Self sacrifice during a lay off.

[Anna]

There was an incident here locally that caught the attention of a lot of people. A very large company
decided to downsize and announced a series of lay offs right before the Chrustmas holidays .
They told each department manager that they had to lay off three people each, there are six departments with ten people each in them. It was up to the dept. managers on who had to go .
The managers had picked out the ones to lose their jobs right before Christmas and had notified
them to not come back after the new year.

Where it gets good is that anyone that was single or didn't have children stepped forward and volunteered to leave in the places where the married or single parents would have gotten the ax.
Two single managers after seeing this also told corporate they would be leavening. Corporate was
in a panic mode but by then it was to late. Staffing agency's were called but the people on thier list
wouldn't come to work there either. This is a medium sized town surrounded by other smaller towns
and I guess the word got out. Company production and profits are dropping so fast they are begging
the more experienced people who left to come back .

Keep an eye on this it did get the attention of the news outlets in Albuquerque. They are saying this was a very noble thing these people did and they are still at a loss for words on how to explaine it .
I think its easy to explain, the company in its carless disregard jumped the gun and didn't care about
waiting a few weeks before ruining people's lives right before the holidays. And now it is costing them
dearly because the people who left were the ones who always would work when the others always had family issues to attend to. Now even some of the married or single parents are walking out after
Corporate started threatening them to work harder and longer hours to fill in for the loss or else.

You don't need the unions , you need the integrity of people banning together to do what is right .
Unions take money to achive this and spend it the way they want to. Everyday people can do it on
their own without having to pay for it. This is a prime example of this and some of these jobs were of
a very technical nature and are not easly replaced . This Company is now at a standstill and saying its
now going to relocate. The answer back to them was. GOOD we don't need someone like you around
here anyway so don't let the door hit you in the a$$ !

[Shu]

When a company doesn't care about its people thats what they get. To many times upper management forgets it is the people who make a company successful.
 
Laying off just before Christmas and asking lower level managers to make the big decision shows exactly the type of upper managers there are.
 
Upper management should have sat down with the company and explained profit loss etc. Then tell everyone after Christmas about layoffs. Do what needs to be done without passing the buck. Alot of times people forget what seems like a meanial task actually requires a very skilled person to complete. You can not simply replace years of experience at a whim.
 
It is good to see people in action without having to pay monetary dues. You have to develope employee loyalty or you will fail. How many times does it need to be said -it's the people not the "genius" manager.

[KIMBER45]

Anna - good story. Imagine what we would accomplish if we all worked together .

[spruce]

It takes courage to do the right thing, and obviously these people had it.  I applaud them.
 
So refreshing to see people step up and put others' well-being ahead of their own.  Very humbling, gives us all something to aspire to.

[two-blocked]

How bout some links to the news articles or better yet, the company name. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind!

[mcwoodduck]

OK so the company was going to down size and word got out that they picked a bad time to do it and single people stepped up so as not to ruin the holidays.
Now profits are down and the company is going to be on the ropes if everyone boycotts the company and the people that stepped forward to take the bullet for the others will be for nothing as the company closes it's doors.
On the other side after the first two weeks sitting at home getting a check sounds pretty good for a while, especally if the check covers you and moving back home with mommy and daddy it works even better.

[Dee]

So 60 jobs are now leaving Albuquerque because the employees didn't agree with the company's need to down size, due to loss of profits in a bad economy. Boy! They sure showed that company. Kinda like burnin your own neighborhood.
Maybe the layoff came BEFORE Christmas, in hopes that workers wouldn't "over-extend-themselves" on holiday spending. Naaaaaw! They did it to ruin Christmas for them.
Whether anyone likes it or not, agrees with it, or not, or in many cases, understands it, or not. Running a business is about dollars and cents, and profits and loss. Was this the case? I don't even know whom the company was, of if the news reported it accurately, or not.
I haven't looked at their books, and I'm pretty sure the media hasn't either. No one likes to losin their job, that's for sure, but it happens, and it can't always be helped, and it isn't always something the employer can help.

[buffermop]

It would feel good to read about this company moving to another location and lose its shirt by being greedy.

[williamlayton]

Sounds to me as though the employees were not a happy lot to begin with.
I do agree that you have to draw a line in the sand.
This really is not how unions first organized though.
Blessings

[Dee]

Well if the employees weren't happy, and the company wasn't happy, everyone is better off.

[rdmallory]

Need to start a profit sharing plan. Due to the loss this quarter each employee owes the stockholders $3,000.

What? If they were making money you would want a piece. It is only fare.

Doug

[Dee]

I'm just an employee. You mean you want ME to invest MY money in the business? That's not fair. I just want my share of the profits. I'm just an employee. I shouldn't have to share in the loss.

[PowPow]

Need to start a profit sharing plan...

I recognize the intended cynicism in the the comment, but regarding profit sharing plans, I think they are short term enticements and enventually become entitilements. I have seen it where I work. There is no "skin in the game" for future success. I belive the small business owner would benefit from employee stock ownership as an incentive for future success.

[briarpatch]

Generaly when you have a layoff you get rid of the dead wood. It helps the company and other employees when you cut the bad workers and can offer more to the good workers.
I dont fully understand what went on here. 

[KIMBER45]

Food for thought - When we speak of boycotting a big chain such as Wal-mart and Dicks- are we not also hurting the people who work there because the business may lay off people or move?

[williamlayton]

BP
Yours is a very pie in the sky approach. It would be good if it worked that way.
All to often it is a politically motivated layoff.
Blessings

[rdmallory]

I think they are short term enticements and enventually become entitlement's.

Agreed if nothing is "at risk"

A lot of larger businesses management's compensation is (salary   bonus) and the bonus is tied directly to the proffit margin.
No proffit no bonus. Higher up the ladder you go the higher the bonus. The reasoning behind this is they have a greater decision making impact on profit.
A large percentage of the take home pay is at risk so they try to make wise decisions.
Now if the guy in shipping was given 20% of his wages in company stock number of share not dollar value he now has risk and a chance to gain.
Time and material wasted indirectly effect his stock.

Business 101

The main reason a business exists is positive cash flow.
The second reason does not matter if it can't do reason one.

Negative cash flow is changed by reducing cost.
If you only have enough product sale to run one shift in the shipping dept you close down one shift. A sales man offering to leave to protect a shipping position is a noble effort but not real effective.

Business 102
In a down economy you reduce operational cost, increase  advertising and sales staff.

How bout some links to the news articles or better yet, the company name. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind!

??

You are on a sinking ship you have an option of letting some go in life rafts or every one is going down. The captain has a tough decision to make.
He lets a few go to save the ship the rest of the crew punches holes in the boat to teach him a lesson. Lack of support and understand on the rest of the towns people sank it.

Now the captain has been offered a place out of state he can build a new boat and not have to pay taxes for 5 years if he hires 60 people from the new town that need a job.

I just started a new job because the company I was with outsourced a large percentage of their work source due to a down turn in business.

So I move to another state, had the kids change schools, still one two houses I can't sell but is it the businesses fault I was "let go" nope see rule one.
I purchased stock from the business that just let me go ( And yes the Wife was pissed) I understood rule one. Now I have a new job doing something I enjoy and made 30% on the stock in 8 months.

I believe before you go to work, vote, fly a plane, drive a motor vehicle you should have to take a basic course and understand the principles on how every thing operates.

[Dee]

I think they are short term enticements and enventually become entitlement's.

Agreed if nothing is "at risk"

A lot of larger businesses management's compensation is (salary   bonus) and the bonus is tied directly to the proffit margin.
No proffit no bonus. Higher up the ladder you go the higher the bonus. The reasoning behind this is they have a greater decision making impact on profit.
A large percentage of the take home pay is at risk so they try to make wise decisions.
Now if the guy in shipping was given 20% of his wages in company stock number of share not dollar value he now has risk and a chance to gain.
Time and material wasted indirectly effect his stock.

Business 101

The main reason a business exists is positive cash flow.
The second reason does not matter if it can't do reason one.

Negative cash flow is changed by reducing cost.
If you only have enough product sale to run one shift in the shipping dept you close down one shift. A sales man offering to leave to protect a shipping position is a noble effort but not real effective.

Business 102
In a down economy you reduce operational cost, increase  advertising and sales staff.

How bout some links to the news articles or better yet, the company name. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind!

??

You are on a sinking ship you have an option of letting some go in life rafts or every one is going down. The captain has a tough decision to make.
He lets a few go to save the ship the rest of the crew punches holes in the boat to teach him a lesson. Lack of support and understand on the rest of the towns people sank it.

Now the captain has been offered a place out of state he can build a new boat and not have to pay taxes for 5 years if he hires 60 people from the new town that need a job.

I just started a new job because the company I was with outsourced a large percentage of their work source due to a down turn in business.

So I move to another state, had the kids change schools, still one two houses I can't sell but is it the businesses fault I was "let go" nope see rule one.
I purchased stock from the business that just let me go ( And yes the Wife was pissed) I understood rule one. Now I have a new job doing something I enjoy and made 30% on the stock in 8 months.

I believe before you go to work, vote, fly a plane, drive a motor vehicle you should have to take a basic course and understand the principles on how every thing operates.

This is all well and good RD, but as you can see, most people WANT THE COMPANY to take all the risk, and the employee not take any. They want the stock "issued to them" not "bought by them", and the top echelon to suffer the most if the business fails including PERSONAL ASSESTS being forfeited. The American worker is "unrealistically spoiled", with union, governmental, and media propaganda replacing REALITY. In their minds, if the business fails for "whatever reason", the EMPLOYER should be stripped of everything, including PERSONAL ASSETS, but the EMPLOYEE, simply walks away with nothing lost but the job. They don't want "profit sharing". They want "freebies".
I started two businesses of my own. One did very well, and I later sold it. The second, in real estate did very well, until the bottom dropped out here in my part of Texas. No bailouts, nothing. I absorbed the loss, and started over. Most EMPLOYEES, don't get that. Their like the difference in "home owners", and "renters". Most "renters" (not all) don't get the concept and will never be "homeowners", and like the "sweetheart" loans given to "renters" a few years ago, they (the renters) failed, as they got in over their heads from the get go, signing notes on homes they couldn't make the first payment on, let alone pay the property taxes.

[Anna]

How bout some links to the news articles or better yet, the company name. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind!

Well you had better give a little piece you don't have much to give   

[briarpatch]

William, from my experience I always tried to lay off those that worked less. Which would be maybe close to a few hundred. When I went to the formen I would tell them to shuck the dead wood. There is always a few that are removed because of afiliations but not many.
In my own business, on a slow down, yep, those that do not produce as well as others. With the exception of kin, my wife calls the shot on that one and a divorce aint cheap.
Big companies with dumb bosses do a lot of undesirable things.

[mcwoodduck]

I'll bet $100 this company was looking to pick up and move out of town anyway, and the employee gambit was the perfect excuse.....
.
..TM7

Sure the owners of the company in a business frioendly state want to pick up and move to a businees hostile state like Michigan, California, NY, or Mass. 
Also do you think that upper managment would want ot sell their houses, up root their families and move from a low cost of housing area to another part of the country?
What do they do, a local corperation that does repair, accounting or other in a certain market can not move.  How are you going to service equipment in AZ if you move to NY? 
Do you understand that Corperation is just a company and incorperated ot protect the owners from the left and multiple law suits that could not only take the business but their personal assets as well.  These are you neighbors and friends for the most part, not some wall street firm.  And evn those are owned by your friends and neighbors.  Corperation stocks are held by 401K plans, Insurance policies, pension plans, and mutual funds.  All of these 95% of the american people own.  Corperations are not owned by a sole fat cat Billionaire. 

[mcwoodduck]

I'll bet $100 this company was looking to pick up and move out of town anyway, and the employee gambit was the perfect excuse.....
.
..TM7

Sure the owners of the company in a business frioendly state want to pick up and move to a businees hostile state like Michigan, California, NY, or Mass. 
Also do you think that upper managment would want ot sell their houses, up root their families and move from a low cost of housing area to another part of the country?
What do they do, a local corperation that does repair, accounting or other in a certain market can not move.  How are you going to service equipment in AZ if you move to NY? 
Do you understand that Corperation is just a company and incorperated ot protect the owners from the left and multiple law suits that could not only take the business but their personal assets as well.  These are you neighbors and friends for the most part, not some wall street firm.  And evn those are owned by your friends and neighbors.  Corperation stocks are held by 401K plans, Insurance policies, pension plans, and mutual funds.  All of these 95% of the american people own.  Corperations are not owned by a sole fat cat Billionaire.

Oh and instead of sending me the $100 you can send my winnings to either the BoyScouts of America or to the Republican Party. 

[two-blocked]

How bout some links to the news articles or better yet, the company name. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind!

Well you had better give a little piece you don't have much to give 

Very true! And thanks.  You've most graciously saved me from further enfeeblement by keeping their identity a secret. 

[Old Fart]

In my previous career I went through two layoff.
First was by seniority.
Second was by productivity.
Second one was way less painfull on the company/employees and recovery was quick. Coincidence? Maybe, but kind of doubt it.

[Anna]

How bout some links to the news articles or better yet, the company name. I'd like to give them a piece of my mind!

Well you had better give a little piece you don't have much to give 

Very true! And thanks.  You've most graciously saved me from further enfeeblement by keeping their identity a secret. 

Your hallucinating, did that block fall on your head ?

[BUGEYE]

I'll change to a good company.
two different times Delta Airlines gave the employees stock options and they made a lot of money from it.

[mcwoodduck]

I'll bet $100 this company was looking to pick up and move out of town anyway, and the employee gambit was the perfect excuse.....
.
..TM7

Sure the owners of the company in a business frioendly state want to pick up and move to a businees hostile state like Michigan, California, NY, or Mass.  Yes, that's what many do as the market changes
Also do you think that upper managment would want ot sell their houses, up root their families and move from a low cost of housing area to another part of the country? yes, its expected in many business and common.
What do they do, a local corperation that does repair, accounting or other in a certain market can not move.  How are you going to service equipment in AZ if you move to NY?  Anna hasn't told us what this corp was or did. When corps loose accts in a region, they close shop and shift remaing accts to another district. Nice when they can blame it on labor and accrue losses for tax avoidance..
Do you understand that Corperation is just a company and incorperated ot protect the owners from the left and multiple law suits that could not only take the business but their personal assets as well.  These are you neighbors and friends for the most part, not some wall street firm.  And evn those are owned by your friends and neighbors.  Corperation stocks are held by 401K plans, Insurance policies, pension plans, and mutual funds.  All of these 95% of the american people own.  Corperations are not owned by a sole fat cat Billionaire. Corporate Laws are primarily first to keep the personal assets of owners and principles off the chopping block when they mis-manage, get too greedy, or otherwise screwup; or if the market just changes. Bet if more owner and principle assets were backing up corps there would be far less failures and morphing odff with the picnic basket while using employees as an excuse. But that would be more real Capitalism.. ...I use to be incorporated, and I know how I could escape indemnity. Quit BSing us.
.
...TM7.

Oh so you are/ were an evil corperation and we should have taxed you into oblivion and how much of the stolen profits are you now hiding?  How dare you steal from the poor as a corperation?  You should be first in line to the reeducation camps.  How did you excape the over taxing and the underpaying of employees. 
 

[mcwoodduck]

Oh so you are/ were an evil corperation and we should have taxed you into oblivion and how much of the stolen profits are you now hiding?  How dare you steal from the poor as a corperation?  You should be first in line to the reeducation camps.  How did you excape the over taxing and the underpaying of employees. 

.
Above is just mocking ridiculous piping BS emotionalism.
.
Yes, my business was incorporated. I played by the rules, I didn't fraud anybody, I didn't whine or blame the governmnet all the time, I payed fair wages and still made a bundle and I payed taxes, too.
.
So yes, I pretty much know how corps work and the mindthink of today's unethical predatory management, of which you're an example either that or just another astroturfer spear carrier for Corps Gone Wild, Inc....
 
 
...sheeezzz, some people......
.
.
..TM7

But according to you in earlier posts ALL corperations
Steal from the Poor
Pollute
Bribe ellected officials to do their bidding
Cheat workers
Never promoted anyone
Used whips and chains on them.
Discriminated based on Race, Gender, sexual orientation, age, looks, religion.
made crappy products that did not last
Don't pay taxes
do not provide adaquite health care
And are part of a rigged system that will not share the wealth
And are willing to screw the loyal emplyees at a drop of a hat for more profits that they hide off shore to avoid more taxes.
So that would mean that you stole from the poor, poluted, cheated workers, created crapy products, allowed workers to die, cheated on taxes. 
So I ask again where are all the illegal profits you made, how many people did you kill with crappy products, bad healthcare and how many lives did you destroy by moving your company?
OH, I understand you were the ONLY good person in business.
If you are going to paint with a wide brush expect to get some paint on you.  So expalin why we should not steal all of your ill gotten gains from when you were a corperation?

[Dee]

Mr. Duck, the bottom line is, a bunch of folks tried to punish a business for what they THOUGHT was unfair, and now 60 jobs have moved else where. No one here even knows whom the business was, or what the financial circumstance were. They are speculating, and really don't even know if this business even actually existed. Your never gonna get thru to'em. Debate and arguement is what they want.

[mcwoodduck]

Dee,
I know I was just throwing back at TM7 his commie crap that all corperations are bad and that they fail to pay taxes and that any profit is evil.  And I wanted him to justifly his keeping what he made, because according to him corperations should never make any money.  All the money should be divided between the workers.  And if any money was made it was stolen from the workers or the poor and never any taxes were paid on what they made.
It is sad that the self sacrifice of the few was for nothing.  You would think the opposite would be done.  That the community would come together and support the company/ Corperation to make it so that they can rehire the managers, and the workers that wanted to make a good Chrismas for those families that would have gotten the axe.  If the few had been selfish and allowed the normal people to be laid off then it would have saved 60 jobs. 
But such is the position of the average American today and the class warfare continues that led to not only the few being laid off but all of the people being terminated because they think they need ot punish the company and get other dim bulbs to attack them as well.
I am not saying you do not have the right to vote with your $, you do.   And I vote with my $ all the time buying this or that or not buying it from this place or that place, usually based on service, sometimes on Politics.