Foo - I didn't just burn the bridge...

I blew the sucker up!

My company is laying off several thousand people in the next 2 months and my job is at risk. Our Chairman of R&D gave a town hall Friday to explain the cuts and then opened the floor to questions. Here's what I said:

"Have you seen this week's Newsweek? [He said no. I held up a copy.] The cover story is 'Layoffs are bad for business'. The article shows that in almost every case study of layoffs, the cuts have almost exactly the opposite effect to that intended. You want to simplify the operating model? Offshoring complicates the operating model. You want to appease short-term investors and bump the stock price? Our stock price dropped when you announced the cuts. You want to stay competitive? When your competitors are laying off people, that's the time to gain ground on them.

You talk about trust. I think I speak for everyone in this room when I say that I have a lot more trust in a manager who, in the face of evidence, looks at a decison and say, 'You know, I think we made the wrong call here. Let's look at other ways to accomplish this goal...maybe across-the-board pay cuts for senior management.'"

The entire auditorium applauded. Unfortunately they're not the people deciding whether I get cut...and halfway through my speech my senior VP turned around in his seat and looked me right in the eye. Oh well--I've already applied to about 10 other jobs at other companies.

I blew the sucker up!





Good for you.




You did not sell out and kiss their ass, and they would have laid off your kiss-ass sell out self anyway. Congratulations. You have a soul.


Cheers.

Did you also scream "YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"
Good for you, you told the truth, and had facts to back it up, nothing will piss off those in charge more than telling them, and proving, that they are wrong. Don't forget, senior managment will get a big bonus for saving the company money, not for providing jobs to people.

I like bridges.

I like bridges.



So much that you would want to live under one?

OP...you're a better man than me. After my speech, I would have been summarily dismissed with cause. The speech would have been two words....FU!

So much that you would want to live under one?
If you collect a salary, or sell people bridges, you live under one.

OP...you're a better man than me. After my speech, I would have been summarily dismissed with cause. The speech would have been two words....FU!

Been there done that a couple of times over the past 30 years. It feels great at the time but can bite you back as well limit ones career. As much as I like to say I am not a corporate a$$ kiss, to some degree you have to be. Especially in a small industry. I am getting close to being able to make that speech though.. Can I quote you when I do MV?

Way to go Itsjustb! I applaud you for having the courage to stand up for the workers. Just had to watch my wife lose her fight for a job after 20 years of service. To her credit, management in the Dallas office fought hard for her, but in the end, she was still let go. Corporate America sucks.

Sometimes you just have to swing for the fence. Yes, it has the risk of a backlash, but the reward may be that you hit a home run with it. I think you may gain more than you loose both emotionally and financially. Congratulations!

Management doesn't care as long as they have their money stream and their stock options are protected in the relative short term. Layoffs are the easy thing to do. They'll rehire for the positions somebody cheaper and won't have to give the vacation or sick time long term laid off employees have coming to them. Passed over employees will do two or three other jobs poorly but possibly just well enough to justify the initial cuts. Because you aren't unionized you can't shut the company down either. If you are close to fifty years old you're screwed. Welcome to the capitalist dream.

No I'm not bitter...

Following 9/11, the company I worked for at the time received a Federal stimulus grant of $1.5 million to protect the jobs of the workers. They laid of 1/3 of us anyway. Shortly after, the CEO paid himself a bonus and had the gall to state in a company-wide memo that it was "Compensation for the stress of laying people off." Anybody want to guess how much the bonus was?

The company lost so many customers as a result of the decrease in service from the remaining staff, that over the next few years it went from being a powerhouse in the industry, to something of a joke. And yet, the senior management continued to treat the company like their own personal ATM, paying themselves regular, astronomically high bonuses, before they each headed off to loot the coffers elsewhere.

I salute you Itsjustb. It's time more people called these people out.

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk77/UnsafeAlpine/applause.gif

I salute you.

Balls Deluxe!

Go, M%@$#r F^$@*#r, Go!:thumb:

congrats!

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk77/UnsafeAlpine/applause.gif

I salute you.

+1

See, you did *exactly* what more people in this country *need* to do - stand up and not be railroaded by executives who are only interested in their own trophies.

If more of the educated tech/knowledge workers would start doing this - well, hell, workers across the board - maybe we'd get more done than expecting politicians - who are in bed with the corp executives, anyway - in terms of protecting the rights of the people who actually DO the work in this country.

Sometimes you just have to swing for the fence. Yes, it has the risk of a backlash, but the reward may be that you hit a home run with it. I think you may gain more than you loose both emotionally and financially. Congratulations!

If you're going to get laid off/riffed anyway, why not just swing for the fence? More people need to stand up in this country. The late Saul Alinksky said one of the most effective ways to address corporate policy is for every person to buy one share of stock - and then show up at the shareholder's meetings and raise hell. You only get out of the system what you put into it.

That is awesome!!!

Been there done that a couple of times over the past 30 years. It feels great at the time but can bite you back as well limit ones career. As much as I like to say I am not a corporate a$$ kiss, to some degree you have to be. Especially in a small industry. I am getting close to being able to make that speech though.. Can I quote you when I do MV?

You may, but send the royalty check first.

Shortly after, the CEO paid himself a bonus and had the gall to state in a company-wide memo that it was "Compensation for the stress of laying people off."




That's just some freakin' arrogance there, and balls to say it. May karma *****slap him good.

Prefiero morir de pie que vivir siempre arrodillado!

Viva Itsjustb! :beer:

http://i277.photobucket.com/albums/kk77/UnsafeAlpine/applause.gif

I salute you.


Yeah that! I want you on my side. :thumb:

how ridiculous. all this yeee hah! good going!

i'm not saying it was wrong. just saying it was a non-event with no impact and to those who can make the decision, it is just water off a duck's back.

Big cuts are made on a spreadsheet. The ones ordering the cut then leave it to their minions to deliver the message face to face with the condemned. The decision makers never have the guts to face the ones they are about to stiff.

The company lost so many customers as a result of the decrease in service from the remaining staff, that over the next few years it went from being a powerhouse in the industry, to something of a joke. And yet, the senior management continued to treat the company like their own personal ATM, paying themselves regular, astronomically high bonuses, before they each headed off to loot the coffers elsewhere.


A former CEO where I work was sued* after being jailed for sales tax evasion. He recently was featured on "American Greed" (a tv show) and blamed the board for not watching him closely enough. Hello Sarbanes-Oxley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes%E2%80%93Oxley_Act)!


* The sequence of events was:
Caught avoiding NYC sales tax
While investigating ways to release him, the auditors discovered several irregularities.
Company sues former CEO
Investors sue company

Big cuts are made on a spreadsheet. The ones ordering the cut then leave it to their minions to deliver the message face to face with the condemned. The decision makers never have the guts to face the ones they are about to stiff.

That's why it's good to have a union that can haggle with the actual decision makers rather than haranguing the gnomes who actually do the work for them. But we've been persuaded to be a bunch of rugged individualists (on the labor side) so that doesn't happen much anymore.

A former CEO where I work was sued* after being jailed for sales tax evasion. He recently was featured on "American Greed" (a tv show) and blamed the board for not watching him closely enough. Hello Sarbanes-Oxley (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarbanes%E2%80%93Oxley_Act)!

I love that cycle of arguing against regulation, and then arguing against responsibility because restraint is supposed to come from regulation.

I love that cycle of arguing against regulation, and then arguing against responsibility because restraint is supposed to come from regulation.

To his credit, the regulation didn't exist at the time. However, his exploits were cited as part of the justification for the creation of these regulations.

I have been defiant in my youth... as I get older I realize, you never ever know what relationships are destroyed by acts of defiance. Someday you may need a job and run across the same people you just dissed. I know it feels good to stand up and say what everyone in the room is thinking, but frankly, the good feeling goes away all too quickly.

I suggest you don't stay in the same field... companies do communicate...

String up the executives and their enablers - MBAs. :p

The entire auditorium applauded. Unfortunately they're not the people deciding whether I get cut...and halfway through my speech my senior VP turned around in his seat and looked me right in the eye. Oh well--I've already applied to about 10 other jobs at other companies.

It's the individuals who stand up for themselves, and are willing to express the concerns that other's won't, that are the most valuable employees. I'd rather have an outspoken person working for me rather than the silent one that refuses to contribute. If your company execs have any brains, they'll respect your position and not hold it against you. Either way, good luck in which ever route you decide to take.

It's the individuals who stand up for themselves, and are willing to express the concerns that other's won't, that are the most valuable employees. I'd rather have an outspoken person working for me rather than the silent one that refuses to contribute. If your company execs have any brains, they'll respect your position and not hold it against you. Either way, good luck in which ever route you decide to take.

I was thinking the same thing. He didn't just ***** or complain, he made good ppints. for every bridge he burned he has likely opened a door at a place where he will be happier anyway.

BTW anyone else notice that much of the time with layoffs it is the good people who one way or anouther end up gone? (It is not always direct company action, sometimes it is the layoff is viewed as a sign of the future and those who can get new jobs).

I stand and salute you. Hold your head high, after everything is said and done all you have is your self respect. Cheers.

Just for that the company will keep you on and give you the tasks of 5 people laid off :(

Well done, maybe you can work for the competition and drive them out of business.

I was thinking the same thing. He didn't just ***** or complain, he made good ppints. for every bridge he burned he has likely opened a door at a place where he will be happier anyway.

BTW anyone else notice that much of the time with layoffs it is the good people who one way or anouther end up gone? (It is not always direct company action, sometimes it is the layoff is viewed as a sign of the future and those who can get new jobs).

I lobbied (too convincingly :eek:) that I be the first layoff from my last job for that very reason...finding another job has never been a problem to me and what I was doing really wasn't what I wanted to be doing anyway, so it worked out better for me to be the first cut so that one or more of my people who had bright futures might stay on.

As far as burning bridges, I never did see the point in worrying about the shape of bridges leading to moronville. Anybody worth having a bridge to wasn't offended by his remarks. ;)

Shortly after, the CEO paid himself a bonus and had the gall to state in a company-wide memo that it was "Compensation for the stress of laying people off." Anybody want to guess how much the bonus was?

That is why he & his kind are the first ones against the wall when the revolution comes.

Good for you! I did a similar thing once over twenty years ago, but I already had another job lined up before I did it. Wouldn't have had the guts, otherwise.

Well done. Good luck finding another job.
It's a pity there isn't a video, you remind me of this:

(NSFW - language)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dH4p9BQ3V9o

That is why he & his kind are the first ones against the wall when the revolution comes.

Damn straight. It's my fervent hope that one day America will awake from its Reality TV induced stupor and realize who the real enemy is. Not Islamists, not Mexican immigrants, not gays, but those infest the board rooms.

Damn straight. It's my fervent hope that one day America will awake from its Reality TV induced stupor and realize who the real enemy is. Not Islamists, not Mexican immigrants, not gays, but those infest the board rooms.


Lawyers?

Well...another sucker who tells it like it is. Nice to see you had the balls to let them know the real situation in the world. I always love it when an upper exect that is worthless gets cut!!!

I can't say it has done much for me either way telling people what I really think, but people all around me know I always stand for ~ what is right and fair.

As for your VP who turned around and looked right at you....I would have winked and blew him a kiss! I have done it before...when you know youre going down let them know you can take them out if you choose. hehe!

I have found that a place getting rid of people is failing and you need to leave and go own down the road and leave them in the dust. Everytime, I realize I stayed too long trying to do good for a bunch of numbnuts who are still stupid and did not appreciate all that I had done ~ Kicking myself for not leaving years earlier!!! F T A!

I like bridges.

I was one of over 3000 people laid off in a single day at one company. Six years later, they hired me back. I've worked there 13 years since. Cool that you had the cojones to say it; someone probably needed to. But I wouldn't have said it.

I like bridges.
Beau, Jeff, or Nash?

kong!!!!!

Beau, Jeff, or Nash?
employment


Funny though...but not really, maybe quick.....MMM..no Fail.

There are different types of layoffs. Some are because a change in market forces the company to regroup and has to slash departments. You can tell when this is happening because whole groups are gone. There is another type of layoff because the company grew too fast and added people who really aren't working. This is normally the 10% across the board layoff when there hasn't been one for a while.

And then there is the slow fall layoff, generally by a large company who is past its prime and no longer competitive. Eastman Kodak comes to mind. They have been slowly going out of business for most of my life.

And then you have the new COO and CFO layoff, where they start looking at spreadsheets and thinking that if they lay off the more expensive people and replace with cheaper, the company will be more profitable. This is the brain damaged layoff that often people experience.

Most layoffs are unnecessary, except in the case of changes in market (i.e. new technology wipes out your company) or economy - usually a layoff is a sign of a problem in management. But at times, it is a sign of a management who does care about the workers and are trying to save the company.

Oh, and I agree, if there is a layoff due to economy or market changes, you start with the management.

Congrats on standing up for everyone and presenting evidence! Shame it won't matter. Greed wins every time hands down. I hate that but unfortunately that the way it is.

so glad I'm not in "corporate" anymore ... but I do miss the corporate PAYCHECK! HELLO!

I got laid off with the rest of my department about 4.5 months before 9/11 and I'm still waiting for the next bubble to scoop me up. the economy has been in the crapper ever since bush 2 got in the freakin office. I see no light at the of the tunnel. someone has to invent the next internet or something. clearly having a war(s) didn't help any ...

I have been defiant in my youth... as I get older I realize, you never ever know what relationships are destroyed by acts of defiance. Someday you may need a job and run across the same people you just dissed. I know it feels good to stand up and say what everyone in the room is thinking, but frankly, the good feeling goes away all too quickly.

I suggest you don't stay in the same field... companies do communicate...


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