BWAAA-HAHAHAHAHAHAH my "former" workplace just called

[radfringe]

The one that laid me off on Friday afternoon...

They needed to know a few things....

Like how to access the database to find a device history, print off the serial number labels for next months shipment of one of the products, how to print off the conformance certificates for a shipment of another product going out this week...

heeheeheee - told them it wasn't my problem, but if they wanted me to come in to do some training we could discuss a consulting fee. If not, then call St. Louis and ask them what to do...

The guy that called me chuckled...and said "good for you, but you can't blame me for trying." I told him I don't blame him at all, but it's typical of St. Louis to just look at numbers and not hae any idea of what the actual impact would be.

I asked him about the production inspection coming up in April - this particular inspection is needed to obtain a special certificate for shipping the product to Europe. he said, well, I'm purchasing manager and no one has contacted me from St. Louis about doing anything about that, and if they plan on dumping more work on me then they better come up with more money.

I reiterated my thoughts that I would be surprised if the place were still there by summer when ISO inspection happens, advised him to crank up his resume machine. He said, he updated his resume last night.

the labels etc. are all little Access Databases I designed to make it easier for printing and tracking the products. Prior to my taking over that particular job, it was done through an old main system program which was taken off-line about 5 years ago and no longer exists.

[npincus]

1. you go, guy.

"F" 'em.

[liberaldemocrat7]

103. After reading the entire thread this looks like the Bush mentality

The Bush mentality of a lot but not all people in business who cheat, lie, steal, exploit others and give managers and businessmen and women a bad reputation. Apparently there appears too much of this going on in business for decades. You just have to find people that you can trust and rely on in business like in other aspects of life.

For the most part the Republican party appears to encourage this type of behavior and that a lot of these people vote Republican, but it does not appear a pure situation but I view this as mainly a Republican way of life in big business namely, get as much as you can and then let people go.

The Republican party just does not do capitalism well, just like they can't do Iraq well to an extent.

[ComerPerro]

2. My cousin got laid off recently with an email over the weekend, and a UPS package with all his stuff

from his desk in it.

Including a book he was borrowing from a co-worker and just happened to be on his desk, lol.

[Donnachaidh]

30. that's COLD

that is nasty beyond belief. :wow:

[Scriptor Ignotus]

36. thats unheard of for me

especially the UPS shipment. did he work at a small company or a large corporation? i'd be shocked if it was a big company, normally HR is a little more professional than that.

[ComerPerro]

38. relatively small company, IIRC

[yardwork]

44. Yeah, usually the large companies give you five minutes to clear off your desk

while security watches, and then they escort you and your stuff to your car.

[Scriptor Ignotus]

67. true

but I'd take that to getting fired over the weekend and getting my stuff shipped to me. I mean, damn.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

75. being escorted out is part of the game.

corpserate amerika is becoming more and more evil.

[Geek_Girl]

77. Where I use to work they wouldn't even let you clear your desk

They would just call you into a conference room you, lay you off, and then escort you out of the building. Your co-workers had to pack your stuff and have it mailed to you. This was a big corporate insurance company. Man that place sucked.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

78. I USED (note past tense) to work for those a-Holes.

and after doing incredible work, with great results, they'd cut my fee. Now, I just sue their insureds. and smile.

I feel sorry for many people who work for those labor mills They continue to require unreasonable performance results, then penalize you if you can't do the impossible. That is their first, best way to harass and intimidate their work force. They have it down to an art form. Then, they demand that their employees do it to their service providers, (medical, rehab, lawyers, outside claims, and more) and give them bonuses if they screw their service providers successfully. THEN, they play games on first party claims (homeowners, life, health and auto) and then they play games on third party claims (all other civil litigation)

Insurance companies have developed into a huge, protected, monopolized, and "required" industry. Who do you think requires manditory insurance laws? You, the driver next to you, or the 20 year sans accident driver who avoids holidays, evenings and weekends? guess again. the insurance business is the most corrupt scheme in our country. except for all the others.

[George II]

93. Right

And then accuse you of stealing stuff! That's how nasty it gets.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

64. Sometimes they threaten to give you a bad recommendation

if you don't cooperate. I've heard of this from others who were laid off and asked to help management deal with the change. They threaten to give you a bad recommendation with your next employer if you list them on your resume as part of your job experience.

[vanboggie]

80. Can't do that legally

At least it was that way when I was in H.R., but that was several years ago. Employers can only verify employment dates and are not supposed to give out any other info - good or bad. Of course when you have the entire * administration breaking the law daily, I suppose employment laws and/or the monitoring of them have disappeared, too.

Gawd I'm glad I'm out of Corporate America.

[Miss Chybil]

87. I believe they can legally state whether, or not, you are "eligible for rehire." nt

[vanboggie]

90. You're right

I forgot that part.

[George II]

94. Legally?

All they can do is say when you worked there. Period. Can't even say how much you paid.

[Polemicist]

98. I believe that legally, employers can say what they wish...

About former employees. But if they have that particular company policy, they might just get their butts sued off for slander. So most companies don't let anyone but HR respond to requests for references and then have a policy of only giving out basic information, like dates of employ, and job type or position, etc.

I've made hundreds of reference calls over the years, and it's amazing what you can get people to tell you about other people. Usually the bigger the company, the less you are going to get from the "front door" of their HR department. So to get the dirt, just contact people in the departments where that person worked. Sooner or later somebody's gonna say something.

You have to take a lot of stuff said with a grain of salt. Nobody's perfect and personality conflicts do happen. But if I were applying for a new job today, I would hire an employment investigator to check my background for me, to see what people are going to say about me. You can hire companies for a couple of hundred dollars, who will contact all your references and tape record the conversations.

So if anybody's trying to deep six you, you just call them and tell them you know what they said, you've got a recording, and if they say it again, you are gonna sue their asses off. You will likely get less bad references that way.

[wicket]

70. Wow, that's beyond harsh

I hope he's doing alright.

[Miss Chybil]

86. My husband went to work one morning a few years ago and the doors were locked.

It was 4 a.m. Monday morning. He had to drive 30 miles to work only to find out they had closed the place Friday night. He never did get the stuff from his desk. It took over a year to get his last paycheck, and two years to get his 401k money (his own contributions) out of the place. They filed bankruptcy, but the CEOs had a nice little golden parachute.

[cboy4]

104. That is outrageous.

Shame on them.

[Norquist Nemesis]

111. Well, at least they sent it to him. When I got 'walked to the door'

I had to return to pick up the box at the front desk, then I had to return again to pick up my last paycheck. It took a while for them to find that paycheck, too! All I could do was stand and wait. :grr:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

3. The gall of people, firing you after years, and then asking for free help. WTF!

It makes me kinda angry just thinking about it.

[maggiegault]

11. And You Know That It Has WORKED Before, Because....

...otherwise, they wouldn't have tried it.

The place that laid me off two months to the day after 9/11, blamed 9/11 for "financial downturns," and then rewarded all of the management suckups HUGE Christmas bonuses a mere month later, used to call me about stuff. I did wind up doing a bit of consulting work for them. Not much. The morons finally realized that I cost more as a consultant than I ever did as an employee.

[Raven]

4. Don't ya just love it!!!

:-)

[eleny]

5. good for you!

and best of luck with job hunting if that's where you're at right now.

[radfringe]

15. Job Interview tomorrow morning at 9:00 am et

It was fairly obvious that the place would eventually close, not a matter of it, but WHEN. I miscalculated and figured I had 3-4 for months before getting the axe.

Enny-whoo - I had already started sending out my resumes, landed an interview for tomorrow. Have a few more resumes to mail out, but they are long shots and "cold" contacts. I'll wait until I see how the interview goes, and decide whether or not to drop them in the mailbox tomorrow.

signed up with unemployment this morning so that's taken care of ... just in case

[Hav]

23. .

As I'll have my first job interview soon and I'm scared like hell about it, could you please tell me what to expect?
Is it more about (very) specific questions concerning the field, more about genereal knowledge both about the field and about things like politics and genereal skills that everybody should have (I've seen interviews in TV with basic math questions and questions about politics).

[radfringe]

40. What to expect

every interview I go to is different - depends on the place.

First off - if you've made it to an interview phase - it means your resume meets their requirements

I've been to interviews where I've barely been asked a question, and the interviewer just rattled on and on and on about the company, his family etc.

In other interviews it's been like sitting before the spanish inquisition with 3 or 4 people asking questions.

Mostly the questions are - Tell me about yourself
This is where you sort of recite your resume and expand on it to highlight what things would be of interest to them. Do some research on the company so you know what it is that they do and how you could fit in to make it "better"

there will be some "technical" questions, especially if there is computer work involved. They will want to know if you know how to run such-n-such program. Don't worry if you don't, tell them you are not familar with it but are willing to learn and are a quick study. Chances are it's some 'specialty' off the wall software that very few people know.

If the interviewer has read a book or two on interview techniques - you will be asked:
What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses?

it's a good idea to read articles/books on How to interview new employees, from the interviewers point of view. then match it up with the flip-side articles "How to Interview for a job"

[Hav]

56. .

Ok, thanks to you, BonnieJW and tblue37, it was helpful.

[raccoon]

107. That "What are your weaknesses?" is such a stupid ass question.

Like who is going to say, "Well, I'm lazy," or something similar.

And people have pretty much wised up to "I'm a workaholic."

[BonnieJW]

42. You're looking at this the wrong way.

Name another time when you get to talk about yourself for a whole hour to someone who has never met you and has never heard your stories????? I LOVE to interview.

[tblue37]

53. Hav, you need to do a bit of research on

the company and on the position you are applying for, to show that you have "done your homework". Your purpose when answering questions will be to present your qualfications in a way that recognizes the needs of the company--and that show you have been diligent about informing yourself.

Also, they might ask you what questions you have about the company or about the position you will be filling.

[SemperEadem]

79. Tailor your answers to answer the question

What's in it for them? What about your skills advances their organization? Why would you be an asset to their company as opposed to someone with the exact same resume and skills? What sets you apart from the person they interviewed earlier or will interview later in the day?

Go out and buy some blank thank you cards, address the envelopes and before you get home, jot down a personalized thank you to those who interviewed with you. I think that that is the period at the end of the sentence when it comes to interviewing--it may advance you; they may have their minds made up for someone else---but it shows manners and grace, which ain't bad to have.

In my experience, it varies from employer to employer and the type of organization they're running. My most recent interview took place in two parts. The first one was a phone interview with the person who would be my immediate supervisor and also the person who was her supervisor. I was asked questions on my experience, mainly; also, the usual "tell us about you" stuff. I was asked "what do you like least about your current job (I was freelancing in NY)"--and I said "the commute", as I knew better than to be lured into that trap... if you speak negatively about your current employer to a potential employer, it doesn't look good. I said my main gripe was with the high price of affordable housing which was the cause of my having to live 45 minutes outside of Manhattan and having to rely on NJTransit's timetable.

The second part was in their offices with the person who was the director of the department. Quite frankly, I didn't think I did that well on the phone interview and was surprised to get the second call back. I thought the questions I was asked threw me off balance in my answers, but when I met the woman who is today my immediate supervisor, we hit it off right from the start--and after a few questions with the director, we, too, hit it off. Personality will go a long way in breaking the ice.

Depending upon what field you're in, they're going to want to have you demonstrate in one way or another that you can back up what your resume says. It may be verbal questions on how you resolve a situation; it may be a written test; it may be a test on a computer to prove you understand the software.

As far as political questions, I would say that I was a covetted undecided voter and was waiting to see whose policies would earn my vote. That's neutral and diplomatic enough and presents an open mind without having to tell them the truth--which is it's none of their business what your political views are.

Just be yourself and try to relax as much as you can... and trust your inner self to carry the day for you. :hi:

[tblue37]

54. I just read Bonnie's reply. I think she is joking, but just keep in mind

that the interview is not an opportunity to finally get someone to listen to you about you. The point of the interview is what value you bring to the company. It's not really about not you, but about them and what they need--and how your skill set and attitude can meet those needs.

[eleny]

61. It's so good to hear that you have the bull by the horns

I'm glad that you were already getting into a mode. Best of luck tomorrow!!!

[Lugnut]

63. Sorry about the layoff, rad

Knock it out of the park at your interview tomorrow.

[Glenda]

76. Good luck on your interview!

:pals:

Let us know how it goes

[monmouth]

6. Good for you. Friend of mine in sales was let go because numbers

weren't where they wanted them. Another sales guy calls her and would like to have her business cards for the area she worked. She told them she lost 'em. Proud of you both.

[SaveOurDemocracy]

7. LOL ...

well isn't that just delicious. Picture them scrambling around trying to figure it out. :rofl:

Sorry about the lay-off though ... and good luck in the job search. :toast:

[Cleita]

8. Don't feel sorry for them.

If they call again make them sign a contract that has specifics set down, including compensation for your consultations.

[Ganja Ninja]

9. It almost makes you feel sorry for them.

Almost but not quite.

[northzax]

32. well, makes you feel sorry for the guy who's problem it is

since he probably had nothing to do with the layoff in the first place.

[Ganja Ninja]

35. Sucks to be him but at least he has a job. n/t

[gatorboy]

10. Stick it to'em!

I read about several companies though that forced former employees to train their Indian replacements. Well not so much force per se. They were required to train their replacement if they want to keep their severance pay. Pretty shitty.

[Kookaburra]

16. BofA did that

Happened to one of my friends. He decided he'd rather forego the severance than be stuck training those guys and then not be able to bitch about it. Good for him.

[peace13]

17. Reminds me of the movie 'Iraq for Sale'

The soldiers trained Iraqis to do radio repair so that our soldiers could go out on the dangerous streets. Makes no sense to me. I felt so bad for the young man explaining how his country screwed him.

[stellanoir]

12. That was quick. You handled that beautifully

Isn't semi redemption grand?

You are so much better off to be out of there.

Chin up.

Soon you'll be having great fun.

[slackmaster]

13. Very well handled!

Humor and dignity, with no malice. Good job!

[Hav]

14. .

Lol, that must feel good. A story for all those who got fired ;).
The way you describe them, they seem pretty helpless concerning many aspects. I assume they never thought about making sure that someone could do the job when they fired you. Someone's running that business in a brilliant way.

[radfringe]

29. Someone's running that business in a brilliant way.

When I started there - we actually had 1 person in charge of the whole place with a VP title

Under him were 3 senior managers, Accounting, Production and Operations

in 2001 they made the VP move back to St. Louis, and left the 3 senior managers to run things. The problem there is that the 3 senior managers did not get along, so we ended up with 3 seperate feifdoms.

then they decided to move production to St. Louis, this prompted an exodus of several key employees in the middle management level. Production was only partially moved, and the St. Louis manufactured product was total crap, they ended up losing one of their largest accounts.

next they moved it back to us in PA, but would not authorize hiring more workers or managers. So that work was "spread around" amongst the remaining people.

Meanwhile, the 'border wars' between the 3 senior managers continued.

They did "appoint" a big wig to be in charge of everything, but he was based in St. Louis and if we saw him twice a year for a day or two that was alot.

Sales/customer service staff was next to go, with their jobs being done out of St. Louis, leaving only 1 technical assistance guy to handle customer and technical service.

last summer, accounting and HR was moved to St. Louis.

This past fall, we lost another big account, they could get the product cheaper somewhere else.

In Feb. sometime the big wig was let go, and replaced by somebody in St. Louis who has never been to the PA plant.

The big "sales" person down there has been pushing to move production to St. Louis and close the PA plant. And since he's married to a daughter of the "owner"... you get the picture. I've only met the guy once - on his one and only trip to visit the place.

[npincus]

18. make sure your Consulting fee is 2x the going rate.

:rofl:

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. I told him the other day it should be $150/hr. I think his price just went up....

REAL high.

"I am happy to help you with these issues. My services bill at $300/hr minimum of 4 hours PAID IN ADVANCE!

[npincus]

21. HAR HAR.. don't forget time and a half after 5PM!

And double time on Saturdays, holidays and full moons!

[mrreowwr_kittty]

20. Never ceases to amaze me

The business world views their own naked greed and profit-seeking-at-all-costs as some sort of sacrament yet assumes workers should gratefully donate their labor. WTF do they think, that you're a charitable organization now?

[wicket]

22. Good for you!!!!

And good luck with your job interview, I've got my fingers crossed for you! :D :hi:

[DURHAM D]

24. If they call again send them a bill.

It doesn't matter if you help them or not - they are harassing you. Your time is money.

[grace0418]

25. Good for you! I had the same thing happen once. I couldn't believe they had

the gaul to call me and ask where stuff was. I laughed out loud.

[Kookaburra]

27. I think they all try that

... my EX company tried that ridiculous nonsense with me too, and I feigned temporary amnesia. Told them I could probably get my memory back for a price...

They're ridiculous -- that same manager called my house and YELLED at me because I wouldn't cooperate. I had to explain to him the definition of harrassment and the damage of an arrest for someone in his position.

[raccoon]

41. Great!

"I had to explain to him the definition of harrassment and the damage of an arrest for someone in his position."

[Jonathan50]

52. Click ......

Dial tone...

Next call.. Answering machine picks up.

[SemperEadem]

81. exactly

I'd be like "you must have lost your gotdamn mind" and hung up on him.

[BigBearJohn]

26. Ha!!! (evil grin) I'm happy for you. Same thing happened to me.

I love it!

[kerry-is-my-prez]

28. All the people where I got laid off from are doing 3 jobs & paranoid they'll be next.

They were also bummed out that all of their friends had gotten laid off. We had about 5 waves of people getting laid off afterwards and they kept on getting smaller and smaller packages.

I now count myself very lucky that I got laid off when I did.

[ComerPerro]

31. thats the wonderful position that corporations find themselves in

all you have to do is cut half your workforce, and the other half will do 3 times as much work because they are scared to death of losing their jobs.

[opusprime]

33. Make sure you tell them your rates the next time they call...

$250.00 an hour, 2 day minimum. ($4000.00)

And then tell them they already owe you for 2 hours for the phone call.

Then tell them the price goes up 50% every week.

Stick it to the man.

[The Backlash Cometh]

34. What a great story.

I would have been that idiot that would have answered his questions. Well, fifteen years ago I would have. Today, I've been tainted by Republican social rules of behavior.

[Fovea]

37. Lack of retention of essential knowledge base

on their part is the sort of management decision that should require pain.

Charge them top scale plus %15. Don't short change yourself hours. Offer them periodic maintainence and emergency response for a quarterly fee. Shoot high. YOu have them by the short hairs.

[raccoon]

39. The perfect answer--good for you!

"told them it wasn't my problem, but if they wanted me to come in to do some training we could discuss a consulting fee. If not, then call St. Louis and ask them what to do"

[Bluedogvoter]

43. I had the same thing happen.

I just told them what they wanted to know and forgot about it. During a second interview for a new job I was wanting they commented I got a great reference from my former employer.

Made me smile.

[radfringe]

47. other than the purchasing manager

there's no one left there to give a reference... so I'm not concerned about pissing anyone off if it's seen that I'm burning bridges

[pacalo]

45. Beautiful!

And good luck on Wednesday!

[Mel]

46. good for you!

I've read your other posts about this and I am so glad you are handling this the way you are! I would like to think I would do the same and without going into my own job woes I will tell you this much you give me more confidence that what I'm fixing to do is right. Thank you!

[radfringe]

49. if the circumstances were different

like I handed in the resignation, or received some sort of notice "gee, but we're going to have lay you off at the end of April" - but not a friday afternoon massacre after being reassured the place wasn't closing and no changes were going to made for a few months (not that I believed them)

so if I initiated leaving, or received notice, then yes, I would have made sure somebody would have been trained to take over the relevant job duties, and written out detailed instructions on things...

[Bluedogvoter]

51. I understand.

I was just relating my experience. I don't think you did anything wrong and I don't think you handled it inappropriately.

[TlalocW]

48. In the late 90s

I quit a job because the manager wasn't keeping his promises to me regarding raises and promotions, and this was after I had - and I don't use this term loosely - revolutionized the crappy scripts they used to connect to hospital BBS's to upload processed claims. When a new line of business opened for a hospital we already did business with, instead of taking a week or more to get everything up and running, we could go into that hospital's current script, make two changes, and it was ready to handle the new line of business - all in under a minute. My team lead wasn't too happy about my leaving, and he went and yelled at the manager for an hour about it and then transferred to a different department after that so there was no one left in that department who understood what I did.

I understand they had a half year of pulling their hair out and customers getting mad at them while they worked to understand what I did so the new programmers could replicate it in new scripts. :)

TlalocW

[Bozita]

50. That rates a "Standing O"

Good on yuh, Radfringe!

[mcscajun]

55. Good for You! The nerve, eh?

Fourteen years ago I was faced with a similar phone call (actually, a short series of them), and as the people calling me were "friends", and I was literally the only person who knew what they needed to know I helped them out for a little while. In my case, it paid off, as a few were looking out for me and let me know when a position opened up again and I was only unemployed (yet still on full severance) for 3.5 months. I had gotten some satisfaction, though, as I had blown off one VP before I left who, when inquiring about my department's functions (yes, my staff and I were all let go at once) and asked a question about one item "Who would be the best people to do this?" I answered, "I can't help you with that; the best people to do this are being fired. You figure it out."

Four years ago when I was let go again in an offshoring situation (yes, from the same firm), not for all the tea in China and double time pay would I have taken any such phone calls. :D They never called though, and that's a shame, because I definitely would have enjoyed blowing them off.

Thanks for sharing your story, and the best of luck to you. :hug:

[gravity]

57. I am glad that these layoffs are backfiring

I hope you will get a better job at a company that views their employees as people instead just numbers in a book.

[Xithras]

58. Been there! Good job!

Back in 1998 I was working for a mature startup when the investors brought in a new CEO. One of the first things the CEO did was try to pare down payroll, and his first target was IT. The guy announced publicly that the FIVE $100k+ salaried employees in IT could be canned and replaced with degree-mill MCSE's for a third of the cost. Without even evaluating the systems, we were canned, and in came the MCSE's. One problem. These MCSE's had just been put in charge of a two million dollar Solaris/Oracle back-end that communicated to Sun dumb terminals on the front end.

Six months later I got a call from the companies newly hired CISO. In the previous six months, the MCSE's had apparently blown $400,000 on Solaris/Unix training. They then convinced the CEO that we had installed an "outdated" back-end, and began a migration to an NT/MS-SQL environment (with a couple hundred grand in additional expenses). Halfway through that migration they killed the system completely, and the company had been left with NOTHING operating. The company then brought one of my former-coworkers back in...at a consulting rate of $200 an hour, to get the old system working again on an emergency interim basis. They asked him to convert it to an MS architecture after he got it running again, but he refused to do that for any amount of money (primarily because he knew that MS-SQL server 7 couldn't do what they needed it to do, and he didn't want the support headache).

By this point the company had hired a new CISO to oversee IT (at a rate, I later discovered, of $225,000 a year), and the first thing the CISO did was contact the original systems architect (me). He wanted me to come in and consult on the system. I did, but for a flat rate...$25,000 for a contract not to exceed 30 days in length. And so I came in, and "consulted". I recommended that two of the MCSE's be canned and replaced with a Unix admin and an Oracle DBA, and designed a system that merged a Windows front end with a Unix back end. Since NOBODY in the company had any idea how to do that, my contract was extended again, and again, and again. In fact, it was extended ELEVEN times while I designed the system, oversaw the conversion, ran the hiring process, and basically did the CISO's job for him. Eleven months. That's $275,000.

By the time we were done, the company had spent a total of $1.3 million in their quest to reduce IT salaries from the previous high of $500,000 a year. And how much did they end up saving? About $50,000 a year by the time we were done hiring a UNIX admin and Oracle DBA again, and after the CISO salary was factored in. You read that right...$1.3 million to save $50,000 a year. I'd tripled my salary and founded my consulting company, so I was happy, their MCSE's were happy, and their CISO was happy. Unfortunately, their investors were very unhappy, and the CEO was incredibly unhappy once they fired him for it. A year later, EVERYONE was unhappy when the company went broke and folded.

Again, good for you though. Don't give them ANY information unless you're getting paid for it. Nothing. Don't even tell them which drawer the instruction book is in. THE ONLY THING you have to give up is passwords. If they ask for those, just hand them over. Court cases in the past have held that passwords to corporate systems are "property", which allows password theft to be prosecuted. It also means that failure to divulge passwords can be prosecuted as a failure to return company property (theft). Not only are criminal charges possible, but you could get sttuck with the bill for their recovery. Just keep that in mind.

[radfringe]

68. no problem with passwords

they already cut them off.

I had left my computer running over the weekend, so when I went Monday to clean out my stuff I could clean out a few of my personal files - but I did log out of the e-mail (passwords were the same)

For the hell of it, I tried logging into my e-mail - it was blocked...

so I copied my files, deleted them and then shut down the computer. This means no one there has access to all my "shortcuts" to the databases and if they do manage to get into my hard drive they will have to searching to find the programs they need.

the other fun thing is that the computer is over 6 years old, and you have to do what I call "Lieing to the computer" to get it to do what needs to be done. In some cases, you have convert a file to pdf, open it in adobe and then print it. In other instances it requires playing with the work in one program, opening it in a second to do a PDF conversion and then sending it to Adobe Acrobat for printing.

Plus you have to remember to flip the switch box depending on where you want it to print - regular printer, the plotter or the special labeling machine...

and then it has the annoying habit of displaying the blue screen of death at least twice a day

[here_is_to_hope]

59. I do guitar and stringed instrument

restoration for collectors and others. I got a call from a store owner I used to do contract work for till I realized he always acted as though he was doing me a favor when he paid me. Anyway, he called and asked about a specific guitar and its maker, dates, etc. Not exactly proprietary info but still, stuff I did have to research and learn myself. I told him to send a check and I would email the info. He too, wanted something for nothing way after the fact.
He never did send a check and I never did send that email...
Companies and people too I suppose never realize what they had till its gone.

[twiceshy]

60. Reminds me of Hamilton Standard...

Some years ago, they had a buyout offer for older employees that was too good to refuse. Most if not all the senior machinists took the offer and retired. About a year later they started having production problems with their propellers (airplane) and found to their dismay that no one really knew how to make them anymore - at least not at the deep knowledge level of the retired "old-guard" Several months later these "old-guard" started to reappear as paid consultants. I hope they really stuck it to them.

[dave123williams]

62. Yep - companies can be shameless that way...

I was working for an inarguably incompetent Ad Agency in LA, when after they shit-canned me, in the actual interview where they let me go, they actually had the nerve to ask me if I'd help them if they had any trouble understanding what was going on after my 'transition out'.

"What?!?" I said, "ARE. YOU. FUCKING. STUPID? You just FIRED me! The days of my giving you any kind of practical advisement just ended, about ten seconds ago, when you FIRED ME!"

Some people have all the nerve.

[AikidoSoul]

65. Are you sure you want to work for someone else?

Have you abandoned the idea of working as an independent?

Good response to the phone call.... good presence of mind.

[radfringe]

69. haven't abandoned it

but need an income as I explore possibilities

remember during 2004 when Kerry and Edwards were talking about people being one pay check away from disaster -- that's me

[walldude]

97. I was there myself when I lost my job

3 kids to feed and 2 weeks to get a paycheck. I managed to get a few freelance jobs to keep me going, then about 6 months later I landed a contract for a year that was just renewed for 2 more years. At almost triple what I was making working for someone else. Hang in there man, things work out for the best, and judging by the fact that they had to call you to ask for help you have the skills you need to make it happen. :toast:

[malaise]

66. Good for you

K & R

[133724]

71. Sounds Like Boeing....

They promise to give you a few weeks severence... but only if you train your replacement....

[napi21]

72. Well good for you!!!!! I also love your last paragraph! St Louis isn't

going to know anything about that, where to find it, or even that it exists!


I had the opportunity to do the samething once, a long time ago, and I did the same as you did! Layoffs of really hard to deal with, but it sure feels great to be able to have the upper hand on them after your gone!

[ozymandius]

73. Atta girl. You tell 'em!

No one should ever give away their skill - especially when one has been treated so coarsely.

[Berry Cool]

74. Your post did my heart good.

They decided they didn't want you around anymore. Tough toenails to 'em!

[Nickster]

82. This is the company that refused to pay you 50 bucks an hour right?

Did you reiterate your 50 dollar an hour quote? They're gonna realize that they'd be crazy not to pay you sooner or later.

[AnneD]

83. I just love it....

when David lets go his sling and the rock hits Goliath. Good luck on the interview. Been there done that.

[Gman]

84. They just may call you back as a consultant

it's going to be the easiest thing to do. When they do, stick 'em but good.

[Mr. Ected]

85. In Germany, My American Multi-National Employer

Was forced to sign an employment contract by national law, ensuring that any lay-off would require a handsome severance package to be offered, in addition to handsome unemployment benefits offered by the German government. This, on top of 30 paid days of vacation, which was essentially MANDATORY, not discretionary with the employee.

My colleagues in the States MARVELLED at these terms of employment, especially as the company started to go down the crapper in about 2002. They were getting laid off with nothing to show for it; those of us in Europe unfortunate enough to lose our jobs were walking with cash in hand and a lot of time to find suitable employment.

When will America wake up and realize that empowering the CORPORATIONS and besmirching the EMPLOYEE is not in the EMPLOYEE'S best interests? We've lapped up that line of thinking, much like many Americans have lapped up Bush's lies and distortions.

There IS a better way. Been there, done that.

[Bozita]

106. That's a real eye-opener! ... Thanks for posting.

[CTyankee]

88. God, I'm glad I'm out of that workplace thing! I left a nonprofit job because of this

crap. I took a part time job with a nice nonprofit with flexible hours and I am very happy. Only 15 hours per week and since I am semi retired I take up to 6 weeks vacation a year which they are happy to let me do! They love me there!

I could never go back to that 40 hour a week plus jungle!

[NMDemDist2]

89. my hubby got laid off after 18 years in telcom and not 2 hours later

I kid you not, TWO HOURS LATER he gets a call from a 'tech vendor' to do his exact same job for the same company with the same customers for 1/3 less $$$ and no benefits

Luckily his boss gave him the heads up it was coming and hubby knew that they had contractual obligations for 18 months with major customers and there was only one other guy in the state trained to do it. he contacted the other guy and they contracted the 18 months at a 10% raise

:rofl:

stick to your guns man, beancounters sometimes prefer contractor/consultants over employees

[lonestarnot]

91. Right fucking on radfringe!

Hope you find a job soon! :hug:

[George II]

92. Good Luck

A similar thing happened to me more than a decade ago. They'll probably recover, but it'll cost them lots more than what you were getting paid.

I see that in your case, like mine, you empathize with those that remain. It's a hard thing, but give 'em hell!!!

[bleever]

95. When I was in college, one of my jobs was cleaning a law office.

I worked at night, during the day, and when it snowed I got up early to shovel the driveway. Cleaned the toilets, scrubbed the sink, the whole deal. It was good honest work.

Three months prior to my pre-ordained stop date, they asked me to start training a replacement. After a week or so, they asked how he was doing, and I said that I'd walked him through all aspects of the job. They said, okay, he's hired, you're fired.

I was in shock, living from check to check as I did then. I went home to lick my wounds and contemplate how my carefully crafted post-grad plans could possibly salvaged.

They called me the next week. My replacement had been deported.

My triumph: going back to cleaning the toilets and emptying the trash, and getting to go on the graduate program I'd been planning on.

Never felt so good to clean a toilet.


Make 'em pay you, radfringe. Remember, as a consultant, you pay self-employment taxes, in addition to doing your own taxes. There's a cost associated with that too.

[Ilsa]

96. I knew it! I knew it! After your thread the other day,

I knew this was going to happen! Those smug idiots haven't got a clue on how valuable you have been to their organization, so they cut you loose, and not they regret it.

I think you should raise your offer from $50/hour by ten dollars/hr each day they call you and beg you to come in and "help out".

I hope you can make some $$$ from them.

[Liberty Belle]

99. Good for you, and they just might pay you. I got hired as a consultant by a company that fired me

many years ago. Made more money for working fewer hours.

Yes, revenge is sweet!

[Skittles]

100. stick it to 'em, radfringe

the same thing happened to me long ago and I did the same thing - negoitiated a price

[Laurier]

101. They can't operate without you. Cool.

Strange that they laid you off, then.

Looking forward to updates as you bring them to their knees.







:yourock:

[Gloria]

102. I had a similar thing happen....I spent a year planning a new library

layout, but had to quit the job because of the mold at the end of the year. (School library) They had been really screwing me around, so I made sure to take all my plans with me.

About a week after the end of the year, I get a call asking for the plans. I told them--"innocently"--that I didn't think they were interested in them, so I threw them out!! In reality, I had brought them home....they weren't getting their miserable mitts on them!!

I hated these bastards so much that I told NO ONE that I was planning to quit....and when I did on the VERY LAST DAY, they were all shocked, which made me happy as a clam.

[kdpeters]

105. Good for you. I jump at the chance to help when my former workplace calls

But that's revenge for me. I'm in a similar situation, but the reason I'm not there is personal and confined to a single toxic control freak who unfortunately was too much to tolerate. Long story short, I worked at a Children's Psychiactric Hospital at about a fourth of what I made before then. It was barely enough to pay the bills but I LOVED it. Unfortunately, I had a problem being treated like child and she had a problem treating me like a professional. Like you, I implemented a lot of changes and didn't really get a chance to teach people how to work with all of them. The best revenge I get is when SHE sees me around the hospital with the doctors and researchers who have called me up as they obviously aren't as invested in her ego as they are in my skills and what I was offering. I love the mission and the people there. I don't mind donating what I can. That's the only reason I was working there in the first place.

[133724]

108. Home made software can be a real bitch.....

I worked for a division of a company that had over 20,000 employees in the '80's. They decided to write their own software for accounting. The company called it Merph every one else called it Murphey (after Murphey's law). After about 5 years they realized the the writer of the program was the only one who understood it.....

Also worked for a church as a treasurer. One of the members of the congregation wrote a program in the early '80's to keep track of donations for the annual tax statements in Dbase IV. The guy's job changed and he moved to a different part of the city and started going to another church.....

[file83]

110. Yup - I worked for a small electronic company once, and their in-house

tech guy set up the database system for operations, payroll, etc...

Well, he decided to leave and then become a contractor for WAY more money. It seemed he was in there at least 2 days a week - the "problems" never seemed to go away.

[samsingh]

109. good for you.

[ItNerd4life]

112. 3 out of first 6 companies I worked for are no longer in business

because they had idiots running the company. One was a billion dollar business, but they didn't know what they were doing.

It's too bad you didn't get another job before they laid you off. Good luck.