Leave now - or risk getting laid off?

wait for severance?

Then sit around for n months?

Doesn’t look good when you have no experience for the last n months!

Stupid agencies and stupid employers have to make something of your disappearance.

Screening is a negative endeavor!

If you are not getting a severance package, by all means, get busy. I am employed at a company opening an office in Costa Rica. While they tell us it makes us more ‘Global’ It did’nt save the job I have been working for almost 20 years. They told me in July that I would be laid off in Jan 09. I also receive a week of severence for every year I worked there. So, It’s a bit tough to walk away from 19 weeks of salary, not to mention the health coverage. I would say, stick it out until you can find a comparable position. Staying at a company that eliminates staff every year is way to stressfull. Since there is no logical formula used anymore to decide who goes on the ‘hit list’ you will never know when your time is up. Long gone are the days where working hard guarantees you a job for life.

costs only a little time and gas to interview

put your resume on the sites without information leading to you

You can always turn down the job!

OR you may find that great job you’ve been missing all this time

severance packages? Sure if you don’t mind sitting idle for months losing the experience edge.

The hiring people look hard at inactivity periods! Were you in jail or on a deathbed?

Did you forget how to program?

Annie,
Thanks for the article. I surely think its wise to leave than be asked to leave. I work for a Florida based company that outsources its projects to India and China. While I havent faced a threat to my job, I have seen several others laid off. In fact a few months ago, I had to lay off my entire team in India on grounds of financial instability.
Although my boss says comforting things but with the current meltdown in the US economy, I am rather nervous to buy these claims.
Considering the way the economy is facing a downturn, is this a good time to leave? Basically, I am trying to see if this is a good time to join another firm considering the changes and commotion in the economy.

Few alternatives here

Take one of the new jobs
Stay till you either integrated and have a place or stay because you have years of service and even if laid off you will have some nice piece of pie coming to you

managers are definetely not always looking out for your interests, mostly their own, not even company interests. Remember it when you make your choice-you have to take care of you first and foremost.

your best intersest is to contack your workforce deveopment agency to see if you can file and unemployment claim also most stated are now letting you file on basis of hourly reduction so you could pick up hours lost by hours lost good luck hpe this info is helpful

We talk about job cuts and downsizing as if it ends there. After the layoff the real problems present themselves. Marriages often crumble, difficulty raising children financially and mentally occurs and the stress involved has taken many lives. If we feel the effects of this it’s often because we don’t allow ourselves to consider alternatives such as self employment. I’d been downsized twice in a five year period for business reasons not associated with my performance. As a result I “asked” for a better alternative and attracted a website very similar to http://www.LikeSoup.com and the rest (overall happiness) is history. Take a look. It may be what you’re asking for too.

THE ARTICLE IS GOOD BECAUSE OF IT’S TIPS ON HOW YOU WILL SURVIVE A LAY-OFF.
NOWADAYS,IT’S TOUGH TO FIND A JOB ASIDE FROM YOUR CURRENT ONE.BUT THAT’S LIFE.WE MUST NOT RELLY ON THE PRESENT,BUT RATHER,WE SHOULD EXPLORE MORE POSSIBILITIES OUTSIDE.ON THAT,YOU CAN DEVELOP A STRONG DECISION WHETHER OR NOT YOU WILL STICK OR FIND ANOTHER JOB.
KUDOS TO THIS ARTICLE!

I suppose this is just jim dandy advice if one is working in an office environment, but it is utterly useless if you are working in something like say…manufacturing as your basic shop floor grunt. Networking? Excuse me? What networking? There IS no such thing as networking for something like this, at least not formally. …and getting your own domain name for a factory job? Lame. Might work for some of the more skilled jobs, but for your average assembly line job, I can’t see it being of much benefit.

Why is it when you guys post “job help” info, it is always for professionals or “psuedo-professionals”, what about the rest of us? Those who don’t have a degree in something. We get left out in the cold

If you are in line for a severance package then you don’t leave and give up that money unless you are 110 percent sure you are going right into another job. Not only do you have severance but at least you have continued health care. It is very irresponsible to tell people to just leave in this situation. Most people should wait it out until they’ve got something else that is a lock.

To ensure the work gets done, it will benefit the employee’s manager and the company to retain the employee as long as possible before laying him/her off. Also for consideration, the manager may not have input into who goes and who stays as whole departments can get wiped out during layoffs.

great advice! get the interviews rolling!

Supervisors do the company a favor when they encourage you to stay until layoff!

Don’t wait! I’d stay away from HP’s massive bureaucracy!

Network! write the CEOs of hiring companies! Be bold!

Beware agencies who work for their clients not you! Beware agencies who treat you like you are some unskilled peon! Use the agencies that just pass the resume along!
Many agencies must “do their jobs” and waste valuable time making you jump through hoops. The acronym is “CYA”

Brush up on skills! Take a course showing you are on the ball!

Forever advice: easier to get a job if you have a job!

Don’t forget, your boss is just a resource like you. He does not know any more than you do. For the non-eds people reading, resource is eds’s dehumanizing term for an employee. He may have some input into who is laid off but eds has moved to an HR / spreadsheet based selection process. Your boss may not know you’re on the list until the day of or maybe the day before your layoff. Then it’s too late.

Also, your boss may be trying to get you stay to keep someone doing your job. He may just not want to find a replacement OR the fewer employees he has reporting to him means it more likely he will be laid off.

The current eds severance 2 weeks for each year up to a max of 20 weeks + money for 1 month of COBRA is in effect until 11/1/09. After that it WILL change. From research several coworkers have done, hp’s current severance policy is not as good.

Compare your eds benefits closely to what hp will be offering 1/1/09. The eds pension goes away. Yes the 401K match is increased but it will not compensate for the amount of pension contribution your losing. Plus then YOU are exposed to fluctuations in the stock market. Just look at the movement on 9/25 & 9/26. Look closely at the vacation policy hp is implementing 1/1/09. Some states are adversely affected. I know mine is.

I’d say if one of the 2 jobs offers is better and the company(ies) are better, go for it. There’s nothing left at eds/hp.

OH! Check out glassdoor.com for employees’ views of their employer. Just remember, people find it easier to complain that complement. You can still get an idea of the environment/culture. Reading the entries for hp was enlightening.

Pay attention to EDS’s goals for their workforce. They are in the process of “right shoring” the workforce. This means the vast majority of jobs will be going to South America. If your job is not customer facing, it will most likely be going South eventually.

I’ve seen things happen both ways. Sometimes, a long enough announcement that there are layoffs coming can be what Scott Adams has called “Bright Sizing.” This is the period when the bright people with good prospects desert the sinking ship leaving the insecure and potentially less competent behind. It may also leave those who want to see what kind of severance will be offered. That part can be a juicy bonus. It could also end up being a dead end as the entire industry starts to lay off.
Either way, the advice to network outside your company is priceless advice. I will add that you should also be your own competitive intelligence department. Don’t eat lunch at your desk, go to the lunchroom/cafeteria at least a couple of times a week, and keep your ears open. All too many of those lunch room rumors turn out to be true.

Having just left HP Software after being acquired 18 months ago, I would highly recommend you leaving now if your two offers have a strong career path, but HP allows about six months before integrating their acquired company into the HP culture (New Comp Plan/benefits,etc), so you do not need to panic. The person who should be nervous is your boss, HP’s mgmt structure is like musical chairs, I had 3 different mgrs in 18 months, and once you lose your executive sponsorship, you be a floating row-boat without any oars!

I was a Carly Fiorina HP layoff victim. To make matters worse, I was one of the last victims before she was fired. My advice to Dangling Man is to pull the ejection handle and leave on his own terms.

I had great reviews from my managers and things were really looking up. I received the same assurances as Dangling Man. I lived most of my life in Fort Collins, CO; HP was an integral part of the city’s culture. I was trained in college by HP employees and I loved living in Fort Collins.

Suddenly, my second line manager changed and I found myself in a Compaq organization that hated HP culture. Additionally, my second line manager was a Mormon elder and brought other Mormons from his temple into the organization. As I was a Roman Catholic, I found myself at the top of the layoff list. I was laid off and replaced with, guess what, a Mormon from his temple.

HP was a great company and I loved working there, but it is a company and companies can only be trusted to act in the senior executive’s best interests. The HP Way is dead, gone, and buried; nobody is going to put that Humpty Dumpty together again. You have to look out for yourself and your own business interests. It’s a harsh fact, but it is the reality of today’s HP.

As soon as the management changed, I should have left immediately. I ended up drifting for 3 years from position to position until I finally found a home consulting on various US Government R&D projects. By leaving on your own terms, you can make a directed career choice instead of having to make a choice based on what’s going to pay your mortgage.

If you like HP, you should start your search by looking internally within HP. You should also make as many contacts as possible within the organization. The Alumni group is very helpful. You should also look into using professional social networking sites.

HP is a company, like any other, and should be treated as such.

I think sometimes the best way to network with your supplier and also with your customers. Your experience in your current position might be a great fit for both supplier and also customers! if your industry is still doing good this can help you a lot. Good luck with everything!

Jump ship NOW! I too am working an EDS and plan on getting a head start before the market gets flooded with people with the same talents, skills and knowledge. Sure I might be jumping the gun and I could be safe if I stayed, but I cannot take the chance. I have to watch out for my family and protect my income. The hard part isn’t deciding when to try to leave, it is do you hold out for that perfect job or take the 1st decent offer.

I am currently in this situation and have been in the past also. As many have already mentioned, severance packages may make it worth while to wait. I once had a nice six month long “vacation” by volunteering for a layoff and in the end I landed up back with the same company because I was still on the market and they had an opening six months later. Also, people who jump ship early when events are still unknown may create a future opportunity for you. Some stress and hardwork now may translate to future opportunities later. You have to weigh the pros and cons and do what you are most comfortable with.

It happened to me once, about 12 yrs ago. And I saw it coming, alright. In fact, I told several people at work that this was probably my last day. Sure enough, I got called to the Hospital Administator’s office about 2pm, He and some suit were there, had the whole package ready. Took about 5 minutes, and I was out the door. I got 2 months severance, and had my current job in 2 weeks. Now things are getting tight here, and again, I think I hear the papers shuffling at HR. Guess we’ll see.

I worked for a cyclical automotive supplier company for 12 years, experiencing 2 major layoffs plus yearly turnover because the company also used forced ranking. While some divisions were hit harder than others, on average, I’ll say well over 80% of the people survived. I stayed because I promised my teenage son he’d stay with his friends until college. My point is that there is no safe company these days especially if you are in a cyclical industry. Keep running away fearing layoff is probably not always good. Toughing it out has its rewards. I made it to mid-level management partially because of fewer competition! If you have good offers, you should take them regardless. If you hesitate, then probably those offers aren’t as attractive as your current one. You should then take actions to make sure you are safe. While many people encourage external networking to get new jobs, internal networking also can help you keep your job. Both are important and useful.

I was in this situation in 2006 and I was able to find another position just before I was laid off and got the severance package and a new career at a new employer. It is much better to go on your timeline and not your employer. I agree with the person that wrote this column in that your boss may have good intentions but things change that are out of their hands. If you find another position that meets your career and salary needs… GO FOR IT!

I assume the other 2 job offers are equal or more money… Take the one of the other jobs.

1) Just because your boss says your safe means nothing because chances are the decision WILL be made by someone very high up.

2) Severance is great, but usually is not as good as time goes on. The good severance goes to the 1st ones out the door. Also severance is not guaranteed.

3) Why work for a company where everyone is always talking about the next lay off? How much fun is that?

I do not know all your situation… but based upon what I heard in this article.. GO!

I was also a layoff from a national company. I say it coming six months in advance. I chose to stay because I thought I was marketable in my industry and because I had a year’s severance coming if I stayed. It worked out well for me. I was hired within 60 days by a local firm that needed my skills. But I learned a couple of things from the experience. First, even though I was in a good place financially it was still nerve wracking. Second, keeping up your contacts and networking constantly are the only way to find the right job; third, you’re always preparing for your next job. You don’t have to be looking for it, but you’d better be learning new skills that will keep you marketable.

I agree with a portion of what you are saying. The extra effort applied to seeing what is currently available and what opportunities are being forwarded to you is never a bad idea. In the event that something promising comes your way and you feel like it would benefit you to make the move, by all means take the leap. However, getting in the paranoid mode of job hunting because of layoffs may cause you to make unwarranted decisions.

How about taking a more proactive stance in your current situation, not only by updating your resume, but also by making sure your finances are in tact enough to support a temporary layoff. Stashing away a little bit of extra money to pay the major bills will allow you for more time in making an educated choice when opportunities come about. This also gives you a chance to better understand how the layoffs will affect the group you work for and your positions. Sure in the article it talks about how Joyce was laid off years later, but isn’t that a risk we take with every job. There are tons and tons of “what ifs” or “what could happens”, but the most important thing is that you are prepared for the events that do happen.

I say if you really like the spot your in and have a fair amount of confidence in the fact that you have a chance of weathering through the turmoil, stick with it. Make adjustments, stow a little extra cash away, keep your skills sharp and your resume updated and you will be just fine. Give yourself the time and clarity to make educated well thought out choices. You never know, this may be the one event that gives you the boost in your current career path that you have been waiting for.

Good Luck..

Don’t think you are too valuable to be let go. Even if you are, the person making the decision may not know who you are or what value you bring to the company; you are simply a number on a spread sheet a to them.

This happened to me and many others just a few days ago, without warning. The people I worked for were shocked and angry, and there was nothing they could do about it because someone else in an isoloated department(HR) made the choice for them.

Years ago, I got out of company before things got bad. This time, I stayed too long, because I was asked to stay. It was a risk to stay, and this time, it didn’t work out for me.

If you think your company is going through bad times and will be doing layoffs, adjust your spending habits. Save money now. Put off expensive purchases, especially if you really don’t need them. Make a plan on what you would do if you stopped receiving income. I was prepared in that way, so when I got the news, I was in a better position to handle it; I didn’t get angry or upset.

Best of luck to those of you who will have to face this situation in the coming months.

Depends on the size of the severance package you might receive by getting laid off. You wouldn’t want to give up free money, in states/cities where jobs are plentiful.

once i found out our group will be done away with by the end of the year, i booked a ticket to new zealand. no idea exactly when the lay off will take place, but i booked my ticket using miles, so it’s easy to make changes. seriously, take some time off, travel, live a little. getting laid off is a great opportunity to go places you wouldn’t otherwise ever have the chance to see.

I was downsized May 1 and I am still looking. Mistakes made:

I saw it coming and was in denial.
Did not make 2 resumes: one at my current level, and 1 and 1 level lower.
Did not re-evaluate my career and take courses.
Did not prepare for a new job taking this long.

HP has a history of very nice severance packages based on years of service. When I left HP in 2001, I got almost a years pay. With two unsolicited offers at the same time, I’d say you were pretty ‘employable’. Waiting to see what kind of packages are being offered may make a lot of financial sense. A large chunk of cash invested for retirement mid-career can make a HUGE difference at retirement. Do the math.

There is always some degree of risk either way. I have seen people leave to avoid a layoff, only to be layed off by their new employer. There is always uncertainty with new startups.

It really makes sense to check out potential prospects, to see how they are positioned to weather the current economic climate.

In my case, it made sense for me to stay and get the severance package, that I would have forfeited had a left earlier. I had been with them for 24 years.

What if you work for a finance company? As a risk manager, I’ve seen the writing on the walls since October 2006, but have turned down offers because I’m afraid I’ll “jump ship” only to hit the same iceburg (and have dodged 2 bullets in doing so). Am I fooling myself thinking I might be better off sticking with a company that has, to date, survived? I have 5 years experience now in credit risk, should I cut and run to another sector even if it means I’ll have to be entry level?

Keep in mind your manager may be acting in the company’s best interest, not yours. If you’re a supervisor, would you realistically warn employees in advance that they were going to get the axe and risk a mass exodous when you still have a shop to run, or would you not let on what’s about to happen to keep them working until the bitter end? Everyone is a valuable employee as long as they’re “of value”.