"(Office Story); The Company Did Something Right This Time..." Topic

Disclaimer: You know it…

So we are in a hiring freeze. Except for my department.
In order to save money the company was going to "release/reduce" the workforce by 1500 people.

But…
Instead of cutting 1500 slots, they only managed to do 600 and instead decided that it would be a lot better if they just cancelled the 900 job vacancies that they had. Thereby eliminating the slots and yes, saving 900 jobs.

I know that this is not necessarily good news if you are one of the six hundred that got the axe, but they did save 900 other people from doing "the cardboard box shuffle"…

Now, if we could just find a dozen people that can do basic tech skills, have decent customer service skills, can speak in coherent English, and show up to work generally on time, we would be okay….

Submitted Respectfully;

Murphy

link

Gee, Murphy, I fit those qualifications (the most basic of text skills). Would they pay me enough to rent a room at your place?

Wyatt

Me too. I also lack the tech skills, so I would spend my time looking up Clancy Brothers and Dubliners songs on Youtube. But, I WOULD show up every day.

The problem with that solution is, of course, that it may leave gaps in the company that are going to cost far more than hiring someone, while at the same time other areas may be over-represented in the 'new' structure so that people are effectively standing around doing nothing.

So could this policy lead to more grief later?

Was the culture and diversity officer one of the 600?

I wouldn't want to work with a puppy killer. How could you, Murph, how could you.

Okay, I'm probably stupid.

How does canceling 900 job openings save any money? Presumably, the empty positions weren't drawing any pay…
-Kle.

Because thy would have been filled?
Becuase there are expenses in trying to fill them?

I agree that cutting open positions to save "other" jobs may not always be the best course, especially if it means keeping a slacker on, and not filling a much needed opening with a more talented candidate.

(I just went through this at work, where I had to let go someone from my team, since I "saved" someone else who's position was eliminated…)

Sure, canceling the positions will save future money.

If they're running in the red now, it won't help much, though.

If they're running in the black, well, those 600 people must really think they're jerks.
-Kle.

We don't have a hiring freeze, but we do have a budget freeze. HoDs have the same or reduced pot of money as last year to run their depts.

There have been a few people dispensed with, but they were going to go anyway, either because they weren't up to it or – frankly more commonly – they had simply fallen foul of the politics. If 'X' doesn't like your face, you are on borrowed time, but that happens in good times and bad.

The upside is, because we are currently actually putting on business, worries about being laid off are no more acute than usual (see above comments on politics).

We even got bonuses this year!, based on last year's results. We don't get finance-type 6 figure bonuses (I wish!), but I did get an extra 2 1/2 weeks salary which paid off my credit card nicely thank you. In a bumper year we may get up to 4 weeks extra. Naturally it was paid on Chinese New Year as a hong bao (literally 'red packet', less literally 'gift' or 'bonus').

Management won't be getting bonuses though as that is decided by New York, not locally – and they are not feeling generous! I am at the top level of the company that is getting a bonus.

The downside is we are definitely understaffed and everyone is pulling long hours to keep up. As your average working day here in Singapore is about 11 or 12 hours, extra hours mean a long day.

Even with folk's lowered expectations in pay – we've had guys we tried to hire at X money a year ago, but who wanted X times 1.75, come to us now happy to work at X times .75 – we haven't got the budget to put on the two or three seniors we need.

We are stuck with a bunch of juniors that are cheap but take more time to supervise than they save.

In the meantime, I am just happy to have a job. Frankly on paper I am doing better than I ever have before, and I have just renegotiated my lease saving $500 USD a month. But the stress and uncertainly is certainly building up.

No financiers, politicians or CEO's were injured during the creation of this recession, so rest easy.

JW