so hopefully I find a better fit.

Like so many others got to pay bills and put away for retirement. Keep professional and of good spirits.

That sucks. :(
My buddy was in a similar spot at a major chain in walgreens. He finally just got on with the VA.
What do you think you want to do?

FWIW, I'm looking as well. Unbelievably, looking to get back IN.

[trlcavscout]

I got laid off once, I didn't really like the job but it sucked. It was a mom and pop auto shop and I was the guy with the least seniority at like 14 months so I got booted. The guy had told all the other techs he was going to do it that day so they would be ready in case I wigged out I guess. He let me finish the day and paid me my vacation time and off I went. I found a job the same day so it was a minimal impact.

i would not want to be the guys doing the layoffs! The awesome company I work for now which is typical corporate BS calls a meeting with no management there and shows the people a video about how to find a new job hahahaha my job sucks but it is secure for a while at least.

[Ronin13]

I forgot all about the police showing up for layoffs. Thats always a nice touch.


Police showing up??? Wow, that's a crappy way to so you that they still respect you. At least we're not going that far.
Back in '06 when I was laid off prior to going into the service it was crappy, but it was a sign of things to come as the company went under just a few months later.

I can understand the police showing up, if there is a reasonable risk that there may be an issue. Getting fired/laid off can be a contributor to that "workplace violence" which seems to be so pervasive [Sarcasm2]. But calling the cops because you're doing layoffs with no indication that someone might not take it well, kind of a dick move.

[gnihcraes]

we always knew it was going to be a bad day when the security guard was posted at the elevators. If your access card wouldn't let you on the elevator, the guard would check his clipboard of names and send you another direction in the building...

[Danimal]

Deleted

[ChadAmberg]

The company I and a few others here on the forum work at (*cough giant black and red telco cough*) lay off people so often, on Friday I said to my boss "Hey, there hasn't been a layoff since January. Must be because of ..."
I've survived probably 30 layoffs in the past 10 years. Now there's only 2 of us left and my boss. At least it's handled well. Everyone knows it's 2 weeks pay for every year working + saved vacation time, pro-rated yearly bonus, etc. When you get notified, you also still work for a month to "find a new internal job" if you want, or just don't show up, it's up to you.

Now, I've been laid off from other jobs. One was classic: I was in the car, driving to my recruiter's office for a meeting on a new job, when the guy my company hired to do layoffs called. At the end of the discussion, he asked why I was so calm, I replied that I still had time to get to the interview I was driving to.

[Irving]

Having police is standard procedure. I had a boss lie about me once. The company couldn't take the chance she wasn't lying, even though they knew she was, and after they got rid of me, a police officer sat AT MY DESK for a month. My picture was hung in the lobby for two years.

[gnihcraes]

I've got one for ya, not a layoff but a Bankruptcy.

Nations Way Transport in commerce city. My brother worked there as a mechanic. They gave them a 4 hour notice that the bankruptcy was happening at midnight, locking the doors, get your sh*t out or lose it.

He called me in a panic, they needed all trucks, trailers and hands on deck. They ran three shifts of mechanics, not all obviously were there to get their tools. They loaded every last toolbox they could find of any guys that were not there and took them to my brothers house up the street. Some guys were destined to lose $k's of tools. Once the doors were locked, it would be a long time in heck to get your stuff if at all.

Everyone there lost most of their 401k's too. Really screwed a ton of people. Thank you Mr. McMorris. (Former owner of rockies) Protected his ass, but didn't give a crap about anyone else.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_McMorris

[TheGrey]

2008, I was hired by a respected firm at their satellite office in Denver. I worked my ass off there for five months. One day out of the blue when the boss was on assignment in anther state, the HR guy from the head office stepped off the elevator. Everyone immediately knew something was up; his name was John but his unofficial title was the "Angel of Death." I figured I was certainly in for it, being the last hired. Although I loved the job dearly, I sure didn't relish getting up at 5:00 am in order to take the light rail in so I was ready to close the door on that chapter. Everyone gave me sympathetic looks when Angel called me in to the office.

What wasn't expected was that he chopped -everyone-, behind the boss's back. We were given an hour to clear out our stuff. Angel spent most of that time on the phone, describing the equipment that they were going to cannibalize from this office back to the head office. They didn't even let the boss know what was going on until they had packed up the desks and carted off the giant POS printer.

I felt horrible for my co-workers and my boss; he wasn't like the jerks at the head office at all.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Everyone there lost most of their 401k's too.

Why would that have happened? If it was a 401(k), it is yours.



Edit: You mean defined benefit pension?

[th3w01f]

Some crazy stories here, to be honest I'm surprised it doesn't go horribly wrong more often with the way some companies handle things.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw6-9bHEjNU

[gnihcraes]

Why would that have happened? If it was a 401(k), it is yours.

Edit: You mean defined benefit pension?

Unknown. I just know that everyone lost most everything. I'd ask my brother but I don't want to bring it up. :(

[ClangClang]

The most important thing to take away from this discussion is that EVERYONE needs to have a liquid emergency fund on hand at all times. Anywhere from 3-9 months of expenses is what's generally recommended. That money should sit in a separate bank account (or cash under the mattress if you're paranoid) and never be touched except in a real emergency.

Layoffs (or bankruptcies) can happen at any time and you need to be able to pay rent, keep food on the table, and keep the lights on until you can start getting an income rolling again. Personally, I like to keep a 6 month emergency fund because I work in a somewhat specialized field and I have to bet on at least 3-4 months of searching before I'll land a new job.

[ray1970]

Layoffs (or bankruptcies) can happen at any time and you need to be able to pay rent, keep food on the table, and keep the lights on until you can start getting an income rolling again. Personally, I like to keep a 6 month emergency fund because I work in a somewhat specialized field and I have to bet on at least 3-4 months of searching before I'll land a new job.

Eh. Why bother. Isn't that what unemployment and welfare are for?

[SamuraiCO]

That sucks. :(
My buddy was in a similar spot at a major chain in walgreens. He finally just got on with the VA.
What do you think you want to do?

FWIW, I'm looking as well. Unbelievably, looking to get back IN.

I just applied and interviewed for a position at UCHealth at the Anshutz campus. Was in the top three candidates but did not get the position. I know the are going to expand in the near future so I will try again. I want to work for someone that more closely matches my core vaules and can and will be patient.

I will continue to be professional at my current position. We are working hard for retirement. Wife worked up our plan for paying off the last of our student loans (I went to grad school, wife finished her degree late in life), the cars and mortgage and be free to put away as much as we can in our last years of work.

But life is fluid and you have to plan for the worse and hope for the best.

[fj605]

I have been fortunate to have avoided any layoffs thus far. When we had layoffs a couple months ago, it was a surprise to everyone, even the managers that had to swing the ax. They were only given a couple hours to decide who was going and those that were let go weren't given time to empty their desks. Luckily, most of the moves that happened in my department were re-assigning people to other departments.

I talked to other people in the industry that went through layoffs. Some said they were told to stay in their offices all day while HR roamed the halls, and others have said it was more of a trickle of layoffs lasting weeks. Everyday there's a new vacant office.

[Singlestack]

The only time I was laid off was at the end of 2008. I had a unique job, and the company gambled they could just cobble together a few people to get it done. They couldn't, and called me 9 months later. I came back as a full-time contractor and make more now than when I worked there. Best thing that ever happened to me, and it would be very difficult for me to go back as an employee. Wouldn't need to, anyway.

[RblDiver]

Thankfully I've not been in that sort of position, but my family was coming back from Thanksgiving vacation this last year. When we got back into town we went to the Perkins restaurant near my place. It was ~6:45 or so, we ate and left by about 7:45. The next day we read in the paper that all the employees had been called in for a meeting at around 8 to learn that the place was closing effective the next day (after having been assured that they were going to remain open). Turns out the new owners decided to close down the Fort Collins and Loveland locations and keep the Greeley location.

Weird to think that I was among their last customers. Sucks that these people were out of work just before Christmas.

[blacklabel]

Turns out the new owners decided to close down the Fort Collins and Loveland locations and keep the Greeley location.

Ironically, the one in Greeley is closed now too.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

I just applied and interviewed for a position at UCHealth at the Anshutz campus. Was in the top three candidates but did not get the position. I know the are going to expand in the near future so I will try again. I want to work for someone that more closely matches my core vaules and can and will be patient.

I will continue to be professional at my current position. We are working hard for retirement. Wife worked up our plan for paying off the last of our student loans (I went to grad school, wife finished her degree late in life), the cars and mortgage and be free to put away as much as we can in our last years of work.

But life is fluid and you have to plan for the worse and hope for the best.

[Beer] Fingers crossed for it.
FWIW, I did my residency there and loved the place. Back then it was obviously 8th and Colorado Blvd. They had to throw me out. :(

Your point is well taken. I'm trying to decide right now if I can leave the security of a defined benefit for a new opportunity. I just don't know.

[RblDiver]

Ironically, the one in Greeley is closed now too.

I might be wrong and it was the Loveland one that was to be kept open. But regardless, bad situation. (My family's decided that we're the death knell of any restaurant we frequent, as they tend to go under!)

[ronaldrwl]

Dang, this topic is unsettling