Give them a call, a text or even an email. Something that says they aren't being exiled and should not be shamed. It wasn't their fault it happened. God knows Honeywell won't bother helping any of them out. The outplacement package is a waste of gas and time. It makes Honeywell sound like they are placing people but really they are just paying a company to give a powerpoint about why you should use LinkedIn. There are policies (evil/cowardice) against managers helping the affected after they are canned, but nothing stopping a good friend from writing a recommendation letter, critiquing a resume, or just to listen over a beer and get them focused on the future.
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Have set here a very long time deciding whether or not to post.....
I was canned after 20 years of employment in 2009. Bad time to lose a job. 4 years to find another one. From an unemployed perspective:
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Linkedin was never a big help for me. If you are going to use this start now building your network while still working. Most people go to the outplacement class and find out what Linkedin is. A couple of months after each HW RIF I get several invitations from people that have not seen me for 7 years.
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There are "work" friends and "real" friends. Your real friends may be your college roommates for example. Work friends are great guys/gals to stick your head in their cube and chat with every day but with nothing else in common these friendships wither after someone leaves. I used to know hundreds of people's names not so now. After a while you may remember just a handful. I avoid establishments near HW for this reason.
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What do you say to someone meeting ex coworkers for lunch after losing his job? "How's it going?" After 3 years of unemployment (even though I was having an OK time) I didn't really want to talk about it nor did they really want to hear something other than "yeah, I got a job and making 2 times as much". I don’t know the answer to this to this day.
I work for a company now that intentionally hires “experienced” engineers because they have no training dollars and expect immediate productivity. 40.00 hours per week. Significantly less money but it's all worth it. We all work towards a common goal. No more going into work in the morning not knowing what time you were leaving. Real health insurance. Good jobs still exist - I didn’t think they did.
What they have done isn't illegal but is a good example of where Honeywell has gone horribly wrong. I have heard managers say they would NEVER rehire a RIF. The comment was "why would I want someone else's trash?" Even if they rehire you, your time with the company is reset to zero and your offer will be most likely for less pay and more work. The worst I heard was "if they were picked for a RIF, it must have been for a good reason. I don't want to hire them and find out what that reason was".
Why would you want to work for a company the screwed you over? Sometimes Honeywell will fold if a lawyer brings a lawsuit. I think I would spend my time looking for a new job. Of course they offered the job to an external candidate. There will be no retirement or 401k for a year. Good Luck
A good friend was Rif'd from the security business in Louisville after 21 years with Honeywell. They were going to combine her job with the fire business and the person that had the job in fire was going to get the position which is why they eliminated her job. Problem is, after they rif'd her, the person in the fire business took a job somewhere else and quit. My friend was encouraged to apply for the position and was informed last week that the GM of the business (Brian Casey) is offering the position to another candidate...that is an external candidate!! This is complete BS and I told my friend she should go talk with an attorney, but she is afraid to take on the Honeywell machine. Any suggestions from anyone here?
So nice of you to post this....A very dear friend whom I have worked with for over 20 years was laid off and we are all devastated. We have already called him just to make sure he is okay...We plan to do lunch at least once a month to keep in contact. We will go to dinner ever so often too. God this was so hard. Like losing family members.
Nice post, totally agree
Great post!
From one of the many that was involved in this RIF, thanks for the post and I couldn't agree more. You spend 27 years working at a place and many times you spend more hours in the day with your co workers than with your own family. Several employees / coworkers have reached out to me and it has made me feel good that they took the time just to say they where thinking about me and to see how I'm doing. The people are who I will miss for unlike Dave Côte I truly believe the employees are Honeywell,s most valuable asset.
A great friend to all was rif'd on Tuesday, she was a thirty 30 year veteran at Honeywell RMT that had done the same job for fifteen years. But was told her position had been eliminated. Many friends rallied around her as she finished boxing her belonging with hopes of lifting her spirits but like so many times before she was the one who lifted ours. She was a great worker, never to take advantage of Honeywell, always willing to share knowledge and do whatever to support her fellow man. Shame on her manager (who by the way was not from the RMT site) for not fighting for her. She is a very strong women so I'm sure she will bounce back but right now she is hurt. THirty years was reduced to a box of positions and a white envelope.
Yes, the best thing you can for someone RIF'd is "call" them, and say" how r u." If possible, offer to help. If you are one of those who have good linked account, offer to have them use your network of friends, or potentially help them update their resume and/or linkedin accounts. The emotional support is key here.
Great text, great advice.
Yes look them up on Facebook, LinkedIn especially if you didn't get to wish them well.
Agreed. There are going to be thousands in the unemployment lines from Honeyhell so chances are we will all know someone affected. Don't turn your backs on them.