Comments on: Perhaps this could have been handled better… http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/ Layoff Stories from the recently unemployed Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:04:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: bidmyreno.com http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-872 bidmyreno.com Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:05:18 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-872 When I had my first real job at a first real company I had my first taste of the coldness and poor timing that comes with layoffs/firings. About a month in (after we had been acquired by a bigger company), I witnessed a fellow employee having a visit by his family. This was a software company, and the late nights and hard hours created a perceived bond between employees and the company itself. I have this extremely clear recollection of the guy skipping down the corridor, child on his shoulders sporting a company T-shirt and balloon while his wife happily pushed a stroller behind him. Little did he know that in 2 hours he would let go due to redundancy. Witnessing him crying in his office as the VP tried to console him (hey, at least the company tried their best to make him feel like he would be missed) made me resolve to never bring my family life to the office. It can only be heart-breaking if you put your heart into the company you work for only to have some middle-manager treat you like persona non Grata. When I had my first real job at a first real company I had my first taste of the coldness and poor timing that comes with layoffs/firings.

About a month in (after we had been acquired by a bigger company), I witnessed a fellow employee having a visit by his family. This was a software company, and the late nights and hard hours created a perceived bond between employees and the company itself. I have this extremely clear recollection of the guy skipping down the corridor, child on his shoulders sporting a company T-shirt and balloon while his wife happily pushed a stroller behind him. Little did he know that in 2 hours he would let go due to redundancy. Witnessing him crying in his office as the VP tried to console him (hey, at least the company tried their best to make him feel like he would be missed) made me resolve to never bring my family life to the office.

It can only be heart-breaking if you put your heart into the company you work for only to have some middle-manager treat you like persona non Grata.

]]> By: Nan http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-870 Nan Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:48:16 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-870 Something similar happened to me back in 1996. My father-in-law suffered a heart attack and went into a coma. I had to take a week off to be with my husband, M-I-L and the rest of his family. I spent it listening to their stories about my F-I-L's life and taking on mundane tasks like cooking and cleaning so they could spend as much time at his bedside as possible. The president of the company where I worked was extremely irritated that I had to take so much time off. "He's just your father-in-law," she said. "It's not like he's your father or anything." I was completely flabbergasted and just stood there with my mouth wide open. After that, I was on her shit list. About a month later, she announced a round of layoffs. Sure enough, my name was on the list. This was 1996 and the height of the tech boom, though. Within three weeks, I'd landed another job that paid a lot more, was closer to my house, had better benefits -- and best of all, wasn't run by a vindictive bitch. In a weird way, this woman did me a favor by getting rid of me. I loved my new job and would probably not have found it if I had still been working for her company. Something similar happened to me back in 1996. My father-in-law suffered a heart attack and went into a coma. I had to take a week off to be with my husband, M-I-L and the rest of his family. I spent it listening to their stories about my F-I-L’s life and taking on mundane tasks like cooking and cleaning so they could spend as much time at his bedside as possible.

The president of the company where I worked was extremely irritated that I had to take so much time off. “He’s just your father-in-law,” she said. “It’s not like he’s your father or anything.” I was completely flabbergasted and just stood there with my mouth wide open.

After that, I was on her shit list. About a month later, she announced a round of layoffs. Sure enough, my name was on the list.

This was 1996 and the height of the tech boom, though. Within three weeks, I’d landed another job that paid a lot more, was closer to my house, had better benefits — and best of all, wasn’t run by a vindictive bitch.

In a weird way, this woman did me a favor by getting rid of me. I loved my new job and would probably not have found it if I had still been working for her company.

]]> By: ww http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-430 ww Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:42:32 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-430 I think mine was worse.. the manager kept me on the phone after I called her to announce my grandmother's passing, while she paged through the company handbook, on the phone, to determine if I could take three days off! "Did your grandmother live with you? because here it says.." she droned on and on, reading from the book while I was on the phone. I think mine was worse.. the manager kept me on the phone after I called her to announce my grandmother’s passing, while she paged through the company handbook, on the phone, to determine if I could take three days off! “Did your grandmother live with you? because here it says..” she droned on and on, reading from the book while I was on the phone.

]]> By: Mel http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-222 Mel Mon, 08 Jun 2009 20:56:56 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-222 Sadly, I think many companies who claim to pride themselves on "employees' wellness" don't practice what they preach. I hope you were able to find comfort from other individuals who still have an ounce of compassion. Sadly, I think many companies who claim to pride themselves on “employees’ wellness” don’t practice what they preach. I hope you were able to find comfort from other individuals who still have an ounce of compassion.

]]> By: Mickey http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-214 Mickey Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:47:40 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-214 You cant always expect people to have that kindness that is what ive learned along time ago even though im not partically the one who should be speaking sense im graduating from high school and your most likely older then me but i just felt like i should say i fell your pain i lost my mom a while back and i want to say I'm sorry for your lost. Also Keep your head up, You sound like a very determind person im sure you will get a better job or a carrer. You cant always expect people to have that kindness that is what ive learned along time ago even though im not partically the one who should be speaking sense im graduating from high school and your most likely older then me but i just felt like i should say i fell your pain i lost my mom a while back and i want to say I’m sorry for your lost. Also Keep your head up, You sound like a very determind person im sure you will get a better job or a carrer.

]]> By: D http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-211 D Mon, 08 Jun 2009 15:34:15 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-211 Absolutely beyond appalling. Employers these days are setting an excruciatingly bad example. I am so sorry this happened to you. Absolutely beyond appalling. Employers these days are setting an excruciatingly bad example. I am so sorry this happened to you.

]]> By: Rayshiel http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-205 Rayshiel Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:14:11 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-205 I was moved by your story. I was moved by the tone of your voice that came through your words. I know that there's noting that no one can say that would of helped anyway. Maybe keeping their mouth shut was best for them. Maybe saying noting was playing it safe. Maybe they were caught up in their own hard-ships that they couldn't see yours. What ever the reason, would it made any difference if they did? I was moved by your story. I was moved by the tone of your voice that came through your words. I know that there’s noting that no one can say that would of helped anyway. Maybe keeping their mouth shut was best for them. Maybe saying noting was playing it safe. Maybe they were caught up in their own hard-ships that they couldn’t see yours. What ever the reason, would it made any difference if they did?

]]> By: Lisa Janowski http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-203 Lisa Janowski Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:21:31 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-203 I was fired a week after my father passed. My father had been very ill for 65 days they let me go because I was missing too much work. I worked their for 4 years they said I missed too much work. My dad was sick for 65 days in and out of ICU, a nursing home and again in ICU. In the four years I worked their I took one vacation, I was off for 3 days then last November my dad got sick at the age of 80. I went to work about every other day and then he died I took a week off. I went back to work, 3 days later I was out and given 20 minutes to clean out my class room. I was an Instructor at a small vocational college in suburban Chicago. I was fired a week after my father passed. My father had been very ill for 65 days they let me go because I was missing too much work. I worked their for 4 years they said I missed too much work. My dad was sick for 65 days in and out of ICU, a nursing home and again in ICU. In the four years I worked their I took one vacation, I was off for 3 days then last November my dad got sick at the age of 80. I went to work about every other day and then he died I took a week off. I went back to work, 3 days later I was out and given 20 minutes to clean out my class room. I was an Instructor at a small vocational college in suburban Chicago.

]]> By: Sung Kim http://howigotlaidoff.com/2009/05/21/perhaps-this-could-have-been-handled-better/comment-page-1/#comment-197 Sung Kim Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:53:50 +0000 http://howigotlaidoff.com/?p=241#comment-197 I think that's awful how they treated you especially in light of your father's passing. I'm tired of people using the old "it's just business" to screw people over and think nothing of it. Mark my words, those people always get it in the end themselves. Karma's a bitch. I think that’s awful how they treated you especially in light of your father’s passing. I’m tired of people using the old “it’s just business” to screw people over and think nothing of it. Mark my words, those people always get it in the end themselves. Karma’s a bitch.

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