Happy Holidays – You’re Fired – Work Story, long

Well what I suspected was going to happen, in fact did. The actual company I work for went bankrupt and laid off, terminated or fired if you prefer 120 of 130 employees this week.

I am one of the handful (read less than ten) people left to clean up the mess. I have been verbally told I will be retained for at least 120 days and possibly offered a full time job with the newly formed parent company. This may be a good thing and the birth of a great opportunity, and it may be a one way drop into the sh*t.

Now for the lengthy history of how we got here.

I left my cushy hospital data miner (wanna be VB programmer) job a year ago to work for this company. I left for the wrong reasons. I worked from home, I liked what I did, and I played a lot of wow on one computer while watching a remote desktop screen run reports and chunk through data bases on the other. Up until the final sixty days at the hospital, the job was great and I really liked my boss. Out of no where they did a reorganization and I worked for a new boss that never liked me and especially didn't like the department I worked in, thinking we weren't necessary. I convinced myself she was going to get rid of me and started looking for a new job.

I call the few people I know that know anything and asked what was out in the working world. One of them says she thinks I would fit well into the place I am working now.

I interview with the new company CEO, the entire executive management team and the general counsel. They all agree I know this element of their business that they really need to know and offer me a job. Being excited to do something new and really wanting to get out of the hospital I do a terrible job negotiating my new compensation. I didn't ask some key questions, as in, where was I going to work. The office that is close to where I live, or the office that is well over an hour from where I live. I wanted benefits from day one and they verbally agree to pay for this, but I never get it in writing. I agree to a slight pay increase and they agree verbally to pay for this artificial bonus over time to cover my driving costs. You get the idea.

I figure it's a win-win and put in a 30 day notice with the hospital. The hospital is surprised but doesn't jump up and down to keep me. I also let it be known I wanted to go so there was really no re-bargaining involved.

I start the new company in January of this year. I've written a few things about some experiences and they may still exist on the forums somewhere ten or 50 pages back.

Over time I prove my value, I create things that the company likes. I create more allies than enemies at a very good ratio. I know this to be true because that was the reason I was told I was kept and the other 95% of the people were let go.

Now here's the problem. The parent to my company actually has all the money and long term assets; the company I work for has all the staff, hard assets, employees and long term debt. This is really complicated to understand, and if you want to know it's a bunch of LLC's that have strange relationships. The easy version is to think a parent – child relationship where the child takes the fall for the parent's mistakes. To add more to the story, the parent merged with a competitor three months ago and things started to get weird.

Well the CEO of my part of the company gathered a lot of capital and invested in a lot of things that never turned a profit. We find out after the merger a few months ago all sorts of decisions were made that all but put a nail in the coffin of the company. Or, they spent money and it never resulted in returning profits, ever.

The newly formed parent takes a hard look at the facts, realizes there is lots of redundancy between the two entities, lots of wasted space, a huge debt burden they acquired from my company and lots of other problems. They tried to save parts of it, but it was just too insolvent to survive, and the long term debt was going to drag them down.

At the advice of lots of attorneys, they decide to file chapter seven bankruptcy and cut off the dead company from the parent. This results in pretty much everyone I know being let go this week. Some had just hired on within a few months, some had been there in various other companies that had been consolidated for over 20 years.

I found out about this last week from my boss. In short he said, if you tell anyone, you're gone. I was told don't come in to work on Tuesday, were doing it then. Myself and a few others got the day off. The new executive management from the new parent flew in from Dallas and told both offices that they are out of a job. They hired security guards and gave people a box and an hour to get their stuff and get out.

One office took it fairly well, was sad, but got their things and left. The other office, the one I actually work at found out they were going to be let go once the other office was let go and all but rioted. I wasn't there, but I saw enough of the after effects to know there were some not so happy people.

When I went in yesterday, there were around ten of us left. A few IT people to make sure servers and stuff are working, some management and me the lone compliance person. Even of us that are left, I don't know who will be staying and who will be going soon.

I spent the day going through every desk in the building removing client information (HIPAA: PHI, if you need to know). This just sucked. People are slobs. The rotten food, random paperwork and trash that they leave in their desks just made me sick. The thousands of dollars of office supplies, calculators, scissors, paper clips and custom post it notes that were ordered and never used was just disgusting. I can't believe we spent so much money on things that people don't need. Why does everyone have a solar powered, over sized calculator on their desk when they have a computer with a calculator and Excel sitting in front of them.

Today I go to the other office to box stuff up.

I got my last check, I was told I will get my written retainer agreement any day and that I am good for 120 days, assuming I play ball with the new company.

They are going to keep a few people in one office and offer them a new job for the new parent. See how they are doing and by may decide if this is worth keeping or not. My world is on a day to day mode.

It hasn't been a great week so far.

and Happy Holidays

I found out about this last week from my boss. In short he said, if you tell anyone, you're gone. I was told don't come in to work on Tuesday, were doing it then. Myself and a few others got the day off. The new executive management from the new parent flew in from Dallas and told both offices that they are out of a job. They hired security guards and gave people a box and an hour to get their stuff and get out.

I hope I never have to deal with something like this. It just sounds.. painful.

Anyway, is there any possibility of you going back to the hospital if the new company idea doesn't come through? It seems like they liked you and what you did. As long as you didn't say "eagle semen" in your last company email you should be green to go.

if only you could go back in time and find some incriminating secret of your boss to make him un-fire people (see Journeyman xmas episode)

It always irks me to no end to see the "little people" (good folks that actually does work) getting screwed over

I am sure with your experience you will land another, better job in no time. Just try not to think too much about it this xmas

dthind wrote:

I am one of the handful (read less than ten) people left to clean up the mess. I have been verbally told I will be retained for at least 120 days and possibly offered a full time job with the newly formed parent company.

They are lying! I've heard this BS line from far too many friends. The companies goal now is to keep you there as long as possible until it is ready to fold or be outsourced. Abandon ship ASAP -- and take some post-its and calculators on your way out...

That sucks, sorry to hear it. My SO got laid off, due to budget cuts, two weeks ago. There should be a law against letting people go so close to the holidays. It's darn hard to find work around this time, unless you are thrilled with retail temp jobs.

I was part of a similar situation about 10 years ago. Show up to work one day, and there are the new bosses. Congrats folks, we sold the company and here are your new employers! A few days later they lay off 2/3 of the staff and expect the remainder to carry the load. Good times. I survived the cut but the new management's standards of quality and such made me want to hurl.

Needless to say, I don't work there anymore.

I agree with Richy. Get the job offer in writing, or prepare to be booted. No dicking around. You have them over a small barrel, as they won't want to see you bolt while the mess is there. Use it.

I'd call the old team at the hospital and see if they wanted me back for anything, if it were me. That would be at 0901 tomorrow, if not already. Might as well see if that bridge is in flames.

I'd call the old team at the hospital and see if they wanted me back for anything, if it were me. That would be at 0901 tomorrow, if not already.

But that depends. It seems dthind had his job nice and slow and cushy. This isn't the kind of high-pressure role where individual personas can be seen as "critical". An easy role to fill, in other words. Of course, if his bridges are in the good condition, and he has solid business knowledge (as it does seem to be the case), perhaps they'll be able to hook him up with a different role in the organization. Entirely a goodwill and personal relationship question.

Won't hurt trying, of course.

I just got to the Northern office. Its a ghosttown, what used to be alive with people talking, complaining, surfing the net and some even doing their job is a cold shell of a building.

The lights are off, the air is stale and there is a vast sea of cubicles with empty chairs pushed off to the side. Anything that gave this place life is now gone or dead.

I'm waiting for the two executives to get here to figure out where my boxing of stuff starts and stops. I think I will be here tomorrow to wait for the shredding company also.

and yea, time to call the hospital up. A position like mine is open still.

I have only been in one Layoff in my life, and I never want to go through another one. What scare and sureal thing it sounds like your going through. Good luck hopefully you can get your job back at the hospital.

dthind wrote:

One office took it fairly well, was sad, but got their things and left. The other office, the one I actually work at found out they were going to be let go once the other office was let go and all but rioted. I wasn't there, but I saw enough of the after effects to know there were some not so happy people.

I'm trying to picture this, and I keep coming up with Lord of the Flies.

IMAGE(http://xs322.xs.to/xs322/07504/flies.JPG.xs.jpg)

Sucky news, dthind. Good luck.

RichyRambo wrote:

Abandon ship ASAP -- and take some furniture and computers on your way out...

Fixed.

Wow....not cool.

RichyRambo wrote:
dthind wrote:

I am one of the handful (read less than ten) people left to clean up the mess. I have been verbally told I will be retained for at least 120 days and possibly offered a full time job with the newly formed parent company.

They are lying! I've heard this BS line from far too many friends. The companies goal now is to keep you there as long as possible until it is ready to fold or be outsourced. Abandon ship ASAP -- and take some post-its and calculators on your way out...

I agree completely. They've already proven that they are underhanded with the way they handled the mass layoff. Verbally telling you that you have at least 120 days is worth nothing. I'm not trying to panic you any further, but I think your best bet is to find another job now, mostly on your terms. Don't wait for them to lower the boom.

As long as his check is coming in, he should still do his job. If he thinks the check might bounce, then he owes them nothing.

Also, verbally agreements are worth the paper they are printed on... nil.

oldmanscene24 wrote:

They've already proven that they are underhanded with the way they handled the mass layoff.

What would be a better way to handle a mass layoff ?

The way they handled it, as terse as it may have been, seemed to be the best way to ensure that opportunities for retaliation were minimized, which is in the best interest of the company. The most considerate thing would be to ensure that the final paychecks were generous enough to soften the blow - (I admit that, given that the reason the company was shut down was largely financial, they probably weren't able to be all that generous... not that they were necessarily inclined to, anyway.) - but especially given the example of how the second office reacted, getting the people off the property quickly was obviously the right thing to do.

Edit to note: I ask this not to be confrontational and not to just to OMS24 but, as a student of business practices, and to anyone who might have an opinion. If this was your company, and the expenses were coming out of your pocket (trust me, the expenses are coming out of someone's pocket), what would you do?

Grumpicus wrote:

Edit to note: I ask this not to be confrontational and not to just to OMS24 but, as a student of business practices, and to anyone who might have an opinion. If this was your company, and the expenses were coming out of your pocket (trust me, the expenses are coming out of someone's pocket), what would you do?

It's situations like that that have inspired me to avoid promotions to managerial positions in the past. I'd do basically what this company did but would feel a total jerk as a result. Assuming there's no magical option C where the company could be saved without firing everyone, that is.

Hooray for corporate America! Wheee!

You may be right, Grump. There may not be any good way to handle a layoff of this size. I fired off my post basically with raw emotion from a couple of past experiences and from the gut-wrenching sympathy for those that lost their jobs right before the holidays. Believe me, I know that a line has to be drawn somewhere. I also know that if there were so many redundancies between this company and the parent company, a total shutdown is probably the only way to go. It sucks, but it makes good business sense for the sake of the bottom line. I just hope that they were good enough to pad the final checks as best they could.

And don't worry, I didn't take your comments as confrontational. I'm usually fairly objective, this one just struck a nerve.

What a rollercoast of emotions those layoff days are. So hard on everyone, both the laid off and the 'survivors.' The buildup to them is just as horrid on the human spirit too, as rumors and grapevine discussions have everyone on edge for days or weeks leading up to the event....

I have observed several waves of layoffs over the years. The day of reckoning was always hard for everyone in the office. It literally played out like the grim reaper, escorted by security, would come and tap people on the shoulder while they were working on something. Two security guards would take their laptop on the spot and escort them to a room with an HR representative. Here they would sign an NDA and learn about both their package and outboarding services that would be available to them. They would then be escorted out of the building and told they could return after hours or on the weekend to collect their personal items from their cubicles. Very neat and tidy from an HR perspective, but very cold from a human one.

Once or twice I remember them doing it between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their explanation was that this was approach was "Best for the employees, because they go into the holidays aware of financial constraints and can best budget for them...." or something like that.

That style of handling layoffs was hard, maybe they all are regardless of how they are handled. But that particular HR 'proper' method was rough not only because of the insecurity of whether the reaper was going to come visit you personally, but also because throughout the day you witnessed very professional colleagues and office friends, be kicked to the curb abruptly.

I survived all those waves, but the word is that massive layoffs are coming again. The organization has changed over the years, they dont handle it quite so coldly, they actual give about a month notice. Still it's at that point where the organization will soon be paralyzed with the unknown. Budgets are in limbo, planning is impacted, etc. Management didnt get the layoffs in before the end of the year, so its expected to happen in January. The whole organization will likely be wiped out as its services are outsourced to China, India and Brazil. I expect the grim reaper will pay me a visit this time if I cannot find another internal role outside my immediate organization.

I'm in a somewhat similar situation. Without hashing out all the messy details, basically, our office is consolidating to an office an hour away, they debated all year about whether to do it and finally announced after Thanksgiving that we had to move by the end of December. I was honest about the fact this did not make me happy, and when this was brought up as an idea in the past, they told me they would support my looking for a new job if I chose to leave.

Should be fine, right? No, a few days after the announcement I'm asked for my resignation. They will ALLOW me to work thru 1/15 so I can facilitate the move and train my replacement. THANKS. Merry frakking x-mas. Now I have to do my regular job, all the extra stuff for the move, and search for a new job all over the holidays when there's no support and doesn't seem to be anyone hiring.

Damn that's just brutal. Reminds me of the time, at a small, private company, when my supervisor was fired on Christmas eve during the in-office Christmas party.

Good luck.

Home finally. Long day of boxing stuff up and going through offices, cubicles and the endless amount of storage rooms that no one ever bothered to clean up or organize. Just lock the door and hope no one ever notices.

Here is the deal, and I hate to defend some, if not all of what they did. It really was a business decision. It sucks, and it might suck very bad for me personally any day now. The part of the company they closed was a huge profit drain, to a point where they have been in the red for years it came out. There was what likley appears to be some active hiding of facts by people in charge.

Their decision was made at a bad time, but also it was made when the problem was determined there was no other option. I cant go into detail, but it was either made now, or it would drain a very large portion of cash from the much more successful side of the company. That decision would have done one thing, taken people through the holidays at the risk of hurting more people later. This was going to happen, it was just a When Decision.

There was talk of trying to find a way to give people some notice, and it was simply an economic decision. That and we know how hard people work after they are told they will be unemployed in two weeks to 30 days. From my experience, they dont work if they know they will be unemployed. That and the liability of protected client information and the potential loss of company assets.

Trust me, I dont want to defend anyone, but I think was just long overdue.

In my opinion a different course of action should have been taken to control the bleeding a few years ago, but that is water under the bridge at this point.

The shredding / document destruction company will be there tomorrow and will take away a few tons of trash paper.

Well back to playing wow, im burnt for the day.

CEJ wrote:

Damn that's just brutal. Reminds me of the time, at a small, private company, when my supervisor was fired on Christmas eve during the in-office Christmas party.

Good luck.

That reminds me, I'm in charge of organizing the x-mas party. Yay fun.

Yellek wrote:
CEJ wrote:

Damn that's just brutal. Reminds me of the time, at a small, private company, when my supervisor was fired on Christmas eve during the in-office Christmas party.

Good luck.

That reminds me, I'm in charge of organizing the x-mas party. Yay fun.

Ouch. Tough break.

CEJ wrote:
Yellek wrote:
CEJ wrote:

Damn that's just brutal. Reminds me of the time, at a small, private company, when my supervisor was fired on Christmas eve during the in-office Christmas party.

Good luck.

That reminds me, I'm in charge of organizing the x-mas party. Yay fun.

Ouch. Tough break.

I've found a way to have a little fun with it. I decided to uphold the 'official' company policy of no alchohol on company premises. And I'm not going to attend. They're going to have a dull, dry party.

CEJ wrote:

Damn that's just brutal. Reminds me of the time, at a small, private company, when my supervisor was fired on Christmas eve during the in-office Christmas party.

Good luck.

Anyone I know

Irongut wrote:

Once or twice I remember them doing it between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Their explanation was that this was approach was "Best for the employees, because they go into the holidays aware of financial constraints and can best budget for them...." or something like that.

Yeah, like they really care so much about the employees they're letting go. I believe that layoffs often happen around the holidays because it's the end of the tax year for most companies, so it simplifies the book keeping to do it then. Hirings often happen around the holidays for the same reason. The budget for the following year is generally decided by then, so...

CEJ wrote:

Damn that's just brutal. Reminds me of the time, at a small, private company, when my supervisor was fired on Christmas eve during the in-office Christmas party.

Teach him to get drunk and give Xerox copies of his delicates to the CEO, huh?

(if this firing was actually planned ahead of time though... well that's just mean)

I have been in all of the various positions; firing boss and fired employee. I have been in the cleanup and shutdown crew. I have been in the recovery crew, trying to make some sense of the failed business. I have been in the litigation team dealing with the aftermath. And finally, I have set up my own business as a response to being fired. When the axe falls, it must happen all at once, and quickly. Or you'll need a lot of security!

You have my sympathy! When you are the last guy left, you often see precisely the problems that led to the situation; the waste, corruption, idiocy, etc. But at least you are relatively safe for the holidays. Save as much as you can, bill for all the overtime they will let you, and keep doing your job. They might keep you on after this is all over, and in fact it may even be likely, but don't count on it. Cultivate your contacts, call old employers, and examine ALL your options. Remember, anytime somebody else pays you as an employee, they control the relationship, completely. Getting paid via a 1099 and your own business is the way to go if you can... The name of the game is to diversify your revenue stream.

dthind wrote:

Anyone I know

Nope. That was pre-IT CEJ. Poor schmo was called into the one of the principal owners office and told to go to get his stuff and leave. The work staff was a little flabbergasted. Small World Note: BH who worked with me at THC ended up marrying a girl who worked for said same SOB and company.

complexmath wrote:

Teach him to get drunk and give Xerox copies of his delicates to the CEO, huh?

I think I need to modify this story to at least include this post firing. I'm not sure how premeditated it was. The big boss tended to make up his mind and clear people out with some frequency. Leaving was one of the better things I ever did. It reflected on the people as well. For years, we used to get together, get drunk and curse the SOB that owned the company. Key lesson is that not everyone despite their ability to sell LTD insurance is cut out to run a company. Some folks were ment to either work on their own or work for someone who can keep them in check.