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    1114 points namukang | 12 comments | 11 Apr 25 20:19 UTC | HN request time: 0s | source | bottom
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    abdj8 ◴[14 Apr 25 05:08 UTC] No.43678249[source]▶
    Layoffs are a difficult thing for employees and their managers. I have seen people (one was a VP of Engineering) escorted out of the building, sent in a cab to home along with a security guard (this was in India), not allowed access to computer or talk with other employees. But, recently have had a very different experience. The current company I work for announced 30% layoffs. The list was made public within one hour of announcement. The CEO detailed the process of selecting people. The severance was very generous (3-6 months pay) along with health and other benefits. The impacted employees were allowed to keep the laptop and any other assets they took from the company. They even paid the same severance to contractors.

    After the announcement, the laid off employees were given a few days in the company to allow them to say good byes. I love the CEOs comment on this ' I trusted them yesterday, I trust them today'. This was by far the kindest way of laying off employees imo. People were treated with dignity and respect.

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    apexalpha ◴[14 Apr 25 06:20 UTC] No.43678562[source]▶
    Weird, as someone from Europe I've never experience anything else.

    Layoffs here are always done in conjunction with the unions. People are moved to different jobs, helped with training etc...

    Only in very critical jobs they'd walk you out immediately but then you still get the pay.

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    Scandiravian ◴[14 Apr 25 07:42 UTC] No.43678984[source]▶
    Having experienced layoffs in both US and EU companies, the difference is massive. In my experience there is very little respect for "the human" being laid off in US companies

    People literally would just disappear day to day. I've had several instances where I only found out a colleague had been fired because I tried to write them on Slack only to find that their account had been deactivated

    Personally I felt constantly worried working in such an environment and I don't want to work for another US company again if I can help it

    There are of course bad cases in the EU, but in my experience it's way less common than in the US

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    1. wyclif ◴[14 Apr 25 13:26 UTC] No.43681012[source]▶
    If anyone here has only worked in the EU and wants to see what the US layoff process is supposed to be on a good day, just watch the movie Margin Call and the scene where Eric Dale is called into the office by HR to be fired.

    There's a scene where they put a folder in front of him with a brightly-coloured sailboat on the cover labelled "LOOKING AHEAD." It's exactly as grim as it sounds.

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    2. jordanb ◴[14 Apr 25 13:47 UTC] No.43681234[source]▶
    Another "fun" thing about that movie is you see the HR lady who delivered the news with a bunch of false empathy walking out the building with a box in a later scene.
    replies(2): >>43681850 #>>43681920 #
    3. BXlnt2EachOther ◴[14 Apr 25 14:21 UTC] No.43681663[source]▶
    also, the pacing of:

    "I hope, considering your [pause to check personnel file] over nineteen years of service to the firm you will understand that these measures are in no way a reflection of the firm's feelings towards your performance or your character"

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    4. supportengineer ◴[14 Apr 25 14:41 UTC] No.43681842[source]▶
    I know they probably made this up for the movie, but I almost went through my file cabinet to look for that exact folder because I have been through several layoffs and it looked so familiar
    5. supportengineer ◴[14 Apr 25 14:42 UTC] No.43681850[source]▶
    That’s very subtle. I have not noticed that.
    6. bionsystem ◴[14 Apr 25 14:48 UTC] No.43681920[source]▶
    Watched this movie 3 times and never noticed! This is a fun touch.
    7. spacemadness ◴[14 Apr 25 15:30 UTC] No.43682399[source]▶
    American companies play mental games and gaslight everyone by calling it “a hard decision” and try to place the empathy back on the executives who get paid 10-100x the employees they just fired without warning. It’s sociopathic behavior.
    replies(1): >>43686000 #
    8. acjohnson55 ◴[14 Apr 25 15:58 UTC] No.43682727[source]▶
    Up in the Air was another great depiction of the most cynical mode of doing layoffs. And, of course, Office Space.
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    9. ◴[14 Apr 25 17:13 UTC] No.43683579[source]▶
    10. eadmund ◴[14 Apr 25 20:33 UTC] No.43686000[source]▶
    I don’t think that’s really fair. It can certainly be a hard but necessary decision. And what does it matter that a CEO makes more than his employees? Even if he makes 50 times what they make, that means even if he gave up all of his salary he could only save the jobs of 50 employees.
    replies(1): >>43686836 #
    11. Viliam1234 ◴[14 Apr 25 22:09 UTC] No.43686836{3}[source]▶
    Could he get a bonus if he fires 50 more?
    12. fatnoah ◴[15 Apr 25 15:58 UTC] No.43694726[source]▶
    I was laid off by a consultant. It was somehow even worse than Up in the Air since they made my manager sit in on the call.