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Jai
Jagannath,
Laying off
employees & it's survival techniques: ( Composed by Siba Ram
Baral )
Not to surprise but laying off of IT employees has become a
periodical culture of few IT companies. IT companies being grown up
like mushrooms are highly prone to face economic disaster and hence
to survive can drive a lay off. I felt the necessity of composing
this mail as I think it's high time we all should discuss about what
is a lay off, plans and methods and survival techniques. Truly
speaking now a days few Company management plays "Buzhkasi" with the
employees. ( "Buzkhasi" is a game of Afghanistan where warriors on
horse with sharp pointed swords in hand play with a goat or sheep
following the rules of football. You can find this game in a hindi
movie "Khuda Gawah" acted by Amitabh Bachhan)
What is a Lay off : Company management terms it as Downsizing,
right-sizing, but truly speaking it's all fantasizing on the part of
management to think they're fooling anybody. If employees of the
company are targeted in this chess game, it's a layoff. Here's how
to survive one at your company.
Who gets laid off / Reasons of some one
getting laid off:
Some companies have policy of laying off 10 percent of employees
every year and replacing with fresh recruitments. Saying this it
defines a big challenge for identifying people who can be laid off.
Now let's see who becomes an easy pray to game.
1. Of course the first set of people are the ones who are less
effective to the company. Means not that they are highly skilled,
but the work what they do can also be done by some one with less
pay.
2. Highly paid Employees who are not worth to the investment company
does on them.
3. Employees having issues with attitude, etiquette, manners,
punctuality, discipline, integrity, policy violation.
4. Skilled employee but company unable to provide adequate work
assignment to him. Alternative to this can be out sourcing, but it
should not be against company ethics and principles.
Managerial tricks of Laying off:
No one but Managers enjoys firing anyone, even when it's
unavoidable. It won't be fun, but here's how they do this. Managers
lay people off in two ways first being "troubling an employee to
resign and go off" and second being "instant lay off by just saying
some baseless reason". In both the way they get a bad reputation but
that's why they get paid for.
1. Overload the target employee with everyone's work, ensure that he
stays till mid night every day and still unable to finish his task.
2. Give assignment to the target employee with dependencies on
others, and tell others not to help him. then sue the target
employee for not coordinating with others and not finishing the
work.
3. Even though every one including the managers do this and know
that others are doing so, sue the target employee telling that he
used the office mail id to send personal mails.
4. Ignore all others wasting huge time, but on a fine Monday morning
catch the target employee who just spends a mere total of 10 minutes
per day and show him a statistics of how much he waste time per
month and the productivity loss.
5. Practice sentences and phrases of beurocratic words to mentally
harass the target employee everyday morning, intension being to kill
his whole day's mood.
6. Spread a wrong message about character of the target employee
among all his office mates, to let all others stay away from him and
look at him with hatered. This will frustrate him and compel him to
leave the j o b .
7. Even though the target employee is highly skilled and productive,
but still rate him with minimum marks during appraisal times and
ensure all other who may not be working gets higher marks of
appraisal. This will make him feel under estimated.
8. Arrange team meetings, parties, outing on company's budget of
course but intentionally don't call the target employee.
9. Engage few "Chamchas" to pin the target employee and motivate him
to speak out something against the manager, then add this with salt
and peeper and report to manager. Fire back at the target employee
for saying all that.
10. Secretly engage some obedient one to tamper and spoil the work
done by the target employee, and the next day sue the target
employee for this.
11. Instruct the Technical department to tamper with the software
and authentication of privileges in the target employee's system and
once the desktop is not working, tell the target employee to finish
an assignment quickly. If he can't sue him.
12. Tell the admin to verify the target employee's documents of
education, pre-employment, medical bills, house rent receipts, LTA
bills. Any one of this found forged gets the way him out.
13. Tell the payroll department to trouble target employee in
payments. Pay late, never pay, pay half, transfer his pay to some
bank account which the employee is having issue with, pay by an out
stationed post dated cheque, give him company shares worth of his
pay, add unjustified terms and conditions only to that employee and
cut off a major chunk of his pay, make him run 10 times for getting
his pay, pay him once in five months and that too pay worth of one
month only.
14. If some one is so strong and survives all the above tricks, just
call him inside cabin and hand him over the lay off letter. Reason
being "Nothing".
How does it impact the rest :
1. Find out how the workforce reduction will affect you. Although
you may be relieved to still have a j o b , what that j o b is may
be impacted significantly by the fact that certain co-workers are no
longer around to do theirs.
2. Be proactive. Once you've looked at your new workload, spend some
time with your manager figuring out how the work will get done with
the department's newly reduced resource base.
3. Analyze your company's situation carefully before deciding to
make a j o b change. The layoff may well be an indicator of poor
economic performance, but it may also be just what the company needs
to turn itself around, creating more opportunity for employees who
stick out the tough times.
How to Cope With Getting Laid Off :
Losing a j o b is one of life's most stressful experiences. As more
and more companies get "lean and mean," you may find yourself laid
off, but you will survive.
1. Leave your place of work immediately. Even if you saw it coming,
you are likely to be too upset to answer co-workers' questions. You
can come back for your coffee mug.
2. Discuss your situation with your spouse and other family members
who will be affected. Will your partner have to work overtime for a
while? Can your college student get a part-time j o b to contribute
to tuition costs?
3. Review your financial situation. You may have set aside what
seemed like a reasonable amount for a "rainy day," but if your
unemployment goes beyond a month or two, you may need to make some
lifestyle adjustments.
4. Request a meeting with your company's HR representative. Find out
if you're entitled to severance pay, unused vacation or personal
days and how to continue your benefits and roll over your 401K. Find
out how vested you are in the company's pension plan, if applicable.
5. Take advantage of any outplacement services your employer offers.
Many companies now provide career assessment and counseling as well
as use of company facilities such as personal computers, copiers and
fax machines to aid in your j o b search.
6. File for unemployment compensation if you qualify. This may be a
blow to your pride, but you and your family are entitled to such
benefits, and meeting basic needs must come before pride.
Tips & Warnings :
- Get references in writing from your former supervisor, co-workers
and the company personnel representative. Be sure the last includes
a statement that the reason for your termination was a workforce
reduction.
- Don't delay in handling the necessary paperwork to continue your
benefits and roll over your retirement plan monies. There are
strict, often short, time periods for doing these things; you
snooze, you lose.
- Losing a j o b , even through no fault of your own, can be
devastating. If your feelings of anger, sadness or helplessness
persist beyond a few weeks, consider getting short-term therapy for
depression.
How to Fix a Bad Reputation:
Perhaps the phrase conjures up visions of dueling at dawn, but the
fact remains that a bad reputation is not to be taken lightly. At
work, it can cost you business opportunities, j o b promotions and
customer loyalty. It can hurt your private life as well. Here's how
to mend a damaged reputation.
In your professional life ( Difficulty: Moderately challenging ):
1. Assess the substance of the bad reputation. Is there any truth to
it? Or are you the victim of jealousy or whiners?
2. Seek a second or third opinion from trusted colleagues to
determine if there is any validity to your bad reputation.
3. Reconsider your managerial style if you are in a position of
leadership. Could you make subtle changes? Are you a good
communicator and listener? Do you give clear instructions? Are
raises overdue?
4. If you determine that you need to improve a personal attribute,
make a commitment to yourself to change your ways.
5. Apologize to employees, clients or customers if you realize that
your behavior or words have hurt your professional relationship, and
let them know you will work hard to improve the situation.
6. Tell those around you that you're trying to improve. Others will
be impressed if you can admit to your own flaws, and they might have
some good pointers.
7. Perform one act every single day that counteracts your bad
reputation.
8. If the bad reputation is not your fault, find out where it
originates. Mention the rumors in a direct but non-confrontational
way: "Burt, I heard that some folks think I am having an affair with
Helen in graphics. I'm sure you know there's no truth to the
matter." Most gossipmongers will clam up if confronted.
In your private life :
1. Examine the way you treat others. Is there any truth to the bad
reputation?
2. Seek a second opinion from your spouse, a trusted friend or a
therapist. Ask if they have recommendations and listen carefully to
their answers.
3. If you determine that you need to improve a personal attribute,
make a commitment to yourself to change your ways.
4. Apologize to loved ones whom you have hurt and let them know you
will work hard to improve the relationship.
5. Tell others that you're trying to improve. They can hold you to
your commitment even when you lapse.
6. Perform one act every single day that counteracts your bad
reputation.
7. If you are the victim of malicious gossip, address its source. Be
firm yet non-confrontational. The gossiper is probably jealous, and
if you respond with anger or emotion, it will delight him or her no
end.
Hope the above piece of information adds value
to your career. Please feel free to revert back to us on this. We
are always here to help you. Good luck. Jai Jagannath.....
Regards
Nilachakra
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