The Walking Wounded
Mar. 23rd, 2001 04:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sanpaku_backupWell, there's no easy way to put it: ten people got laid off from work today. It was done with all the usual grace and sensitivity we have come to expect from the company. People showing up for work found their computers turned off. One woman was pulled out of a meeting with her product's professor, and told that the product was being ended and she was being laid off. (You can imagine the professor's reaction!!) Not so much as a how-de-do from the honchos who made the decision. Just pack up your shit and get out of here.
The decision was apparently made by the money people to axe certain projects. It is one of the rare times I've been glad to be an American historian, since it's probably the most important thing we put out. The scary thing is that people who have been there much longer than me got laid off. I am rapidly becoming an old man in the job (in other words, my head is ripe for the block).
At least there was no attempt made to carry on business as usual. People gathered in dark clumps all day and sputtered about the company going to shit and how we're all looking for new jobs. Some people took 3 hour lunches and got drunk. Others like me stayed around in the silence of lunch and left early.
I've known ever since my department got creamed that it is only a matter of time before this catches up to me. I think actually that a lot of people who got canned had the same expectation by now. As my former boss put it, morale can't get any lower by now, so who can feel much. Of course you always wonder why it would kill these people to do something less shitty than escort the firees back to their desks and watch them pack their stuff. Layoffs are legendary for showing corporate America at its worst, but to see it in action is pretty strong. You just wait for the tap on your own shoulder. That's pretty much where I'm at right now. I feel more worried for the people I know at the place who have kids and all. On the other hand I have no real clue what I'd do here. I have no experience with jobs and layoffs and all that-- this whole business thing was an unplanned diversion for me-- and I don't even know where I'd start to look for something else.
Why would it kill management types to say, we're sorry we have to do this, but the board told us to; we value your work, this isn't a reflection on you, and we're sad to have to do it. Why would that be so hard? I just don't understand people.
The decision was apparently made by the money people to axe certain projects. It is one of the rare times I've been glad to be an American historian, since it's probably the most important thing we put out. The scary thing is that people who have been there much longer than me got laid off. I am rapidly becoming an old man in the job (in other words, my head is ripe for the block).
At least there was no attempt made to carry on business as usual. People gathered in dark clumps all day and sputtered about the company going to shit and how we're all looking for new jobs. Some people took 3 hour lunches and got drunk. Others like me stayed around in the silence of lunch and left early.
I've known ever since my department got creamed that it is only a matter of time before this catches up to me. I think actually that a lot of people who got canned had the same expectation by now. As my former boss put it, morale can't get any lower by now, so who can feel much. Of course you always wonder why it would kill these people to do something less shitty than escort the firees back to their desks and watch them pack their stuff. Layoffs are legendary for showing corporate America at its worst, but to see it in action is pretty strong. You just wait for the tap on your own shoulder. That's pretty much where I'm at right now. I feel more worried for the people I know at the place who have kids and all. On the other hand I have no real clue what I'd do here. I have no experience with jobs and layoffs and all that-- this whole business thing was an unplanned diversion for me-- and I don't even know where I'd start to look for something else.
Why would it kill management types to say, we're sorry we have to do this, but the board told us to; we value your work, this isn't a reflection on you, and we're sad to have to do it. Why would that be so hard? I just don't understand people.
