Dodging a Bullet

[silverscreenselect]

Life isn't all about presidential politics, and I avoided a very scary situation yesterday for which I am very grateful.

About one year ago (actually Wednesday is my one year anniversary), I got what seemed a perfect job as a writer for a non-profit insurance organization that has been around a long time. It is a great place to work at, but nothing stays the same forever. At the end of 2007, they merged with a similar organization based out of Connecticut that also has been around a while.

As you might expect, this meant looking at developing synergies and cutting costs. In the long run, the merger makes sense because both companies provide complementary services for insurers and we can now work on joint projects and market a more comprehensive package of services. However, it didn't help a few people in our organization.

Last week, they announced that a few layoffs were coming and we would know within two weeks. Yesterday, it happened. Most of the 20 or so writers in our group had been around for ten to thirty years. Only three of us were new, having been hired in the last fifteen months. It turned out that a woman who had been hired about three months before me was let go, and I'm okay for now.

Most of the people in our division work from home, so a lot of the time, she and I were among the few in the office any particular day and she gave me a lot of help if figuring out what was going on. We also talked a lot about movies and TV shows and so forth. Yesterday, when I came in, I passed her office as usual and chatted a minute about what I'd seen over the weekend and all seemed well. By lunch time, she was gone, along with a few others in the other departments.

On the one hand, I am very grateful I still have a job (and I got a good promotion within the last month), but I also feel somewhat guilty about what happened as if I had taken her spot (both I and the other new writer who are still here were hired after her). And this company is a lot better than almost everywhere I have worked before, despite the layoffs. Plus, it appears that those of us who are left will be okay for the forseeable future. But this reminds me that business is still business and you're never safe in life.

[wintergreen48]

With respect to the people who were laid off-- who do appear to be the more senior people, at least in your group-- does it look like they are targeting people with higher salaries? That usually seems to be the case (well, you don't hit the HIGHEST salary, senior managers seem to survive these things well); the people who have been around a long time, who tend to have higher salaries based upon that tenure, do often seem to be vulnerable. Kind of a reversal of the old-time 'last hired/first fired,' it is now 'first hired/first fired.'

[Bob Juch]

With respect to the people who were laid off-- who do appear to be the more senior people, at least in your group-- does it look like they are targeting people with higher salaries? That usually seems to be the case (well, you don't hit the HIGHEST salary, senior managers seem to survive these things well); the people who have been around a long time, who tend to have higher salaries based upon that tenure, do often seem to be vulnerable. Kind of a reversal of the old-time 'last hired/first fired,' it is now 'first hired/first fired.'

That's what Citi did a couple of years ago with their applications developers. It was so disastrous that I expect they'll not try that again. None of the junior people could give proper support to their applications.

[Jeemie]

Life isn't all about presidential politics, and I avoided a very scary situation yesterday for which I am very grateful.

About one year ago (actually Wednesday is my one year anniversary), I got what seemed a perfect job as a writer for a non-profit insurance organization that has been around a long time. It is a great place to work at, but nothing stays the same forever. At the end of 2007, they merged with a similar organization based out of Connecticut that also has been around a while.

As you might expect, this meant looking at developing synergies and cutting costs. In the long run, the merger makes sense because both companies provide complementary services for insurers and we can now work on joint projects and market a more comprehensive package of services. However, it didn't help a few people in our organization.

Last week, they announced that a few layoffs were coming and we would know within two weeks. Yesterday, it happened. Most of the 20 or so writers in our group had been around for ten to thirty years. Only three of us were new, having been hired in the last fifteen months. It turned out that a woman who had been hired about three months before me was let go, and I'm okay for now.

Most of the people in our division work from home, so a lot of the time, she and I were among the few in the office any particular day and she gave me a lot of help if figuring out what was going on. We also talked a lot about movies and TV shows and so forth. Yesterday, when I came in, I passed her office as usual and chatted a minute about what I'd seen over the weekend and all seemed well. By lunch time, she was gone, along with a few others in the other departments.

On the one hand, I am very grateful I still have a job (and I got a good promotion within the last month), but I also feel somewhat guilty about what happened as if I had taken her spot (both I and the other new writer who are still here were hired after her). And this company is a lot better than almost everywhere I have worked before, despite the layoffs. Plus, it appears that those of us who are left will be okay for the forseeable future. But this reminds me that business is still business and you're never safe in life.

1) Feelings of "guilt" like this are common. I've been on both ends of the downsizing scenario, so I have personal experience with that.

2) You are right- you are never safe- so take as much of your life into your own hands as ou can. Don't stop making yourself marketable, and keep looking at all your options.

[silverscreenselect]

With respect to the people who were laid off-- who do appear to be the more senior people, at least in your group-- does it look like they are targeting people with higher salaries? That usually seems to be the case (well, you don't hit the HIGHEST salary, senior managers seem to survive these things well); the people who have been around a long time, who tend to have higher salaries based upon that tenure, do often seem to be vulnerable. Kind of a reversal of the old-time 'last hired/first fired,' it is now 'first hired/first fired.'

That's what Citi did a couple of years ago with their applications developers. It was so disastrous that I expect they'll not try that again. None of the junior people could give proper support to their applications.

From what I've been able to tell, it was mostly newer people who were let go, although not necessarily chronologically younger. I'm about 20 years older than the woman who was let go in our department. From a practical standpoint, those of us who haven't been around that long don't know the ins and outs of the company and aren't at a stage where we can handle a major project on our own so that makes sense.

Apparently, they went around and asked each department to pick someone to let go. I had a feeling if that were the case it would boil down to one of the three of us newly hireds as opposed to someone who had been there 10-30 years and I was right.

When people were let go here about 7-8 years ago in most cases they were offered early retirement first and there were only a handful of actual layoffs. It was a good bit more abrupt this year (they had already taken the nameplate down on my friend's cubicle by lunchtime), but they are still going to give them a decent severance package and some placement help, so it's a lot better situation than at a lot of companies, including places I've worked before.

I feel bad about it, but I know it would have been a whole lot worse if it had happened to me.

[MarleysGh0st]

It was a good bit more abrupt this year (they had already taken the nameplate down on my friend's cubicle by lunchtime

That's not abrupt. The policy here is to escort the downsized out the door immediately, lest someone become emotional. (They can come back later to pick up their possessions.) When we had a layoff in September, the boss called us into an 8:30 meeting and announced that "So-and-so is already gone." Just like they'd been hit by a bus.

[5LD]

As a woman, I may ruffle some feathers here, but from the situations I have seen in businesses I worked for, women are more appealing to cut when they're younger.

I was in a very male dominated sales group when I got married (they hated giving me time off for the wedding and complained loudly) and then pregnant (they didn't want to give me any more than 8 weeks maternity and wanted to dock my pay for those 8 weeks giving me half my draw). While I was on maternity leave they had a round of lay offs. Of a sales force with 7 women total out of 48 sales reps, 2 women were laid off and 5 men. Both of us (yep, I was one of them) were newly married and looking to start families. I don't think it was a coincidence. Both of us gals were well liked and successful at our jobs. Perhaps your company foresaw maternity leave or some such disruption in her employment in the future......?