How do you know ..

[chocoloco]

that people in your company are about to be laid off? Are there any tips so I can prepare myself?

[grilkip]

Actually...

A colleague of mine was caught stealing this morning, that was a good sign for me to tell that he was fired.

[MartinLiss]

that people in your company are about to be laid off? Are there any tips so I can prepare myself?

Your manager can't look you in the eye.

[crptcblade]

There's nothing wrong with a preemptive strike. Burn the building down from the inside, before they take away your security pass.

[MartinLiss]

• You don't get any new projects to work on.
• People have meetings to which you aren't invited.
• People stop talking when you walk by the water cooler.
• You ask for some time off without pay and your boss says "How did you know?"

[crptcblade]

• You ask for a raise and your boss punches you down a flight of steps

[Andrew G]

• You ask for a raise and your boss punches you down a flight of steps

Are you talking from experience?

[chocoloco]

I did not mean myself, but a mass of people ...

[crptcblade]

Are you talking from experience?

Always

[DeadEyes]

I did not mean myself, but a mass of people ...

If it's a quoted company keep an eye on its share price. If it starts dropping prepare for cost cutting, and if it shoots up prepare for a take over which usual results in a cull.
Organizations are quite adept at keeping workers in the dark, most people don't see it coming.

[Shaggy Hiker]

If it's a quoted company keep an eye on its share price. If it starts dropping prepare for cost cutting, and if it shoots up prepare for a take over which usual results in a cull.
Organizations are quite adept at keeping workers in the dark, most people don't see it coming.

Ok, let's paraphrase that:

If the stock price is rising, you're going to get canned.
If the stock price is falling, you're going to get canned.

Do you see a pattern there?

[chocoloco]

what if the stock price is constant?

[si_the_geek]

Then they'll want to "cut costs" so that the share price rises.. and the biggest costs are generally staff.

[SeanK]

Then they'll want to "cut costs" so that the share price rises.. and the biggest costs are generally staff.

Yes, and it is never (or very rarely) at the company officer level where the most money in salaries could be saved.

Instead of cutting one vice president they will cut four mail room clerks.

[sessi4ml]

If you think, therefore you know...be prepared
Ask the staff if they want to form their own company.
Some years ago a whole staff put them selves on Ebay...1.5m
Become a consultant.

[disruptivehair]

If it's a quoted company keep an eye on its share price. If it starts dropping prepare for cost cutting, and if it shoots up prepare for a take over which usual results in a cull.
Organizations are quite adept at keeping workers in the dark, most people don't see it coming.

Mine wasn't. We always knew about layoffs days in advance thanks to *****edCompany.com. This was years ago though.

[DeadEyes]

Ok, let's paraphrase that:

If the stock price is rising, you're going to get canned.
If the stock price is falling, you're going to get canned.

Do you see a pattern there?

Yes, they'll use any excuse to get rid of you if they can.
I suppose the word rapidly should've been used.

Mine wasn't. We always knew about layoffs days in advance thanks to *****edCompany.com. This was years ago though.

Over the years I've seen lots of companies go to the wall, manufacturing ones mostly. The people (unskilled workers) always seemed to be taken by surprise, or maybe they just had their heads in the sand.

[disruptivehair]

Yes, they'll use any excuse to get rid of you if they can.
I suppose the word rapidly should've been used.


Over the years I've seen lots of companies go to the wall, manufacturing ones mostly. The people (unskilled workers) always seemed to be taken by surprise, or maybe they just had their heads in the sand.

Heh, the company I'm talking about is marchFIRST, one of the more spectacular dot.com failures.

[chocoloco]

3 people have just been fired on account of performance. I guess its starting then huh ....

[TomGibbons]

The company I'm working at right now was bought out recently. The new CEO decided that it would be better to move the company to his home town of Kansas City rather than keep it here in San Diego. The higher level guys were offered relocation assistance to move to Kansas, but I'm staying as my wife's pregnant and the baby's due right around the time that the company closes here in SD. The lower level guys weren't even given the chance to go to Kansas.

Still, I get a month's pay as severance.

Oh and they fired a couple of guys so that they wouldn't have to pay them the severance.

[disruptivehair]

The company I'm working at right now was bought out recently. The new CEO decided that it would be better to move the company to his home town of Kansas City rather than keep it here in San Diego. The higher level guys were offered relocation assistance to move to Kansas, but I'm staying as my wife's pregnant and the baby's due right around the time that the company closes here in SD. The lower level guys weren't even given the chance to go to Kansas.

Still, I get a month's pay as severance.

Oh and they fired a couple of guys so that they wouldn't have to pay them the severance.

What's the employment situation like in SD, and how much are those cobra payments?

[Torc]

Another couple of indicators are if they keep on changing their operations plan,
and if they "outsource" work to "cheaper" countries.

[Static]

Are there any big projects going that lots of money is being dumped into and you know the project will fail?

lookout

I walked in one monday.. "Good morning.. heres a box. Dont even start your pc"

niiice

oh.. and cobra? DONT DO IT. look into other insurance options. its waaaay to much money.

[Al42]

Get a job where you're the only one who knows how to cut code. If they lay you off, you'll be far from first.

[TomGibbons]

What's the employment situation like in SD, and how much are those cobra payments?

The employment situation isn't too bad, it's competitive but there are enough jobs. I've been interviewing and I'll be fine. As long as you know your stuff you shouldn't have a problem getting a job. The pay is good in SD too, and if you live in the right area you shouldn't pay too much rent.

[disruptivehair]

Another couple of indicators are if they keep on changing their operations plan,
and if they "outsource" work to "cheaper" countries.

Or if they change their health plan to a crappier one where you have to pay more in monthly premiums. That's a warning sign.

[disruptivehair]

The employment situation isn't too bad, it's competitive but there are enough jobs. I've been interviewing and I'll be fine. As long as you know your stuff you shouldn't have a problem getting a job. The pay is good in SD too, and if you live in the right area you shouldn't pay too much rent.

I wasn't looking to move there; I was more concerned about you!

I've been to San Diego a couple of times...beautiful city, but way too expensive for me. We're going to Dallas; if anyone can give me a heads-up on Dallas's job situation I'd appreciate it.