Thread regarding Chevron Corp. layoffs

Dont go for the Ombuds. I had a similar problem and she told me to "s--- up, this what you need to do from now on. And document everything on email after every update and conversation". This was their advice for me because my supervisor was borderline racist and gave me a 2- despite my best year yet (where I saved a ton of money for the company, but management didnt care). I talked to other team leads and they told me they had to give a 2- to someone and they gave it to the new guy which was me.

Eventually the 2- caught upto me, even though the next few years I got 2 or better. I documented everything and didnt give them an excuse to give me a 2-. I still got laid off because I was a must move and they couldnt find me anything.

Another guy I knew had a similar problem. He went through STEP and they got rid of him even before Project alpha without warning. Not sure if he even got a severance package.

I think the writing is on the wall for you. You probably wont survive the next round, and should forget about CVX and start making alternative plans immediately. I wasted too much time on working something out at CVX and was given many assurances that nothing would happen..

2pim speaks the truth. I tell the kids still in school to look somewhere else's besides Chevron for their future for just those reasons.

-jcx, please leave it for the office, where everyone will nod their heads act like they don't know truth and you can continue to pretend to be the thoughtful and caring manager.

Management's decision has already been made. -uae speaks the truth, white males 45 - 60, who are not well connected or are in the crosshairs of mediocre middle management, have little life yet at CVX. Follow the advice of -1nbb, and don't let the bastards grind you down.

-2huw, take my word when I say Chevron will leave you alone after you win the battle. Chevron won't make it a point to win the war. The company hierarchy is made up of individuals, each concerned with their own self preservation. They don't attack employees who stand up and defend themselves against discrimination with proof. Just do your job well, follow company policy and don't forget to document, document, document.

You may win the battle but Chevron will make sure you loose the war. The person you go through STEPs with will pull the same strings as before. So you prove your case, Chevron agrees. Then the whole system will attack you, and your further behind in the long run. Just my 2 cents.

I was laid off at 58 and sued Chevron for age discrimination. Oh yeah and they settled with me out of court for $585,000 plus $65,000 for my attorney/wife. They let me go and kept a colleague 10 years my junior. I used all their tools against them; 15 years of signed off PMPs with excellent supervisor review comments, about a dozen letters of commendation/recommendation from top management including one BU President (when it was once a practice to issue them), 2 President Awards, over 60 R&A's with cash awards from supervisors and managers, one job promotion in the last 4 years, years of better than average salary action adjustments, ending my career with a PSG 105% CO. Chevron knew they would lose a jury trial, so they settled with me faster that I thought. Be prepared and feather your nest.

-1nbb You hit the mark. PMPs, ESPs and things like the recent "elimination of position & good luck in the PDC" staff reductions in Houston earlier this year are all about avoiding discrimination lawsuits. Discrimination is the one thing, that if it can be proven, is a winning hand. Chevron doesn't care about me, you or anyone. We are paid to provide a service as an at-will employee. We are very well compensated so keep your head down and your mouth shut. Never, ever question decisions or execution of decisions. Smile and document your work. Things will improve faster for our competitors as the extreme weakness of Chevron's cash position and the continuing albatrosses of Gorgon, Wheatstone, and others continue to choke us. The Permian push is short term and unsustainable. That is why we are still pressing the reorg and layoff buttons despite what leadership says in public. You will get your next big raise at your next assignment with another company. So be happy in the meantime and drink the Chevron Kool-aid in big gulps.

They have forced rankings now that require some less than 2 ratings be administered. I don't think it is right. I completely disagree with forcing a bad rating. Your boss may be trying to meet his forced rating requirements. If you are older and planning to retire soon, you may have gotten it because it will impact you and others the least. It can be a numbers game. If you are a ripe old age and near retirement why bother fighting it? What are your plans going forward? Do you plan to be around a while? Were you looking to change BU's or a position? If you are planning to move positions then the low rating will hurt you and if you have proof to argue your case you may want to fight it.

PS, the big layoffs may be over, but it looks like Chevron will still be downsizing,..er reorganizing. . They will just do it under the radar in smaller batches (<500) that don't have to be reported as layoffs to the local labor boards.

Dear OP

I am sorry, but like other posters including @M06TIn0-npq said, Chevron wants you gone. I know a lot fo good people that got pushed out the door early using the PMP process and that was before the big layoffs. Basically, Chevron wants you gone by 58 and will make it uglier and uglier every year. The ESP and PMP are just smoke screens to avoid a class action lawsuit for age discrimination.

I hope it doesn't go that way for you, but get your parachute plan ready. Start your networking now! Socialize with potential leads. Get your your resume and Linked In polished (use pro help if needed). Start pulling together the list of names of everyone who used to work at Chevron or other business that know you as a possible lead. That is most likely how you will find your next job, not sending resumes off to internet job sites. If you are over 55, it will be hard. After 60 , it is extremely difficult to find a job. Identify business scenarios where your talents would be highly desirable and start plugging away. Above all, don't get depressed and give up!

Best of luck

I was in a similar situation several years ago. I got a 2- rating and the rationale provided was utter nonsense, almost comical I dare say. I decided not to protest the rating because the odds were not in my favor. In my case, the douchebag that gave me the 2- was well connected with the higher ups. Even though I didn't protest the rating, things worked out for me in the end. I transferred to another team that year. And I find a lot of comfort in the fact that the douchebag received a 2- from his boss the year after he gave me a 2-. The bottom line is, understand the politics within your organization and think about the potential ramifications. If you decide that it's worth it to protest, proceed with caution and make sure you have an exit strategy in case the situation turns ugly. If you decide not to protest, do keep in mind that what goes around comes around!

OP, you present a simple question but to provide the correct answer is much more complex. There are so many variables in play here, if you feel for whatever reason to proceed with the STEP do so. The outcome may or not support your logic, evaluate your envirnonment (boss, boss's boss, peers, and all of the other elements that come into play) Good luck OP on whatever you decide.

You are a white male, 45-55, and a perfect target. HR partners work for the managers, not you. You will be out this year.

The whole PMP process is antiquated. As the market improves and interest rates increase, you will see a mass exodus of personnel leaving for greener (and more lucrative) pastures or retirement. PMPs are just one of many, many good reasons to leave. This view is borne out in the results of the recent employee survey. This leaves behind increasingly docile and timid leadership who get placed not because of real ability or acumen but because they are whats left. It also leaves behind some real bad apples who have become quite skilled at playing the system. Over time, and we have seen this over and over again in the past, we are left with sheep not shepards. When sheep are running the show PMPs become political tools not continuous improvement process. It also ultimately leads to a long string of expensive dryholes, more Gorgons and new lines of HR bc like We lead and the Doer campaign. Thank goodness for the few real leaders we have left. OP I am sorry you got the 2- at this time in the market cycle. The two people I know who challenged that rating are no longer with the company. The one I know who got the 2- and did not challenge, is still with the company. Move forward with the STEP process if and only if you have been documenting everything and every communication for at least the past year.

I agree you will be digging your own grave. I decided not to protest my 2- when it happened 8 years ago do to a dispute between my supervisor and I. But in today's market place with the combining of BU's I would suggest to protest. I am a firm believer that if you are a 2- or a 3 this year it will be difficult to still have emoliyment at the end of the year due to gombu dwep merger.

OP, just because you did your best does not mean you out performed your peers, sometimes your best is not good enough. This may be harsh but it's the truth. The rankings are not based on your level of effort, it's how you stack up to your peers. As you go through this process you need to demonstrate how your work is more impactful when compared to your peers. Also keep in mind that BUs had to meet the percentages for each ranking, this means folks that some folks had to be bumped down.

Nothing wrong with a 2-. It is still a 2 which means overall your work is fully satisfactory, just on the low end of all the other 2s. Your boss viewed you as one of the weakest at your PSG. Your best year ever may have not stacked up to everyone else's. 90% of employees I have seen stunned at a lowish rating were in denial.

No experience with this process but will advise as follows:

1. Are you an older employee? If 'yes' ageism may be behind this grade. My first corporate law is "The truth is whatever they want it to be" and in your case that equals 2-.

2. If you have a 2- in this atmosphere, they want you gone. You are no longer digging your own grave because it has already been dug.

3. Your next move is predicated on whether your goal right now is to get a package or save your current position. I know of two people who went through this process and got 2- grades changed to a 2 but this was before these layoffs. Still it can be done.

My experience, digging your own grave, death by a thousand paper cuts