Layoff and Bosses

[brian john]

Yesterday there was a call in on a all news radio station about what are your bosses doing as they cut you salary and jobs. Most of the callers had sarcastic remarks about their bosses.

I know it is common for employees to rag bosses. But for me when my guys have to miss one day or as in the past when I had to let people go I was physically sick and bothered, not at the aspect of facing him and having to tell an employee the bad news. But at the aspect of what this might do to him and his family. Not all bosses are evil.

 

[SEO]

Yesterday there was a call in on a all news radio station about what are your bosses doing as they cut you salary and jobs. Most of the callers had sarcastic remarks about their bosses.

I know it is common for employees to rag bosses. But for me when my guys have to miss one day or as in the past when I had to let people go I was physically sick and bothered, not at the aspect of facing him and having to tell an employee the bad news. But at the aspect of what this might do to him and his family. Not all bosses are evil.

Very well said Brian I know feeling as well.

 

[cowboyjwc]

Brian, I don't know the size of your company, not that it really matters, but here we have about 500 employees and what bothers the employees is that someone, who has no idea about what they do, is deciding whether they need to stay or go.

Right now we are trying to justify all of our inspectors, we keep giving them numbers and more numbers. We come to find out that they are taking the number of inspections and dividing it by the number of staff, not then number of inspectors, so instead of 100/10 they are counting 100/20 and telling us our numbers are down.

It's when you know that the guy making $200,000 is pretty safe as long as he lays off 4 guys making $50,000 that it gets a little frustrating.

This is just my little rant, it's getting kind of scary around here.

 

[Rewire]

Building a good crew is difficult and making the decision to lay off is never easy.We hire in spring and cut back in the fall I keep my core guys through winter and this has been a doozy. When I hire summer help I let them know that when it slows they will be first to go.

 

[charlietuna]

I always dreaded the job of laying off any of my workers --and i always held onto them longer than i should have --and when the time came they kinda knew it was coming! We usually had a few guys who could afford time "off" and the other would rotate and split time when necessary. But we were always lucky to secure work during slow times, seemed as though we were busy when other contractors were dead in the water!

 

[got_nailed]

I was laid off today. I knew it was coming but thought it was going to be on Friday not today. I had already packed up my stuff and had it in the car. The only thing I had left to do on the way out was restart my computer into dos and run a hard drive wiping program that randomly wrights 1?s and 0?s over the hard drive for 3 hours.

My boss sat me down with HR like there doing with everyone that?s getting laid off. I did say ?I understand? a few times during his little speech. At the end when we stood up I went to shake his hand and he looked at my hand like he didn?t know what I wanted. I nicely told him that ?After 8 years of working for you I think I deserved a hand shake as a separation package. It?s all based on respect and I would think we could at least still respect each other even as you are laying me off?. I got a deer in the headlight look as I was walked back to my office with an armed guard in tow and then to my car.

 

[IMM_Doctor]

I was laid off today. I knew it was coming but thought it was going to be on Friday not today. I had already packed up my stuff and had it in the car. The only thing I had left to do on the way out was restart my computer into dos and run a hard drive wiping program that randomly wrights 1?s and 0?s over the hard drive for 3 hours.

Why would you scrub the hard drive? The laptop and it's content belongs to the employer. I have a few personal files on my work computer, If I get laid off, I may elect to delete personal files. But the rest of the content is work related, and your employer may need the content to support an existing customer. If that content is wiped out, and your employer cannot support the customer, there may not be a customer to come back to when things soften up. I am very sorry that you are laid off, but I disagree with wiping out the contents of the computer.

Anybody and everybody in America has a job at risk. These are hard times. I am hanging on by my fingernails. We are hoping to limp along until industrial spending increases. But if that does not happen, I full well expect to get laid off. When that happens, it is not my employers fault.

 

[Rewire]

I was laid off today. I knew it was coming but thought it was going to be on Friday not today. I had already packed up my stuff and had it in the car. The only thing I had left to do on the way out was restart my computer into dos and run a hard drive wiping program that randomly wrights 1?s and 0?s over the hard drive for 3 hours.

My boss sat me down with HR like there doing with everyone that?s getting laid off. I did say ?I understand? a few times during his little speech. At the end when we stood up I went to shake his hand and he looked at my hand like he didn?t know what I wanted. I nicely told him that ?After 8 years of working for you I think I deserved a hand shake as a separation package. It?s all based on respect and I would think we could at least still respect each other even as you are laying me off?. I got a deer in the headlight look as I was walked back to my office with an armed guard in tow and then to my car.

Why do you need to wipe the hard drive?

 

[petersonra]

Why would you scrub the hard drive? The laptop and it's content belongs to the employer. I have a few personal files on my work computer, If I get laid off, I may elect to delete personal files. But the rest of the content is work related, and your employer may need the content to support an existing customer. If that content is wiped out, and your employer cannot support the customer, there may not be a customer to come back to when things soften up. I am very sorry that you are laid off, but I disagree with wiping out the contents of the computer.

Anybody and everybody in America has a job at risk. These are hard times. I am hanging on by my fingernails. We are hoping to limp along until industrial spending increases. But if that does not happen, I full well expect to get laid off. When that happens, it is not my employers fault.

I don't know about your place of work but it is not common to allow people to store work product on computers they are assigned. The work product is stored on the company network so it can be properly backed up.

I am not sure I have any real problem with deleting everything on the HDD. In many cases, that exactly what the company will do when it gets reassigned to someone else. Its just a whole lot easier to start over than to try and undo several years of someone else's computer usage preferences.

 

[got_nailed]

The drive contained programs that were loaded into the computer panels for the equipment. I had copies of the originals that were on there network. They were all tweaked slightly too how the machines were running at the time.

Every time they changed a part on the machine we would have to re tweak the program to get it to work. Even simple parts like the solenoids that ran the air controls could cause the timings of multiple commands that would need to be changed. 3 days after you had changed the command timing it could have been changed by someone else with out you knowing and would have to re tweak everything.

I just found it easer on some of the complicated setups to keep a copy of the last time working with it. Who knows what someone would have done with them like update the primary files and then they would not have the original programs.

When they would make a new machine and I would write the first working program for it I would submit it to be loaded onto the server.

There were a few programs that I keep to my self. But none of them had anything to do with running the machines. They were to compare 2 files and show me the differences in the settings so I know what was done since the last time I worked on it. They could not figure out how this would help with trouble shooting stuff so they did not want it and I have copies of it.


Petersonra
I only wiped the secondary hard drive on the laptop. I did not delete anything on the primary drive but the password files for the network. If someone else ends up on that comp they should not use my usernames and passwords. This could lead to a huge amount of confusion and could cost people there jobs. I also kept all of my personal files on the secondary hard drive.

 

[Mr. Wizard]

I've worked off and on for myself and EC's in the past, and have had to go through the lay-off process as well. I like to be given a 2 week notice when someone drags up, so I return the favor and let my guys know ahead of time that their time is coming. I even offer a couple of days off to find something new. But those that burn me, and quit on the spot when I give them a heads up will never ever work for me again - ever. Those that take a couple of days, find something new, and return and give me a 2 week notice and make good on it are held in high regard by me, and if I ever need an extra hand they are the first ones I call. My old man used to tell me "be careful of the toes you step on on your way to the top, those toes may be connected to the ass you've got to kiss on your way back down."

 

[billdozier]

Mr Wizard thats exactly what I asked my employer for. I figure how hard can it be to give me a heads up that in a week I wont have a job. So far im still working, not much but working. In return I wont go looking for another contracter untill the other shoe drops or I just cant afford any more half days.

 

[Mr. Wizard]

The whole layoff process, in general, stinks for all those involved. If it is a human with a conscience that lays someone off, then that person will have a lot of heartache because he had to let someone go, and he/she knows that persons finances and family will suffer. Of course it's bad for the one getting layed off. In my past, the employer wouldn't let anyone know that the chopping block was about to be pulled out. It used to piss me off so much that we wouldn't get a heads up. We are dealing with real-life situations, and a lot of employers treat it like a game (or a joke). I just treat my guys the way I always wanted to be treated, and so far it has worked out very well. I hope everything works out for you, billdozier. Hopefully things will ramp back up now that summer is appraching :smile:.

 

[blueheels2]

My boss laid off 2 guys earlier this week and I know another round is coming before to long. Hope I'm not included but I understand times are rough. I think if you are going to lay someone off you should give them a heads up. A little warning could prevent a nervous breakdown.

 

[ohm]

I was laid off today. I knew it was coming but thought it was going to be on Friday not today. I had already packed up my stuff and had it in the car. The only thing I had left to do on the way out was restart my computer into dos and run a hard drive wiping program that randomly wrights 1?s and 0?s over the hard drive for 3 hours.

My boss sat me down with HR like there doing with everyone that?s getting laid off. I did say ?I understand? a few times during his little speech. At the end when we stood up I went to shake his hand and he looked at my hand like he didn?t know what I wanted. I nicely told him that ?After 8 years of working for you I think I deserved a hand shake as a separation package. It?s all based on respect and I would think we could at least still respect each other even as you are laying me off?. I got a deer in the headlight look as I was walked back to my office with an armed guard in tow and then to my car.

Sorry about the layoff. Your boss probably had just as bad a day as you did. What's important now is to work just as hard finding a new job as you did at your last job. Hold your head up high and don't feel sorry for yourself, it wasn't personal.

Most people rebound and after a period of time wish the layoff had happened sooner. Shortly after 9/11/01 after working non-stop for 39 years I was one of 1000 out of 1600 being laid off in one day. I started my own company and love every minute of it. I've been asked back several times but refused.

 

[Mr.Sparkle]

I am a one man show that in all honesty, at least at this time and place in the universe would close shop in the drop of a hat for a decent paying gig working for someone.

I have only had my doors open for 6 or so months and truly only did so because it came to a point where I had to worry about me, my family, and my mortgage & could not find a decent electrical job otherwise. Is it working out? I don't know.....probably not.....sometimes I can be real busy and other times.....nothing. Just bad timing I guess......time will tell.

My hat goes off to all of the EC's out there who truly do care about the well being of your worthy employees, I could not imagine having to be in the drivers seat of larger company with vested employees in times like these. I truly hope the planets align in some way so that the mess that is affecting so many of us goes the way of the wind sooner than later, now having said that I will tell you that IMHO we are in some serious.......

doom & gloom.......doom & gloom......

 

[brian john]

I always dreaded the job of laying off any of my workers --and i always held onto them longer than i should have --and when the time came they kinda knew it was coming! We usually had a few guys who could afford time "off" and the other would rotate and split time when necessary. But we were always lucky to secure work during slow times, seemed as though we were busy when other contractors were dead in the water!

I have always talked to my men long before this happens and try shorter weeks first, I have a few guys that will take the time off with gusto (hunters fishermen or those remodeling their homes). We also have busy work like straightening up the shop. We do a lot of weekend work an we try to get them the equivalent of 40 hours. I have a good group of guys and all are valuable to me as employees and as friends.

 

[TOOL_5150]

I have always talked to my men long before this happens and try shorter weeks first, I have a few guys that will take the time off with gusto (hunters fishermen or those remodeling their homes). We also have busy work like straightening up the shop. We do a lot of weekend work an we try to get them the equivalent of 40 hours. I have a good group of guys and all are valuable to me as employees and as friends.

I'd work for you any day.

~Matt

 

[got_nailed]

Ohm
IMO at any rate I should still have gotten a hand shake no matter how bad his day was. I just wanted him to know that there was no hurt feelings over this.

I start my new job next Monday. I was making about $10,000 more then the others in my department. I had more training in different places then the rest of them. I?m using next week to qualify for unemployment incase something happens latter this year.

At my new job I will be getting trained to do the something I have been doing for years but on a different generation of technology. I?m doing the big switch of 70?s equipment in auto parts to 90?s equipment in making window units.


From the sounds of my new job I will be working 40 hours a week and not 80. This will let me take some more collage classes in the direction I want. When ever I get my collage paperwork at least I will be able to give a history of working in a semi related field.

 

[ohm]

Ohm
IMO at any rate I should still have gotten a hand shake no matter how bad his day was. I just wanted him to know that there was no hurt feelings over this.

I start my new job next Monday. I was making about $10,000 more then the others in my department. I had more training in different places then the rest of them. I?m using next week to qualify for unemployment incase something happens latter this year.

At my new job I will be getting trained to do the something I have been doing for years but on a different generation of technology. I?m doing the big switch of 70?s equipment in auto parts to 90?s equipment in making window units.


From the sounds of my new job I will be working 40 hours a week and not 80. This will let me take some more collage classes in the direction I want. When ever I get my collage paperwork at least I will be able to give a history of working in a semi related field.

True you deserved a handshake and by your response to the situation they lost a valuable asset when they laidyou off.

You're now about to do a slight change in your career path which will make you even more valuable to an employer. Remember, don't make the mistake of badmouthing your former employer at your new job, it will only make you look small.

Good luck and stay in touch!