Dante Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Kind of overdue. Since 9/11 our business gradually declined and we became overstaffed. Finally had to cut down. 3 of the 4 I really won't miss but it still is pretty hard thing to do. Ive had to do it before but never this many at one time. Anyone else ever been in this situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 I've let people go individually before and been part of the HR process sometimes. Also worked on crunching the numbers for major layoffs but not directly involved in dropping the axe. In my first job out of college at one of the Big 8 accounting firms (oops...dating myself there), they would staff up for busy season and then do layoffs in the spring, which was pretty harsh six months out of school. The first year we called it 'Black Tuesday' People were getting called in to partner's offices one by one all day to get fired. We were all sitting around all day sh--ing bricks just waiting for the phone to ring to see if we'd be next. ahhh....good times! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Kind of overdue. Since 9/11 our business gradually declined and we became overstaffed. Finally had to cut down. 3 of the 4 I really won't miss but it still is pretty hard thing to do. Ive had to do it before but never this many at one time. Anyone else ever been in this situation? I feel for you. It sucks to let people go, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted March 17, 2007 Author Share Posted March 17, 2007 I feel for you. It sucks to let people go, IMO. The guy I didn't want to let go was broken hearted I think. It would have been better if he was pissed at me and called me a ahole. Now I just feel bad. He's a great worker with a good attitude but just didn't have the ability I needed with a trimmed down staff. Sucks. Thanks for the sympathy but at least i'm still working. Unlike those guys so I can't feel too sorry for myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted March 17, 2007 Author Share Posted March 17, 2007 I've let people go individually before and been part of the HR process sometimes. Also worked on crunching the numbers for major layoffs but not directly involved in dropping the axe. Nice to be insulated from the bloodshed! Damn I wish I could assign the hits to someone else Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Should have tried the Norm Peterson approach to firing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Pirate looks at 37 Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Kind of overdue. Since 9/11 our business gradually declined and we became overstaffed. Finally had to cut down. 3 of the 4 I really won't miss but it still is pretty hard thing to do. Ive had to do it before but never this many at one time. Anyone else ever been in this situation? Dude, no lie. They had to lay a guy off here on Tuesday and the night before his wife left him and took their daughter with her. I didn't really care for the guy to begin with. He thought he was a know-it-all, but was really the chief of the department of misinformation, but man that's a tough one. I can't imagine how you deal with that. If this guy doesn't start drinking after this week, I'll be amazed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac17 Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 Dude, no lie. They had to lay a guy off here on Tuesday and the night before his wife left him and took their daughter with her. that really sucks. I got laid off a few days after I got back from my honeymoon. The CEO felt really bad and said "I know you just got married...really sorry blah blah blah". And I said - "well actually it's my birthday too" (it was) and the look on the guys face was absolutely priceless.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMadCap Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 I was fired from my very first job out of school. Not for any real issues, it just came down to the asshat new boss wanting to bring his own staff in after he was hired. Out with those loyal to the old boss, ya dig? Anyways, all three of us middle management got canned in one day. I had a job the next day, but I felt bad for one of the other girls. She was single and just bought a nice big house like a month before. I don't even think she made a payment before getting canned. I think I hated the guy more for that than anything else... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted March 17, 2007 Share Posted March 17, 2007 I was fired from my very first job out of school. Not for any real issues, it just came down to the asshat new boss wanting to bring his own staff in after he was hired. Out with those loyal to the old boss, ya dig? I just got rid of two people that I inherited in my (fairly) new job. But they were both terrible, one lazy and one just plain dumb, and both overpaid. The lazy one quit when we made it clear that her performance was seriously lacking and I gave the dumb one a 3 month warning that we were letting him go so he had time to go out and find something else. It's tough to have a new boss come in, but if it happens you need to be on top of things when they get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanM.D. Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 I feel for you. It sucks to let people go, IMO. I agree. I've had the firing role a few times myself. Even when it is completely justified, I still felt like I was doing something horrible. Never a good day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 I agree. I've had the firing role a few times myself. Even when it is completely justified, I still felt like I was doing something horrible. Never a good day. That's right, Doc. Most of the time, the people I was letting go I LIKED. They just weren't up to the job. Whenever possible, I helped them find new positions or turfed them internally. While I don't believe in canned speeches, I have to admit, on several occasions I started the talk by saying, "This isn't what you want to do...is it?" I've never had to do 4 in one day (that has to REALLY suck) but I was at a company that let 50 people go in one day. (The company had fewer than 300 employess). ALL of my people were spared in that purge. I told the CEO, when I was asked who was expendable, "Me. If you want your reports and all the things you ask for on a day-to-day basis, then you need all the people in my dept. except me." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanM.D. Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 I told the CEO, when I was asked who was expendable, "Me. If you want your reports and all the things you ask for on a day-to-day basis, then you need all the people in my dept. except me." Great save for your department and completely altruistic. That's leadership my friend. Good for you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dean Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Great save for your department and completely altruistic. That's leadership my friend. Good for you! Not completely. No way I was going to do those reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcjeff215 Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Kind of overdue. Since 9/11 our business gradually declined and we became overstaffed. Finally had to cut down. 3 of the 4 I really won't miss but it still is pretty hard thing to do. Ive had to do it before but never this many at one time. Anyone else ever been in this situation? It makes me sound cold, but I've not had a problem letting people go if they're not up to snuff. They burden the good employees and generally bring overall productivity down. If I'm sure it's the right thing, I've no problem dropping the axe. I've been in a few situations where I knew a co-worker was going to get it days before they did - it was my job to "trick" them into documenting and leaving a paper trail before they got hit. I've also been part of an M&A team where we'd interview all of the employees of shops we've purchases, choosing who stays and who goes. Fun? No. Worst thing I've ever done? No. Part of the job, in my opinion. -Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wacka Posted March 18, 2007 Share Posted March 18, 2007 Where I worked they cut about 40 % of the employees in one day. I thought i had survived, but when leaving at 5 PM and passing the boss' office, my boss said to come in. No shock to me by that time. Next day, they let us come in and take as long as we wanted to clean out our desks. I get a call. A company I had been using the services of (and submitting ther invoices regularly) called to say they didn't get paid. I told them, I don't work here anymore and here is the name, e-mail and phone # of the Comptroller of the company. He can handle it. The company eventually went public and was sold last year. Everybody is out of work from there now- they moved it to Mass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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