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Sneakers

Sneakers

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Aug 4, 2005
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If a company decides to implement layoffs for whatever reason, is there a standard criteria for who gets the boot? seniority? experience? salary? random? etc..

I've always pondered this and now I have some friends and family that may be affected.

Matthew Dunbar, CSWP
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.
 
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From my experience, these issues are often avoided by having a re-organization just prior to the layoffs, and then with different job descriptions, management can feel free to layoff as they see fit, because the people they want are in positions that are not cut.
 
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I am sorry in my previous post I stated “Redundancy pay (or minimum redundancy pay at least) has nothing to do with your current salary it is a set of figures set out by the government.”

That is not strictly true, it only applies if you earn over £17,160 PA, if you earn under that figure then yes your current salary does come into play. I just assumed, possibly incorrectly, that anyone on here would be over that figure. That however does not excuse giving incorrect information especially when correcting someone else for doing the same.
 
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At Boeing, they assign a retention level (1, 2 or 3) to the engineers. 40% are 1, 40% are 2, and 20% are 3. They lay off all 3s first, then 2s, and then 1s if they go really deep.

The managers also have an ultra-secret sequential order of the sequence in which each employee gets laid off.

This is goverened by a contract. I'm in one of the few unionized engineering workforces, so the union has established the layoff procedures.
 
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I read about a media baron who fired everyone that was on vacation because, clearly, the company could function without them. It might not be a good time for a vacation for your friends/family.
 
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From my experience, those who are laid off are either dead wood or they did something to piss management off. I have seen several instances of people who had their position eliminated but were given other positions within the company. If management sees value in you as a person, you will not likely end up in the unemployment lines.
 
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We had a meeting yesterday with our VP of IT. Unfortunately I was reorg'd to IT because I use CAD (go figure).

They didn't say it, but did the typical management dance and hinted at layoffs sometime after the 1st of the year.

I went thru layoff's before, the last one made us almost homeless (1993).

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion
 
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CSWP- Certified SolidWorks Professional (CAD software)

I didn't realize the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Partnership goes by the same acronym

Matthew Dunbar, CSWP
New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc.
 
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To answer the OP's question.

We just went through a layoff today, and the criteria seemed to be who pissed off the boss the most since the last layoff.

V
 
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That's too bad.
I went through a layoff once and barely scraped through. Others were let go pretty much by picking names out of a box. We lost a lot of great engineers.

I think companies should do as much as they can to prevent a layoff. Some do, but I have seen companies that don't. Poor management skills picks the first obvious action.

Chris
SolidWorks/PDMWorks 08 3.1
AutoCAD 08
ctopher's home (updated Aug 5, 2008)
ctopher's blog
SolidWorks Legion
 
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They didn't say it, but did the typical management dance and hinted at layoffs sometime after the 1st of the year.
Click to expand...

Interesting that management are very coy about potential mergers, acquisitions, buy-outs etc "because of the legal implications" but observe no such niceties when it comes to lay-offs.

So, those who can get employed elsewhere might give some thought to jumping ship now "the writing is on the wall"?



JMW
 
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I went to a meeting where the managment at the meeting noticed who took notes and who did not take notes in the meeting. They laid off everyone who did not take notes.

I always take notes.

Bart Brejcha Chicago
DESIGN-ENGINE|EDUCATION
surfacing and Pro/CABLE training
 
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