Signs of Layoffs Coming Soon!

2017-06-27T21:30:31Z

The most obvious sign layoffs are coming: Executives hint at layoffs using other terms, like 'restructuring' "downsizing," "reorganizing," "incremental synergies," organizational efficiency," "offshoring," and "streamlining." "headcount reductions" "workforce rebalancing." Company starts giving 'non-negotiable' job offer to employees and or forced retirements Company is trying desperately to save its dying flagship product or business A WARN notice has been issued. If more than 250 full-time employees are being let go a company must file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) with the state's Department of Labor (DOL) 90 days prior to the layoffs. This is public information that can be found on a state's DOL website. Company gets acquired or has a merger or talks about a merger or IPO flops. Mergers frequently lead to layoffs to eliminate duplication. Company is aggressively hiring new employees in a business that is not growing at a similar rate. Normally these new employees are hired at lower cost to replace older and higher cost employees. New H1B hires or internal transfers and training of overseas branches and employees. "Synergy" is a word that should terrify employees: "Synergy is what you get when you eliminate redundancies in your efforts to cut costs." There's already been a round of layoffs. The first round of layoffs is rarely the last. You're invited to a group meeting with the department head, and ther personal assistant confirms with you that you'll be there. Internal job postings get taken down or not filled. You're expected to do more with less. You role and responsibilities shifted, split or to be shared with a coworker. People are told they can't work from home or must report to the office on a specific day. The higher-ups take steps to 'improve efficiencies' Bringing in consultants to examine processes Company brings in a new board-appointed CFO to look over the books. Higher-ups start quitting or if they start heading for the exits. If you start to get ton of questions about what you do. Requests to share passwords, training documents, and other things that may not be written down are sometimes done to smooth impending dismissals. The discretionary stuff starts to go are signs that the end is nigh. Cost control policies implemented Company bills aren't getting paid The uprooting of plants, offices and functions, shifts to overseas in low wage countries "Rumors and speculation of possible layoffs coming" Conference rooms are booked by HR all day meetings or HR off-site meetings are signs big changes are coming. HR folks prefer to deliver bad news like layoffs behind closed doors. You notice ramped-up security Your access to work accounts and work related info begins to be limited or denied. If you're locked out of password-protected, company-monitored accounts. Managers are suddenly pulled into a series of meetings that span a few days. If managers find it difficult to directly answer questions about what is going on with all the meetings, this could serve as confirmation. You stop getting invited to important meetings. Upper management avoids eye contact or try to avoid you. There are more tissue boxes than usual around There are a lot of empty boxes around Memos to employees detailing imminent layoffs.

The most obvious sign layoffs are coming:

Executives hint at layoffs using other terms, like 'restructuring' "downsizing," "reorganizing," "incremental synergies," organizational efficiency," "offshoring," and "streamlining." "headcount reductions" "workforce rebalancing."
Company starts giving 'non-negotiable' job offer to employees and or forced retirements
Company is trying desperately to save its dying flagship product or business
A WARN notice has been issued. If more than 250 full-time employees are being let go a company must file a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) with the state's Department of Labor (DOL) 90 days prior to the layoffs. This is public information that can be found on a state's DOL website.
Company gets acquired or has a merger or talks about a merger or IPO flops. Mergers frequently lead to layoffs to eliminate duplication.
Company is aggressively hiring new employees in a business that is not growing at a similar rate. Normally these new employees are hired at lower cost to replace older and higher cost employees.
New H1B hires or internal transfers and training of overseas branches and employees.
"Synergy" is a word that should terrify employees: "Synergy is what you get when you eliminate redundancies in your efforts to cut costs."
There's already been a round of layoffs. The first round of layoffs is rarely the last.
You're invited to a group meeting with the department head, and ther personal assistant confirms with you that you'll be there.
Internal job postings get taken down or not filled.
You're expected to do more with less.
You role and responsibilities shifted, split or to be shared with a coworker.
People are told they can't work from home or must report to the office on a specific day.
The higher-ups take steps to 'improve efficiencies'
Bringing in consultants to examine processes
Company brings in a new board-appointed CFO to look over the books.
Higher-ups start quitting or if they start heading for the exits.
If you start to get ton of questions about what you do.
Requests to share passwords, training documents, and other things that may not be written down are sometimes done to smooth impending dismissals.
The discretionary stuff starts to go are signs that the end is nigh.
Cost control policies implemented
Company bills aren't getting paid
The uprooting of plants, offices and functions, shifts to overseas in low wage countries
"Rumors and speculation of possible layoffs coming"
Conference rooms are booked by HR all day meetings or HR off-site meetings are signs big changes are coming.
HR folks prefer to deliver bad news like layoffs behind closed doors.
You notice ramped-up security
Your access to work accounts and work related info begins to be limited or denied.
If you're locked out of password-protected, company-monitored accounts.
Managers are suddenly pulled into a series of meetings that span a few days.
If managers find it difficult to directly answer questions about what is going on with all the meetings, this could serve as confirmation.
You stop getting invited to important meetings.
Upper management avoids eye contact or try to avoid you.
There are more tissue boxes than usual around
There are a lot of empty boxes around
Memos to employees detailing imminent layoffs.

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13 replies (most recent on top)

It sure is a long list of vital signs, and I really do not think that GE can see that far ahead or would jump through all of these hoops for a layoff . No, if you see someone blind folded tapping people on the head, that is a sure sign of a GE layoff

They simply told me my role was being eliminated. I asked them to define my role that was being eliminated and their faces turned bright red. I knew the manager and HR rep had no idea what my role was.

That wasn't how the layoff meeting I was in went at all. They said the position is being eliminated

Here are HR's current 2017 RIF Best Practices guidance and script:

Explain the RIF in terms of the company’s scale and operational needs.

Explicitly identify the reasons for the downsizing as financial, market conditions or the competition

Prepare statements of revenue and expenses to determine and demonstrate the specific cost saving areas that most benefit the company

Identify all possible sources of additional revenue and cost reductions

Demonstrate that other employment and non-employment related cost saving options were considered before resorting to layoffs, including, for example:

-- Eliminating equipment, supplies, and overhead expenses

-- Salary and travel freezes

-- Work week/hour reduction

-- Job sharing

-- Benefit plan reduction

-- Outsourcing of some services

Never tell employees that their jobs are being transfer overseas or being replaced by younger or lower cost employees with less benefits to save cost.

Have you noticed crashplan retirement message? Once you store your data in the box or in the library, your direct manager gets everything after your SSO is terminated.

I have been lucky enough to get two interviews. One of which I expect to get an offer within a week or so. If my offer comes through I will be gone so fast the GE meatball will spin.

Meanwhile I've cancelled our family vacation this year because I'm hesitant to take more than one day off at a time because my boss might think I'm less essential... I did take a day off to go to an interview so far, though, and I will do so again when I am granted another one.

We lost some very good people on our team as well, one of whom was a mentor to me. You're right about the low performers coming out basically unscathed in the last round, which has a lot of the frustrated and formerly dedicated ready to bolt. I'm one of them.

@NZkmaz7-1cef , your estimate is very close. New positions were created the very next week after the March Layoff. So the Greenville actual Layoff number was a little closer to 300. Overall Power Layoff was close to 1,500.

I know several people impacted by the layoff and I was shocked with who they selected. The people I know were very good top notch committed employees. GE must not have considered performance. I can think of many low performers that were spared. The spared low performers have not changed their habits. They come in late everyday. They take two hour lunches with a gym visit. They leave early everyday. They socialize all day keeping others from doing their work. They are always out with a "sick kid". They take many more vacations than should be allowed (nobody is tracking). They were doing this before permissive time came into effect. It is simply amazing and explains why GE Power is in so much trouble.

253 in Greenville, based on comparing the GAL totals now to those in March, when the layoffs were first announced. That number would also include any net effect from attrition and any new hires being added to the GAL, but it's the closest thing to an honest answer we may be able to get. I imagine they had it right under the WARN threshold...

GE Greenville desperately avoided discussions of numbers of people being layed off in March 2017. I am sure their intent was to avoid WARN notifications to the department of labor. I checked the SC Department of Labor website and GE was never listed. I estimate that around 300 people were layed off in Greenville. With 1,500 being layed off in GE Power as a whole. GE will spread out additional layoffs trying to avoid the WARN Act requirements and continue to guard layoff numbers as top secret information.

I am expecting layoffs in Greenville BEFORE the end of summer. Also, I would like to say to @NZkmaz-tuu - very good post!

Another buzzword GE has been using lately is simplifying structure. Or Simplification. Definelty expect layoffs if you hear that. Then you will hear the "difficult decisions" buzzword. Managers are given detailed talking points that they religiously try to use.

I'm seeing many of these in Greenville. HR has reserved a small conference room by our offices, as well as near the offices of other groups we work with. No WARN notice yet, though. I think they're actively trying to avoid triggering those requirements... also no tissue boxes, but most likely die to cost controls.

Thread regarding General Electric Co. layoffs

Signs of Layoffs Coming Soon!

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