h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Not been online too much lately due to the situation at work ~ pull up a and I'll tell you about it.

About a month ago we were called into a meeting during which they informed us there were going to be redundancies. In fact there were going to be 9 job losses, however network staff and managers were exempt. That meant there were 9 jobs going out of 21 staff.

I questioned how we would therefore manage our workload, I was told that some work would be moved overseas, and we would make more use of automation products. I questioned how this would be achieved in the 5 weeks they has allowed.

When I came into work that Friday night there was an envelope with my name on it, inside were 3 sheets of paper telling members of my team they were 'at risk.' There was no explanation about how they had been chosen, or what I was to do with these letters, so I rang my manager ~ no reply. So I rang his boss ~ no reply. I therefore just put the envelope in my bag and said nothing.

Nest day one of the other team leaders told me that he'd been asked to give the news to one of his shift who'd been off until that day. He did that during the day. That night when we came in my shift were aware of what had happened, and that I had 'an envelope.'

I still had no instruction and so did nothing, but as the night wore on I realised that my guys were assuming they were not on the list, because I was saying nothing. I therefore took each of the three in turn and gave them the letters.

I was less than chuffed, if I'd been involved, I wouldn't have minded passing on the news and explaining my decision, however passing on someone else's bad news stuck in my craw. Especially when I was handing out bits of paper to people I felt shouldn't be receiving one.

Since then they've all had the face to face with personell and are now waiting to hear if and when they go - 4 by the end of this month.

We've also had the team from Malaysia who will be running some of these systems working alongside us - learning from the people they're replacing. (Nice huh ?)

I'll tell you more about them later.

Grim. I guess it's a situation that's happening in many companies. Are personnel numbers being cut too?

Ouch. I have always been taught that communication is the key but it turns out many companys know this but dont employ this.

Oh McKay sorry to hear this. I'd hate that too - doing someone else's dirty work.

I hope you're alright and that business picks up again - I've been assured by the media that the recession is over so here's hoping.

SO the Malaysians don't actually know much about computing, though one of them has some experience.

5 weeks training later and they're off back to Kuala Lumur and two weeks later the first customer moves over to them, and the lay offs start.

Thus far we have moved a task that took half a person and only ran at night. That ammounts to 0.25 of an fte ~ we have laid off 5 of our staff, though one of them got an internal transfer.

Four more go at the end of October.... tha appeals have been done ~ they just decided that according to the scoring system they were going, and didn't consider if the scoring system was valid, or if sufficient work was going to justify the lay offs.

I'm fighting to control my temper with management, and not always winning ~ I guess I'm pushing myself up0 the list.

Have a virtual hug my friend..it's horrible when the system forces you to wave the shit stick at the expense of your natural kindly inclinations.

It's funny how management can delegate the nastier elements of their job but steal the thunder of success from their employees.

But at the end of the day it leaves you little option in the middle of a recession because even the worst of employers with a crap method of dealing with staff are a better choice than no employer at all.

So another virtual hug from me..

Well three of the staff who were supposed to be laid off are still here, they've just been extended another month until the end of March.

The words organise, can up, and brewery are frequently in my mind.

Hmm! Not sure if there should be commiserations or annoyance at the shilly shallying of bosses.On the one hand every week saved in a recession might mean survival but on the other hand the uncertainty is extremely wearing on the nerves.The stress levels must be awful.

Just hope YOU are ok?

The doctor has put me on happy pills, which has at least removed the urge to punch someone's lights out, but I just have to keep my head down and my mouth shut, because I'm sure they'd love to stick my name on the list.