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Loyalty and Layoffs

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Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#91
post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't get me wrong, you're right. It is even legally, but not in nominal terms of value. If I do front end web development for 15$ an hour, but am sold to a customer for 150$ an hour, there's no question in terms of value that the arrangement is unfair. As for your point regarding business success, that's not really my call nor do I have a say. How can I accept losses on behalf of another employee's decision? Surely…

With respect, if you think the deal is unfair to you, why do you accept it? Why don't you just deal with the customer directly?

If someone is on $15/hr and billed at $150/hr chances are they do not have the experience or portfolio of work to be able to go and work for themselves billing $150/hr

Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#92
post #13

I've gone through a number of these company bust-ups. The first one was fairly traumatic for a lot of people, but I'd only been there 3 months. 2001, In my interview, when I was asked "Is there anything you'd like to ask us" I said, "look this is awkward, but I've seen the company mentioned on fuckedcompany.com a number of times, and it's all bad news, is there any concern?" and I received the answer "Oh that's our A…

As far as I know, in the US, there is no legal mandate to pay severance. However, getting their employees to resign probably saved them a lot of money on their unemployment insurance by making the employees ineligible for unemployment benefits (that's why I try to get my employees to resign) and/or they may have gotten their employees to sign release forms for liability from wrongful termination or discrimination or…

> making the employees ineligible for unemployment benefits (that's why I try to get my employees to resign)

Am I the only one that finds this utterly and totally horrific? Why would you do that? What do you gain by someone who leaves being unable to collect unemployment benefits? Does it directly affect you? I thought that was something that all taxpayers put money into. It reads like "I take pleasure in ensuring that ex-employees are totally screwed" -- please tell me I'm wrong.

Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#94

The thing I'm struggling with, does this also apply to working for a non-profit whose mission you believe in?

Unfortunately, I have to say that this is true for non-profits too. I have a similar experience with my previous employer (non-profit) who decided to change the direction of the IT department. In the end, I am grateful for the opportunity of doing good as an employee in the organization in the time I was there but I no longer wanted to be a part of where they were headed. I still believe in their values and mission but the leadership needs to do what it thinks is best for the organization.

Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#95

May I please add a comment from outside the bubble? It does not have to be this way. My current employer is a low cost travel company, we are celebrating our 43rd anniversary as a company. In these 43 years not a single person has been laid off. Not one janitor, not one programmer, not one reservations agent. We do not have a planetarium. We do not have a movie theater. We do not offer free food to our employees ever…

David Brady isn't in any bubble, he lives in the middle of America.

Your parent may be talking about the metaphorical bubble of the tech industry.

Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#96
The people that work in the same room as you are real. It is totally okay to love them. In fact, I encourage it! Be loyal to them! Go to the mat for them. But for heaven’s sake, don’t be loyal to “The Team”.

I can't speak for everyone, but the people _are_ what I am referring to when I speak of "the team".

Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#97

At some point in the last 5 years, sitting in my pen--ahem, I mean cubicle--I came to the realization that the the subject noun of the term "Human Resources" is "Resources" not "Humans". If you think your boss is your friend, he's either a shitty boss or a shitty friend.

I find it telling that not so long ago, "Human Resources" used to be called "Personnel". I'm still curious as to what caused the change from persons to resources...

Title inflation, the march of political correctness, or both.

Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#98
I'm an hourly employee (functionally non-exempt salary). Whenever employers ask me for exempt salary, I quote an rate that is 1.5 to 3 times as much as I would earn if hourly non-exempt. This is part of my insurance policy, so I can make sure I can take care of myself when my company cant.

Now, while I realize I have a really unique skillset, and have project knowledge which will see me thru - when I have to take my 45 day break ahead, I realize I may not come back. This would make me sad, but I'm well taken care of by my own savings, and by unemployment.

Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#99
As a good engineer, this person knows shit about politics.

When the company engineer claims he lacks loyalty, is not part of the company family, etc... He is not truly believing any of this either. He's just out of ammunition to attack him with logic, so he goes with any pack instinct ad hominem.

And then writing this emotional piece about just ice the cake on how he's sadly clueless on the matter. It's like he's trying to explain that someone who just called him a motherfucker how he is silly because you know, he's gay so he could never like mothers or something. It's all crazy and pointless to believe there's logic in subjective pack mentality attacks.

Re: Loyalty and Layoffs

#100

May I please add a comment from outside the bubble? It does not have to be this way. My current employer is a low cost travel company, we are celebrating our 43rd anniversary as a company. In these 43 years not a single person has been laid off. Not one janitor, not one programmer, not one reservations agent. We do not have a planetarium. We do not have a movie theater. We do not offer free food to our employees ever…

Is it a family business (or a sole proprietership run by a family man that's likely to inherit the company to his kids)? This kind of thing usually falls apart in those at a generation boundary. Sometimes kids don't see the business the same way their parents do.
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