I hate when companies can't let people finish up their jobs for a few weeks after they're laid off. The "clean out your desk in 30 minutes" stuff is moronic. You trusted them enough to employ them but you don't trust them not to sabotage things after they get a notice? Treat your employees like grownups.

Sorry that you have to go through that, I've been through similar situations and it sucked.

i'm truly sorry. keep your chin up.

i think there's a bubble about to burst soon. i think we're about to see major retailers and companies do a massive landslide and the current 5.what (?) unemployment is about to sharply rise. i'm seeing horrible developments happen not just in my industry, but those of my friends and the indication is that it is not going to be pretty.

thank you powers that be for the pervasive greed and indifference tidalwave.

sorry, i'm jaded tonight.

i wonder if these are tactics someone learned at a seminar to minimize "disgruntled" ex-employees, because it sounds like the recipe for shooting sprees. Start your weekend early.

Poop. I hate that sinking feeling when lay-offs are going around.

ugh. I bet if you closely at the state of benefits of those who were snipped, you'll find the common element. Older workers who had accrued more benefits, newer workers who would soon reach the point of acquiring same... I'll bet it had nothing to with performance, and everything to do with cold cash (with perhaps a few exceptions, if they were smart enough to keep some people that might be drawing more perqs, but who would have to be replaced by two or three people. It's always funny when that happens.)

Having just survived a major downsizing last week I can relate. At least my company was professional about it and from what I heard they treated everyone with a great deal of respect and added a few extra elements to the severance. But still, it's weird being around after something like that. Unfortunately, it seems like this has become the norm.

After the downsizing at my employers which started in September with 'consultation' and ended in March with 25% of the staff laid off, we now have a recruitment drive because - guess what? - there's been a 25% increase in work! And could this in be in any way related to the 25% increase in my caseload that was forced upon me the other week? Surely not!

At our last team meeting we were told how difficult they're finding it to recruit enough suitably-qualified and experienced staff for our team. "Forgive me for pointing this out", said I, "but three months ago we actually had enough suitably-qualified and experienced staff in our team."
My job has plateaued in terms of any future progression so committing career suicide by opening my big mouth doesn't bother me.

They are lucky that all the redundancies were voluntary, because if any had been compulsory they'd be looking at Industrial Tribunals.

I read an article about massive layoffs in the forclosure industry. I guess they hired a ton of people when the housing market collapsed, and now since so many states have passed laws requiring waiting periods or mandatory negotiation before they can forclose they don't need as many people.

I hate layoffs. it always leaves me nervous for months after the fact.