Anatomy of a Layoff

I should have seen the signs.

Kiddingly, my colleague yesterday had told our East Coast manager not to drop in on us without warning. Californians know that can mean only one thing: layoffs. Our boss had responded, "Don't worry. A lot of people are getting on planes, but I'm not one of them."

This morning it hit home. M, a close friend of mine at work, came by my desk early today. She was holding the infamous severance "package". Her East Coast boss's boss had given her the word only that morning.

Although she had been hoping to get a few more years in, her husband has a good job and her only son is now in college, so she thinks she'll be okay. Still, it's a shock. And she only gets two more weeks. Her last day is February 15th.

She also said: word is the local Hilton is swarming with East Coast managers here to do layoffs. And shortly after we received word that five people in our eastern colleagues department had also been laid off. So it was not an isolated incident - layoffs were happening in technology across the country.

At one o'clock came the obligatory all hands meeting to discuss what everyone already knew: layoffs had occurred. Business priorities had changed, market conditions were bad, and if you were associated with an initiative that had its funding pulled...oh well.

As to the question on everyone's mind: no, they are not done. Additional positions will be cut with the goal of everyone notified by March 31.

I feel like a soldier on the front. Today I survived. Not everyone made it, but I did. It's a relief.

Unfortunately, the war is far from over. And a new battle looms.


Technorati Tags: layoffs, outsourcing

Corporate thoughtfulness

Our "retiring" leader held a meeting this week to introduce the head of the organization we will be merged into. Our new leader had nothing definite to say at this time about what will happen, begging off that it was premature, and he wanted to approach the integration "thoughtfully".

Thoughtfully. Hmmm...that surely would require a few months, right?

Well, no. Apparently, 45 days will do the job. It's something "we have to do relatively quickly. It's a new year, and we have a plan to execute against."

Let's see. Forty-five days from now would be March 1st. Conveniently, anyone terminated on March 1st and given 30 days notice would be off the books for the start of second-quarter.

He obviously already has a target head count number. The sooner staff cuts are made, the better 2007 expense numbers will look (which of course determine bonuses, not that that's an issue in matters such as these).

During the next six weeks severance packages will be prepared for the March 1st mass termination. That's the real analysis that will be taking place.

Yes, come March 1st The Plan will be thoughtfully executed. Not to mention many of us "associates".

Technorati Tags: layoffs, outsourcing

New year, old worries

Earlier this week, with less than 30 minutes notice, a quick meeting was called for an "org update". (Note to managers: this is a great way to guarantee full attendance at your meeting.) Sure enough, we received news of potential impact to everyone in the room: the Chief Information Officer in charge of our parent division was suddenly retiring.

Even worse: the CIO was not being replaced. Instead, our 1000 person division will be "integrated" into another technology division, and the official announcement from senior management cheerfully described the cost savings ahead.

Our group is part of a support organization serving the now-former CIO and the division. The larger division we are being consumed by already has its own support structure. Do they need duplicate support groups? Of course, anything can happen, and it may be premature to be overly worried. However, I can do the math, and many of us will probably be cost savings casualties.

This could be another interesting year.

Technorati Tags: layoffs

A New Year!!??

I had to write my first "07" date yesterday, and as always, it's a very peculiar feeling. After having written (or, more likely, typed) hundreds of "06's", it's not easy to move on. Alas, these new years just happen - whether I like it or not!

A New Year always contains a mix of feelings and emotions for me. It's a fresh start in many ways, a honeymoon period sparked with hope and optimism: this will be the year some difficult obstacle is finally overcome.

At work, everyone is back and the long winding down to the holidays is replaced with a new energy. It can feel good to get back to normal again.

But January can also be a trying time emotionally. I remember growing up in Chicago, with all the early winter cold and snow so exciting, a prelude to the magic of Christmas. But then Christmas was here, and gone, and we were left with...January. Many weeks of cold and ice to go, with shoveling snow a poor substitute for Holiday glitter.

The weather in northern California does not match the never-ending summer image of our Southern California brethren - we do experience a change of seasons. But it's a "kinder, gentler" winter here with no snow and temperatures in the 40s/50s. Still, January is the gloomiest time of year even here, with lots of damp, foggy, rainy days.

So I guess that makes me...what? Gloomily positive? Hopeful in a dreary way?

Who knows. But if past experience is any judge, there is one difficult obstacle that will soon be overcome triumphantly.

I will be a master of the "07" dates in no time.