65 People Laid Off Today

[Diana Prince]

Around lunch time a private security firm showed up at my place of employment. The VP's, Directors, & Managers were all in a meeting and rumors started flying. One of my coworkers asked our Safety Guy why the security were there and he had the nerve to tell her that they were doing a first of the year safety inspection. Next thing you know people were being escorted out of the building with their personal belongings, some in boxes and some in trash bags. We did not even have time to say goodbye. People were stunned, crying, & just in total shock. We were also informed that another round is coming in two weeks but those involved have already been informed.

I still have my job which I am very thankful for but I also feel guilty because I was only hired in May as a Seasonal Employee and then in July full time. There were people who have more experience and seniority than I do who were let go. I have been crying almost nonstop for those gone and the relief I feel for still having a job.

By the way, they are keeping the security on full time for the next week, 24 hours a day.

Thank you for listening.

[lizziegrace]

1. I was laid off yesterday

it's ugly out here and getting worse.

:hug:

Don't let the guilt consume you.

[Diana Prince]

3. Thank you, I'm so sorry for your situation

I don't think anyone has a secure position anymore.

:hug: and good vibes to you

[lizziegrace]

4. thanks

:hug:

You're right, no one's safe out here. :(

[Sanity Claws]

2. How awful!

The presence of security must make the laid off workers feel like criminals.
Not exactly a classy joint, IMHO.

[Skittles]

5. this has been going on at my company since August

latest round happened yesterday

[Diana Prince]

7. I don't know if I could survive the stress of wondering

day to day whether you still have a job.

[Skittles]

8. in the IT world it has been that way for years

if it's not the economy they can still pimp off your job to the lowest piece of shit bidder overseas

[Diana Prince]

9. I understand that

My husband lost his job, computer related, in 2006 and we opened a small business which we had to close in Dec. 2007. We were both unemployed until I got this position.

By the way, I just have to say that I really detest the term lost my job, as if it were misplaced. I guess I also hate the term laid off, call it what it is, FIRED.

[Skittles]

10. yes

I'm old enough to remember when layoffs really were layoffs - there'd be re-employment when things got better. No more. Working hard, caring about your job, serving your country - it means nothing now. We're numbers, we are nothing.

[Blue Diadem]

14. My husbands former employer used the terms temporary layoff and permanent layoff.

Being fired conjures up images of the employee doing something wrong vs being permanently laid off which was used for those who were let go due to lack of work, down sizing, plant closings etc. Being fired also makes it more difficult to collect unemployment.

I'm glad you still have your job. My Dh's place just had 2 rounds of layoffs, he has low seniority now and will be next if there are anymore in his department.

[KitchenWitch]

6. Stories like yours make me think, "WTF happened to my country?"

I am so sorry to hear this.

:hug:

Hang in there, morale must totally suck at work for you right now.

[Haole Girl]

11. Don't feel guilty

:hug:

[mwooldri]

12. Oh boy. Even more important to work to make yourself as indispensible as possible.

I work for one of those financial companies that had a wonderful bailout plus announced a load of job cuts (well, 10% of workforce). No, not Citi... (they're doing 15%).

Seems to have done the trick for me. Plus putting in a superior performance really helps too. Technically right now I am on loan from the "supervisor desk" of Customer Service (you don't get an actual "supervisor" when you ask for one here, you get a really seasoned customer care agent who knows an awful lot of tricks, more than even the real "supervisors" know). I have been since October 2006, in an initial 3 month assignment, coaching newly trained and re-training existing customer care agents. The company has a policy of only allowing people to run in the temporary posting a maximum of 2 years, after which you go back to your original role. Recently, some other temporary coaches who had come up to the 2 year limit were told to go back to customer service had grumbled about the fact that me and my colleague were still in our roles. They were told that our roles had changed too: we now report to the head of customer service in our office! No-one told me or my colleague this! I know I did a few special projects on the side that got noticed by said head of customer service plus my leader channeled my skills into a specialist skillset that brought about dramatic improvements in customer quality. In any case, if I do go back to the "supervisor desk", it'll be cool - I won an award when working that desk :) (and that award recognition would probably help keep me around too!)

I must admit that sometimes layoffs are brutal. Past layoffs here were handled badly IMO: some guys were just met at the door, escorted by security to collect their belongings, made arrangements about severance pay, and their badge turned in. This time around feels a lot different... we're getting vibes from senior management, they seem to have their list of people they want to trim down, and those who are worried have been given reassurances or otherwise. Because this would be a big layoff here, I think this one is being planned very carefully.

Mark.

[XemaSab]

13. That SUCKS

Being laid off is no fun. :(

[coffeenap]

15. It is so very hard. A good friend was head of HR for

the US division of an international company. She spent the last 8 weeks of 2008 agonizing over the firings she was forced to do, working on the best severance packages she could muster for them. She was sent across the country the week after Christmas to deliver the last batch of bad news. On the final day, her company froze her email, canceled her phone, canceled her return ticket and fired her.

So much pain.... So sorry for you and for everyone going through this.

[RebelOne]

16. Two weeks ago, my department consisted of 3 people, including me.

The other 2 were laid off, plus one of our editors. And I have to take on an extra work load. Well, at least, I have job security -- that is, if the company doesn't go belly up, which I expect to happen in the not too far future. I work for a publishing company and all the big publishing houses are cutting back.