"Down-Sizing"

[Mortto56]

At work yesterday,I was watching and thinkng,and thought I would throw this question out on the floor.

As many of you have noticed,we are now in a globle economy.Which means every company is striving for more profits.To do this,many companys have down-sized their workforces.

I myself work for a major auto manufacturer.When I hired in 24 years ago,there was 9400 people working at my plant.Now there is only 4200 people still working there.

That means there is more work for each person that is still there.This is causing great strain on the people.Not only hourly people,but supervisers also.There is alot of arguing,and tempers are flying of the handle at a more rapid rate than they used to.

I see this behavior increasing more and more everyday.And I think that someday,someone is going to go "POSTAL".

So I guess I'll get to my question now.
Do you see the same thing where you work? And do you think that it is caused by down-sizing?

Thanks for your response.

 

[jcgirl]

With some companys its plain stupidity. I worked for a firm since college, had made it pretty far there, enjoyed what I did. Had some incredibly competent and loyal employees under me, then one day I was told by a higher up that I had to lay off 32 of them. I had a month, so I warned them first and then set out to find them positions elsewhere. I found 33 new positions. Im happy at my new company

 

[Merelan]

You are a wonderful person. Good for you!!!
I have seen many changes, positions deleted, etc. Wish they would ask me. Yep, we had positions no longer needed, but they aren't the ones they got rid of. Why oh why don't they ask us, the workers and managers our opinion? They lay off people that work their asses off and keep deadbeats. Duh...

 

[Isabella Thorne]

ohhhhhhhh Morty darling ....

I know size is not supposed to matter but ...

please, please ... promise me ...

don't ever let them "downsize" you baby ...

 

[Cheyenne]

I've been on both ends of "downsizing" and neither one is any fun. When you are downsized out of your job, it hurts your self-esteem no matter how much you tell yourself that it wasn't your fault, it was just a numbers game. I was downsized in the last recession and also ended up in a better job at a better company as a result of it. But it took 2 years and several false starts with other jobs before that happened.

Now I've been on the side of having to do the downsizing twice. It is also tough on the survivors who still have jobs. They feel guilty, especially if they see good people
kicked out the door. Besides the guilt, the increase in workload to make up for the missing fellow employees can also be stressful. To answer the original question, yes. I do see more arguments and hot tempers in survivors. I've always worked a lot of hours in every job I've had, it comes with the territory, with what I do. But the stress is there when the workload becomes even more than normal, which is heavy to begin with.

 

[Mortto56]

Thank You ladies for your thoughts.

Myself I see people running around with their heads up their asses,mumbbling to themself,and all freaked out all the time.

It's got to the point where people are really on edge all the time.

That was nice of you jcgirl to do what you did for the people.

"And No Isabella!"..."I'll never let them downsize me!"...."NEVER","NEVER","NEVER"!

 

[April]

Not sure if this counts as downsizing. My last job ended when the company I worked for was bought by Kroger. I was not offered a position with them, nor was I paid for the last week I worked. This, combined with several other stresses, sent me into a depression that lasted several months. This is what I believe, anyway. My early months here at Lit were affected by this.

Fortunately, I now work at a small, growing company. They're looking to open their sixth store sometime this year.

 

[CreamyLady]

I was downsized, er, rightsized out of a supposedly recession-proof job about seven years ago -- the 90's backlash. Before that, however, I saw my workload double; instead of working directly for two people I was working for four.

It was an insidious process, too. First, the Christmas bonus was cut from a half month's pay to $100, then nothing. Then, our health insurance plan was changed for something that just about covered a bandaid, and the payment for dependent coverage skyrocketed. Then others left and weren't replaced, and their workload was distributed throughout the office.

Finally, the layoffs began. When my turn came, the office manager told me that it might be a good thing for me because she had noticed I was under so much stress. Well, duh, but I wasn't the only one. I had been one of the party escorting a shrieking secretary away from the copy room and making sure the large stapler wasn't anywhere within her reach. I hadn't reached that level of freak-out yet.

I was lucky, in one way. It wasn't my life, just a job, and I destressed very quickly -- at least regarding the job. However, there were those who saw it as a career, and they were in very bad shape.

 

[Mortto56]

Thats the bitch about it.I know a company has to make profits in order to stay in business.But the CEOs that make the call on who,and how many,should also take a little of the bite too.

Nothing like being insulted by getting layed-off,and then read in the newspaper about how the "TOP OFFICIALS" recieved a extra bonus,and a raise.

"It's just not fair!"

"Now!,let me check my Lotto numbers here."..."Shit!"..."I might be a damn millionaire!"

 

[Wizard]

I understand what ya mean....Look at the City of Pittsburgh....The "steal city".....when I was little alot of my family worked in the mills........They were young and when the mills started to close they are were in a bad stop to start a new job.......Many friends have been where you are talking about..

I myself have worked for small shops all my life and have been pretty lucky..........

Look at what the retail stores are doning now....I thought I read Penney's were close alot of stores......Montegomery ward went under.....Yahoo laying off..........All bad......
Makes ya think........

 

[Mortto56]

I know what you mean Wizard.

The steel industry was the first big industry to take the hit back in the 70s & 80s.

Then the auto industry followed.I seen on the news the other day,where Diamler-Chrysler was laying off,and as soon as the news was reported,the price of their stock went up.

Here in Flint MI,there use to be 10 GM plants up until 1986.Then they started closing plants.The first 2 they closed,and tore down,was the ones the original UAW sitdown strikers was at.Now we have 5 plants in the city.They just closed Buick assembly,and their taking bids on demolition as I type this post.In the 70s,50,000 people worked for GM here in Flint.Now it's down to 15 to 20 thousand.You have to have at least 22 years service to even work for GM in this town.

There is a mall a couple of miles from my house,and Montgemory Wards already closed.J.C. Penneys is closing in March.So the only national chain left in the mall will be Sears.

The Railroads,and Coal Miners have also been downsized to a great degree.

 

[Merelan]

How was I to know. As I was here yesterday, reading about downsizing and remarking about companies letting the good ones go. My Dreamer was being laid off. His boss was ticked, for it wasn't his decision. The company told the stores, these positions are gone. Didn't matter who held those positions or not. They were the ones cut. Go figure.
So people that just started there were kept over people with experience and seniority. The boss did his best to shift people, but Dreamer doesn't want to work for a company like that.
No biggie, he can get a job anytime. The city is lousy with them.

 

[Wizard]

I forgot all about the Railroad.....My Father worked 35 years for PA railroad which is no more.............Just a thing of the past....

Our area had a VW plant that shut down back in the late 70's just cause folks got greedy......I forget the numbers but I think it was aroun 4500 out of work...all in there 40's.....That hurt the small town that the plant was in for a long long time..............

For years if you got in with a big company you thought you were safe but now you are no safer than a small company..........Dam shame.......

 

[Mortto56]

Thats how they do it merelan!

By keeping decention in the ranks,a employer can keep the fear in the people,and thats where all the suckasses and cutthroats come into play.The ones that will do anything to keep their jobs.

Sorry to hear about your Dreamers job!

 

[Gingersnap]

I was at a hospital that made the grave error of reducing salaries of their staff by a percentage. This was decision was made by a board with the CEO shaking his head the whole time.
The result was incredible and ugly. They downsized jobs and increased the workload of the staff. The experienced staff started to leave and it kept up a steady trail out the door.
These were people who had years of experience and loyalty who pulled together when the census was high and were committed to a high level of care.
You can thank your local representatives and senators for the changes in health care. They are nearly all in bed with the insurance companies. GWB is one of the worst too. Why should he care he isn't the one who has to put up with the HMO's that will all of sudden not pay for rehab or other things.
What I mean is people have come to expect a certain level of care and quality. When they do not get it they are angry. When the workers themselves strive to keep that level up and then burnout quickly they too become angry. Is it any wonder this is expressed on the roads and in other behaviors?

 

[Mortto56]

Hi Gingersnap!

Speaking of hospitals,there is one hear in Flint,that just settled a 73 day strike over mandatory overtime,and wages.

These people where working 14 and 16 hour shifts.
600 nurses went on strike,and they replaced them with 300 temps,plus a handful that crossed the pickett line.

I'm glad that I didn't have to go to the hospital for anything.

They went back to work this last Tuesday,and was ready to go back out on strike because,some of the people that had crossed the pickett line received their choice of shifts over the people that had seniority and was out on strike.

 

[Darowyn]

A boating parable about efficiency.

Boats are mostly driven by a propellor. Now propellors are inefficient, in theory if a propellor has a 15" pitch, the boat should move forward 15" every time the prop turns round once. No boat does this. All propellors slip. Because of the slip the water on the forward side of the blades must travel faster that the water on the rear side. This lowers the pressure ahead of the prop and the boat moves forward into the low pressure area- in other words it motors ahead. If you made the prop 100% efficient, with no slip, the water would be travelling at the same speed on both sides of the blade, and the prop would produce no thrust and the boat would not go anywhere.

Work is like that. If your workload is so high that you have to spend all your working hours with your nose to the grindstone, then all the other, inefficient activities, like keeping up morale, going the extra mile for a customer, talking up the firm to outsiders, planning for the future etc. does not get done and eventually everything comes to a stop.
100% efficiency slowly brings an organisation to its knees.
Please point this out to any management gurus you happen to meet or better still, just string 'em up, run 'em out of town on a rail (or any other of the tried and tested ways of dealing with such undesirables)!

[Edited by Darowyn on 01-26-2001 at 02:53 PM]