Lay offs and lack of self worth feeling
By vanny
@vandana7 (100053)
India
June 12, 2024 4:30pm CST
I now use hired drivers to move out.
So today, my driver was someone who had worked for three years in a famous software company out here. He was laid off this February.
I suppose the company has its justification. No new contracts.
But I say ...the starting salary can be lowered by 10 percent, and that can be used as marginal payment to people when there are no new contracts.
Youngsters who already got the job and worked for three years, get depressed when they are suddenly thrown out.
They are trained, and worth it. Their loyalty to the company can be retained by keeping them on shelf with that 10 percent salary that is held back. That amount can be disbursed across three years during which they would be at liberty to look for jobs elsewhere and not report for work at the premises.
Beyond that ...if the company is unable to use their services, then the job can be terminated.
But shocking news can make youngsters a tad nervous, and when they are laid off by famous companies top notch companies, other prospective employers write them off thinking they were poor at their job. So they are not considered.
Instead if they remain on the payroll out of their own pays, for a period of three years, chances of them finding gainful employment with others who have contracts increase.
I felt sorry for this boy who will never be working in software company again. His track record has been destroyed, as from the last six months or so, he is working as a driver, which is not at all an experience for the kind of job he studied for.
Just that employers should consider the welfare of staff in this manner as well.
10 people like this
8 responses
@celticeagle (164984)
• Boise, Idaho
13 Jun
I agree with Kayla. Sometimes they have to balance the pros and cons of any given situation.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (164984)
• Boise, Idaho
13 Jun
@vandana7 ..........Employees should be able to work in a clear and free environment. If it were me I would be looking for other employment.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100053)
• India
15 Jun
@celticeagle Exactly. When they are not relaxed or confident about their employability the next month, their focus would cease to be on the job but would be on how to get more money to get rid of this fear. Either the employer diversifies and retains the employee albeit on smaller pay scale with clear cut understanding upfront, else develops a formula such that employee is not rejected for employment by other organizations. Employees must be recognized as assets not something that is for using and discarding plastic.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100053)
• India
13 Jun
I am fine with a person being thrown out because he or she is not able to
a. Do the work as per the requirement of the organization does not have the required skills or ability;
b. Does not understand the organization culture
c. Has a bad nature in some way
Those three would be employee's faults or inadequacies.
But Employers also make mistakes. Like they don't tell the employee, we are gonna apply for such assignments, so please learn this skill. Give them adequate time for that. Or lure the employees from other organization to meet the deadlines and once the task is done, leave the employees in lurch. Or promise pay scale that is not sustainable. Or not bid correctly for the type of task the existing task force is capable of doing.
Software and hardware developments are rapid. It is easy to be outdated in short time.
Should the employees be constantly under democles sword...maybe my number next month, or thank god, it was that person and not I who got the pink slip.
Why must employee pay the price for his mistake as well as employer's failures?
That is my feeling.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100053)
• India
15 Jun
That too a big organization. The guy got married on confidence that he would remain employed. Lucky, he did not get kids, but was contemplating purchasing a vehicle. Had he purchased one how would he have paid the installments? Or a house? How would he have sustained if he had a child? There has to be a responsibility of sorts on employer's end too.
1 person likes this
@kaylachan (67388)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
13 Jun
Sometimes it's a balancing act. Getting a job is just as hard as it is to keep it. Sometimes, you have continously have to prove yourself to keep your job. The most valued employees keep their jobs.
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100053)
• India
13 Jun
I agree about proving. But this is not about proving. It is about the company not getting that kinda contract. Software world changes more rapidly than fashion world. So new clients want programs written in new languages. The youngster can either spend time doing the job or learning new tech. Then again it is not guaranteed that the next contract that they get will be getting will be in the language that they have spent resources to learn. It is also a highly competitive world. There comes a time when the company finds it more economical to hire more people than pay salary to only one person. Then too, it is not about proving or disproving.
To my mind comes the thought that an employee should lose job if
a. He is not able to deliver;
b. He is not able to mingle;
c. He has some bad habits or behavior
Then and then only it is employee's fault.
Why should these youngsters lose job because employers were unable to plan properly bid properly for contracts? Not their fault isn't it?
Even so, considering the competitive world, employers can be asked to retain anything between 10 to 15 percent of the employee's pay packet. That should be disbursed across three years, on monthly basis such that the employee being asked to quit should be able to tell another company that I am still an employee at so and so company. Then the employee would be in position to bargain. Otherwise, the new employer of the new company will offer lower pay scale, and he would end up growing downward. There is no end to such downward spirl.
@vandana7 (100053)
• India
13 Jun
Oh yes, older ones ...I know been there done that. There is constant envy from younger ones because they suffer with job insecurity. And targets are not set as per age. So it becomes extremely stressful for older people with one problem too many on their heads. To that extent perhaps youngsters are still safe because they haven't any responsibility on their hands as yet.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (174650)
• United States
13 Jun
That's a sad situation. Older workers have trouble in our country as well.
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@vandana7 (100053)
• India
13 Jun
As people get promoted, the realization that the salary of one individual would actually be sufficient for employing two or more might force the organization to do such a thing. But correspondingly leaving a family in lurch leaves bad taste in mouth.
1 person likes this
@RevivedWarrior (1668)
• India
13 Jun
There are 2 sides for this. Employers are at time at the mercy of the investors who would ask for better profits. Again, the hiring is often done anticipating a demand and that may not always work out. The other side of the coin is with advent of technology and things, sometimes employees do not upskill. Worse some lack social skills . These employees needs to be sacked. Both sides of the coin happens many a time in most industries. Hope some framework comes in place to tackle layoffs
@vandana7 (100053)
• India
13 Jun
Absolutely. In fact, I mentioned this in Snowy's box. That said, high pay should not be the norm. Instead, lower pay can be standard across the industry, with whatever is the rest of the money going towards lean period when the person is pushed on the shelf, sorta. 3 years lean period should be provided for each employee and more as the staff grows older as upskilling becomes tougher though understanding problem becomes easier. These software employees should form a pool in which when on shelf they can offer services to other companies. Yes, framework is needed.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (178806)
• United States
12 Jun
Those kinds of things are sad to hear
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (78786)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
12 Jun
Often times it is not the employers cannot do a job but that they need some additional training, Employers should be more tolerant and consider the employees dedication to their job,
1 person likes this
@vandana7 (100053)
• India
13 Jun
That should be constant part of the curriculum. New software and tools surface periodically. For software people, unless they are up to date with the latest technologies, they cannot keep themselves employed. By the time they finish learning something, a new tech arrives on the scene. Other fields are more accommodating. Kinda, building technology does not change as rapidly, nor does medical field. Accountancy is the most steady employer because come what may, it will only be debit or credit.
1 person likes this
