[SA Chris]

TTT Have PMed you too.

[BB]

Not sure if its redundancy yet but on Monday I find out what my future is following the outsourcing of my department. Could be relocation to Hatfield (over my dead body) or redundancy. Fingers crossed.

[Bubba]

What a nightmare this is - I remember back in the early 90's I worked in the IT department at Empire Stores in Bradford.

One morning after everyone was at their desks, we were all told to go into a large meeting room - there was a man with a list - some went to one side of the room, the rest to the other. I got lucky but the other side of the room were all told to leave the building as they'd been made redundant.

No warnings, nothing. There were people kicked out who'd been there 15 years or more. Horrible

[slackline]

Somewhat semantic, but isn't it often the case that contracts stipulate a period of notice on both parties sides?  After all its a contract is an agreement between two parties, its not one sided?

That said I should probably have check mine before asking, but its at work and I'm not there till Monday.

[tommytwotone]

Apologies if I'm spouting shit that's plain as day here...

I did check, and if you're not there for 2 years the employee is entitled to payment of their notice period, though sometimes I gather it's not uncommon for the employer to pay garden leave because they don't want a pissed off person hanging about the business. If you're lucky, your firm will offer a voluntary redundancy package, but they're under no obligation to do so.

That experience of Bubba's sounds horrible - as bad as most modern HR procedures are, I know that the consultation stuff is dragging on a bit where I am, but at least they can't get away with treating folk like that.

[slackline]

Ooops, I'm a bit &  hence the poor grammar in my previous post.

[tommytwotone]

So, tomorrow is D-day.

In their infinite wisdom, my employers have decided against informing those 'at risk' in person, and have decided instead to post a letter to them that will inform them. I gather it's a legal thing, but I don't see why that letter can't be issued in person, in a one-to-one meeting with one's line manager.

The business has at least agreed to email those of us being put 'at risk' as well as sending the letter, but they're only saying that it'll be sent 'some time before midnight on Friday'. Also, given that half the office isn't coming in because of the snow, some people won't be able to check their work inboxes. You couldn't make this shit up.

Anyway. By midnight tomorrow I should know what's what.

Fingers crossed...

[erm, sam]

Its seems they have been on a how-to-make-it-more-unpleasant-for-all-concerned course. Good luck.
I am currently in negotiation with HR to get a better leaving offer than the last one: We shall see what Monday brings.
Had a half day in the office today, the first of my last couple of weeks as I am staying untill a few bits and bobs are finished (assuming the next offer is ok, otherwise I shall not do another sod more work). Quite enjoyed sitting through a long meeting listening to the rain outside knowing I didn't give a flying one what they all endlessly jabbered on about, and the eventual conclusion would matter naught.

[dave]

Its seems they have been on a how-to-make-it-more-unpleasant-for-all-concerned course.

Believe it or not, during the last redundancies at our place (2005, the year not the amount) tha management were so incompetent that one guy found out he was getting the shop second-hand in a corridor when someone came up to him and said "i'm really sorry to hear you've been made redundant". seriously, fucking amateurs. managers had pretty much mananged to tell everyone in office apart from the one guy they should have been telling.

[slackline]

Quite enjoyed sitting through a long meeting listening to the rain outside knowing I didn't give a flying one what they all endlessly jabbered on about, and the eventual conclusion would matter naught.

Sounds like most meetings I attend (unless its not raining).

[tommytwotone]

3.30pm and no email...that 'no news is good news' thing is pretty true in this instance.

Get this - we've just had an email to inform us that the letter won't be getting sent out, as the Post Office can't guarantee 100% that they'll be delivered tomorrow...like I said, you couldn't make this shit up.

[Jaspersharpe]

Unbelievable. What a bunch of cunts.

[Paul B]

Unbelievable. What a bunch of cunts.

Agreed, thats shocking!

The other half was called to an office meeting the other day where the future was discussed. Basically she's been told that she has to be flexible to where she will work from, nearest offices are Bradford, Solihull and Warrington (not exactly local to Sheffield!). Pay Reviews supsended, graduate training (her road to getting chartered) stripped to a bare minimum and if they don't get the contract they're bidding for either the Bradford or Wakefield Office will close. Wakefield is a joint venture with a contractor they're no longer bidding with so I wonder which they'll pick?
Not ideal the day after we took on a mortgage on the property we're currently in. We wouldn't have done it but it was clear that her family massively (idiotically) over stretched themselves banking on the company he worked for making a large amount of profit in his final year before retirement and they weren't coping well...

[tomtom]

Unbelievable. What a bunch of cunts.

Agreed, thats shocking!

Thats shocking, good luck TTT.
Its really really shabby how companies seem to see this as carte blanche to re-write (probably) the rules of employment law to ride roughshod over people. Paul B - thats really bad - I hope it works out..

My ex's brother was pretty high up in HR in a couple of big london based firms whilst I knew him (one was a department store owned by a chap who the UK wont give a passport to, and beleives his son was killed by MI5 etc..) - and his verdict on HR was that basically it was all about haggling. THe law may be technically behind someone you want to sack but cant.. so you sack them and then start a big haggling process to see what you can get away with. THat was his job and he could realistically save his Co. c. 50k per firing...
I couldnt do what he did.

[Jaspersharpe]

HR = pointless scum in my experience. They're just the buffer between people making decisions and people affected by those decisions. I bear no grudge to people who work in that field (although as you say I would have a major moral issue with doing so myself) but the scumbag companies who create such departments to do their dirty work......

Paul - hadn't seen the above before I spoke to you this evening. Bad shit, hope it works out and I reckon it will as you must be due a bit of luck. Unless Dobbin was right and you really did sell your soul for the 8B tick.

  

[tommytwotone]

...and there we have it. Just checked my inbox and there was a mail waiting for me that I didn't want to get - I'm officially at risk now.

I can apparently argue my case but I don't see how I can avoid this situation now - I think even if I quibble over a couple of points I'll still not get out of the 'drop zone'. All I hope is that the couple of opportunities I've got going come good now.

This whole thing marks the end of a pretty shitty year, I've moved from away from a great job and my mates in London to Sheffield in the hope of a better life and watched my relationship go to shit, been laid low by depression by all that's happened, now this. On the plus side, at least I've found the bottom - things can only get better from here.

[Bubba]

Shit Tom, hope something works out your way soon! Like you say, things will get better...

[Bubba]

Do you think that's it then? Is it definite or is it still a maybe?

[tommytwotone]

It's not P45 final yet, but the criteria we've been ranked on are structured in such a way that I can't prove that I'm a 4 or 5 out of 5 on, say 'systems knowledge', as that category requires me to have knowledge of more than one of the systems...but I've only been there 3 months so haven't had the chance to gain that experience!

Got a meeting with the big boss to discuss the situation, so I'll see what goes on. I'm hoping that one of the other things I've got going on come good in the meantime...

[Paul B]

sorry to hear that...

I  can't prove that I'm a 4 or 5 out of 5 on, say 'systems knowledge', as that category requires me to have knowledge of more than one of the systems...but I've only been there 3 months so haven't had the chance to gain that experience!

Seems a bit shitty if you've only been there 3 months aren't they just throwing away the investment in training they've made in you during that time?

[Reprobate_Rob]

Well, three weeks to go and I will be a fully-fledged member of this group.
Got told just before christmas that our Manchester office was closing in mid-Jan.
5 years service, so i get a bit of a redundancy package, and thankfully I finally dragged myself back into the black last year, so my only current tie is the girlfriend who is now trying to get over the fact that i'm buggering off to Font for 2 months.
The new wall in Newport should be open by the time I get back too, which is within running distance of the gf's (and soon to be my) house - 2009 might be a bad year for the finances, but christ, i'm gonna get strong!

(Apologies for the gloating, but you've gotta find a bright side to this shit haven't you?)

Good luck to everyone else on the receiving end.

[Averageman]

The problem with self employment is that you don't know if your being made redundant, the phone just stops ringing, anyway i will go back to twiddling my thumbs now.

[tommytwotone]

sorry to hear that...

I  can't prove that I'm a 4 or 5 out of 5 on, say 'systems knowledge', as that category requires me to have knowledge of more than one of the systems...but I've only been there 3 months so haven't had the chance to gain that experience!

Seems a bit shitty if you've only been there 3 months aren't they just throwing away the investment in training they've made in you during that time?

Aye, I guess they are, though they've obviously got their reasons. I think the one thing that's become clear in this is that common sense doesn't seem to figure in the decision making process.

I'm trying to put together a case to extend my notice period so that I can see my current project out, at least that'll guarantee my financial future for a bit while I look for a new job. If they don't go for that, I hope they stick me on garden leave, then at least I can just buy a month's pass for the Works and spend my days in there, while job-hunting of course!

[slackline]

...at least I can just buy a month's pass for the Works and spend my days in there, while job-hunting of course!

There-in lies the genius foresight of making WiFi freely available at The Works.

Hope something works out for you, real shitter having up-rooted and moved to Sheffield (not that being in Sheffield is a bad thing of course).

[Adam Lincoln]

sorry to hear that...

I  can't prove that I'm a 4 or 5 out of 5 on, say 'systems knowledge', as that category requires me to have knowledge of more than one of the systems...but I've only been there 3 months so haven't had the chance to gain that experience!

Seems a bit shitty if you've only been there 3 months aren't they just throwing away the investment in training they've made in you during that time?

then at least I can just buy a month's pass for the Works and spend my days in there, while job-hunting of course!

What you actually meant to say was

then at least I can just buy a month's pass for the Works and spend my days in there, getting stupidly strong!

Seriously though, good luck mate, hope it all still works out chasing the dream and a better life up North.....