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I learned a very important lesson about employment recently

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    I learned a very important lesson about employment recently

    Ultimately a company can kick employees to the curb when things are going tough.

    In a company I am working at redundancies are happening and I am seeing loyal employees go, and even those who returned back to the company only less than a year ago. The experienced ones left as soon as the company was bought out by a private equity firm.

    Listening to a colleague at a canteen table over coffee one of them revealed they turned down £13,000 less from another company to join this one so he could learn more meant nothing when they gave him the redundancy notice.

    How can there be such double standards? In interviews the companies question your loyalty and tenures in the past yet totally screw down employees when times are tough. I suppose they are the ones with cash and control.

    But it's just horrible to see what is happening at the moment. In the last 12 months more than ever I have experienced office politics and seeing redundancies and it's taught me that ultimately your career is a business and you have to separate work from personal things and not look at companies through rose tinted glasses as some entities that will have your back when times are tough.

    #2
    Originally posted by HealthyProtein View Post
    Ultimately a company can kick employees to the curb when things are going tough.

    In a company I am working at redundancies are happening and I am seeing loyal employees go, and even those who returned back to the company only less than a year ago. The experienced ones left as soon as the company was bought out by a private equity firm.

    Listening to a colleague at a canteen table over coffee one of them revealed they turned down £13,000 less from another company to join this one so he could learn more meant nothing when they gave him the redundancy notice.

    How can there be such double standards? In interviews the companies question your loyalty and tenures in the past yet totally screw down employees when times are tough. I suppose they are the ones with cash and control.

    But it's just horrible to see what is happening at the moment. In the last 12 months more than ever I have experienced office politics and seeing redundancies and it's taught me that ultimately your career is a business and you have to separate work from personal things and not look at companies through rose tinted glasses as some entities that will have your back when times are tough.
    It's always been this way. The fact that you've only just 'clicked on' makes you appear a bit naïve.
    Clarity is everything

    Comment


      #3
      Such is life. Been redundant 3 times from permie jobs so in the end whats the point? Was at one place about a year - one months salary. Great. And they didnt even do the redundancy process properly - just trumped up a few complaints on who they wanted rid of and offered compromise agreements.

      Mate at same place, cancelled his holiday with 3 days notice. Company paid his a bonus on what he'd lost but his mrs went ballistic. No holidays that year. I thought at the time sod that.

      He got the can same day as me. Never seen a guy look so broken.

      Bottom line - permie don't do it.
      Rhyddid i lofnod psychocandy!!!!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by HealthyProtein View Post
        and seeing redundancies and it's taught me that ultimately your career is a business and you have to separate work from personal things and not look at companies through rose tinted glasses as some entities that will have your back when times are tough.
        This.

        I saw it in my first permie job, saw really smart people made redundant, simply because they were currently not on a project. My next permie job, a few good people got made redundant, and me and another guy got a pay rise at the same time as they wanted to keep us - but it just strengthened my view from my first job, and I moved on soon after.

        I've never trusted a company since, and that was a big factor in starting contracting, and I almost feel sorry for people when I see them banging on about how great the company they work for are. It can change very quickly.

        Comment


          #5
          OP, Are you a contractor???

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by SteelyDan View Post
            It's always been this way. The fact that you've only just 'clicked on' makes you appear a bit naïve.
            The OPs 19 other posts haven't lead you to that conclusion already?

            Sounds like they are either 17 and this is their first job or they've stepped out of a time capsule from the 70s when it was job for life.

            The OP should spend more time learning what they are IMO. Not see the clients staff as colleagues for a start. Most of us went cobtracting to get away from all this so just sigh and let it wash over you.

            Hopefully this thread moved to General.
            'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

            Comment


              #7
              I shocked the IT Director at one place by telling him I was exactly as loyal to my employer as my employer is to me. (It was a lie. It's actually slightly less).
              Down with racism. Long live miscegenation!

              Comment


                #8
                Wonder how the OP feels about the fact a client can walk them on the spot without even a thank you and goodbye.
                'CUK forum personality of 2011 - Winner - Yes really!!!!

                Comment


                  #9
                  My partner organised a major event for her employer which involved many influential people in the area. She put in huge amounts of unpaid overtime and suffered huge stress to get it organised, but she believed that it would be rewarded. It was a huge success. She was made redundant the day after the event. The company continue to milk the publicity from the event, thanking all their loyal staff who were involved in organising it. I'm so tempted to say what sector the company is in but not sure if it's a great idea.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Have seen this so many times, so yes the OP is a little naïve or just still learning.

                    Employers have no empathy with their minions.

                    I stepped into contracting for 2 reasons:

                    1. to control my own destiny, i.e. where and when I work, rather than be shunted around the globe on projects where I didn't want to be.
                    2. to make myself immune to employment (or unemployment depending on how you see it).

                    So point 1 was covered soon as I quit my job. The company wanted me to go work 4 hours away on a 1 year project and I had just moved house and got married -- so that was my trigger to control my own path.

                    Point 2 - It's taken a few years of contracting, some big losses/lessons but I am mostly immune to the whims of clients or employers.

                    Comment

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