I'm probably getting laid off

[scary cary]

The public relations firm I work for has been really low on clients for the past 2 months. We've also lost a lot of good people due to them going to bigger/better firms or even just freelance (the management isn't great and some people would rather freelance than deal with it one more day). In our little branch of the company we usually have 5 or 6 clients. We've only had 2 for the past month and a half! Yesterday my boss says my coworker and I have 3 weeks to "prove ourselves" because they are making cuts. Though I sort of expected this it really made me angry. Right before we lost the 3rd client the owner & my boss went for a 3 week sabbatical in Europe. This was just after the senior VP of the LA office quit. Now, why in the hell would they still think it was ok to be gone nearly a month when one of the key players quit?

Anyway, my big question is: Why wouldn't they automatically let my coworker go? He has been with us for 4 months (I've been there a year and a half), and he has never taken any college courses (his writing is terrible). I'm assuming they'd rather keep him because the kid makes about 10K less per year than I do. Bear in mind this is also his first real job so he has no idea how to really conduct himself in a professional manner (he is 21 and worked at Starbucks for 3 years until he landed this gig). They are also keeping the two interns. It's basically free labor as their pay is $500 for 150 hours of work.

I'm still fuming. I've been looking for other jobs for a while but haven't had much luck, maybe it's time to start looking outside my field.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Right before we lost the 3rd client the owner & my boss went for a 3 week sabbatical in Europe. This was just after the senior VP of the LA office quit. Now, why in the hell would they still think it was ok to be gone nearly a month when one of the key players quit?

Because they are management and it's okay for them to spend company money however they want.

I've said it before, may as well say it again: The biggest expense in most companies is the corporate office (or in your case, management). And that's solely because they choose to be.

Anyway, my big question is: Why wouldn't they automatically let my coworker go? He has been with us for 4 months (I've been there a year and a half), and he has never taken any college courses (his writing is terrible). I'm assuming they'd rather keep him because the kid makes about 10K less per year than I do.

WINRAR.

[csquared]

I have seen many an owner like that. Former employer bought a Corvette and a large boat. About a month later he "reworked" the commission plan for the sales staff (not in their favor). We took pay cuts and he went on a spending spree.

Your lot seems to be stuck on "cut cost" and have not realized that they need to "improve quality" to retain customers. Even if they kept you, by the sounds of things, that office will not be around long.

Were you friends or on good terms with anyone that went to another company? Know anyone who can help you get a foot in the door? These days, networking is your most powerful tool in job hunting.

[Pixilated]

I'd say you've hit the nail on the head about why you're on the chopping block. When I was let go from the newspaper, it seemed as if everybody else who was axed at the same time was mid-level in terms of pay -- they kept a lot of the lowest-paid people.

Isn't it great that you have to "prove yourself." It's a shame there's no way to make management "prove" they are fit to keep their jobs.

csquared has a good suggestion about networking with others who have already left the company. Your idea about looking outside your field is also a good one.

Good luck, whichever you choose.

[scary cary]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses. I have kept in touch with everyone who has left, and two of the gals are going to ask around and see if the companies they work for are hiring.

Regarding the whole "proving ourselves" thing: I think that's my managers way of telling us (specifically me) to look for a job elsewhere. My manager said the owner of the company doesn't want anyone to know about the financial struggles. I'm happy to have gotten a heads up at this point.

[Pixilated]

You have a point there about the "Prove yourself" comment at least giving you a heads-up about impending layoffs. I know mine came out of nowhere.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

My manager said the owner of the company doesn't want anyone to know about the financial struggles. I'm happy to have gotten a heads up at this point.

Well, of course not. You can't cry poor and get away with it when you're living extravagantly yourself.

At least they gave you advance warning. I have a feeling the people who are kept on will get squeezed even further as the owner and management continue to spend company money foolishly.

[RealUnimportant]

A friend was in a company that kept having more & more "morale-boosting" meetings, where the staff were told about all the cutbacjks to come & potential layoffs, belt-tightening etc. These meetings were hosted by the MD, who was notorious for booking taxis on the company account to take him to these meetings, scheduling them to arrive hours ahead of time then left with the meter running...

[Der Cute]

Is it possible to get a hold of the financial status of the company? Via internet/public record? Just a thought.

[csquared]

Is it possible to get a hold of the financial status of the company? Via internet/public record? Just a thought.

If the company is not publicly traded, they are not required to publish financial statements. Doubt you will find anything.

[scary cary]

There's no financial info on the company. I heard through the grapevine that we've just lost one of our bigger accounts and they're giving us the boot at the end of the month. There are murmurs of worry around the office but most of management is trying to assure people that everything will be alright. Coworker & I are really glad we got a heads up on the cutbacks right now. Hopefully I can have something lined up before my time is up

[Gizmo]

Is it cheaper if one of you walks on your own?

I don't know where you are so I don't know what the laws on redundancy are but here they'd prod and make people hate each other to see if they could push someone rather than pay out redundacy.

[scary cary]

Management is having a huge meeting at the end of the month to find out how they will "streamline". Really hope I have a new job by then. I am moving back in with my family until I can get a more stable job.

Ideally I'd like to work in the death care industry, as I've come to the realization (over the past 6 months) that my job has no meaning for me. I'd love to work in a funeral home. Grief is part of everyone's life at one point or another, and I'd love to help families have a good last memory of their loved one. Unfortunately I've already been turned down by one, and no answer from the other two I applied to.

[scary cary]

Is it cheaper if one of you walks on your own?

I don't know where you are so I don't know what the laws on redundancy are but here they'd prod and make people hate each other to see if they could push someone rather than pay out redundacy.

Yes, they probably would try, but everyone in our branch is in IDGAF mode.

[Pixilated]

*snip*

Ideally I'd like to work in the death care industry, as I've come to the realization (over the past 6 months) that my job has no meaning for me. I'd love to work in a funeral home. Grief is part of everyone's life at one point or another, and I'd love to help families have a good last memory of their loved one. Unfortunately I've already been turned down by one, and no answer from the other two I applied to.

Do you have a bit of time to go talk to them to see if you might stand a better chance in the funeral industry if you took some courses specifically aimed at that industry? A sort "I'm really interested in this; what can I do to bring myself more in line with the expectations of the industry?" approach ...