I am, being told to crap on the lives of co-workers...

[LanternWaste]

Some months back, the owners of my company decided to go on a hiring spree-- three additional A's, two more B's, one more each in C and D. Seven new employees total.

I come out of a meeting this morning where I'm told that not only those seven, but four others will be getting let go at the end of the month. I was told to make a list of four co-workers in my department to let go-- regardless of seniority, I'm to choose the four most unproductive members of my team and submit the list by Friday.

I feel like shit (that's my weekly curse word for Red Queen). I've been on the other end of this before and I know that it's little more than an emotional and psychological kick to the junk. Only a small number of these workers have been here long enough to collect unemployment benefits, and we have a zero-sum game when it comes to compensation.

I am, for all intents and purposes, being told to crap on the lives of co-workers AND to keep my mouth shut until it's over. I don't feel good about this at all.

And as bad as I feel about being told to do this, I feel even worse that I'm going to comply.

(I live alone and don't have anyone to vent to this evening, so please bear with me on my only pity-party post to date...)

[LeftyFingerPop]

1. Jesus, what a bad situation...

I am so sorry for you.

I can't give you any advice...you have to do what you have to do...but personally, I don't think I could bring myself to do it.

That being said...you may be in a situation that will force you to comply.

Best wishes to you, and again....I know this is troubling you, and I'm sorry.

[Orrex]

2. I was in a sort of similar bind a few years back

I managed a fast food restaurant, and the owners decided to abandon the franchise and reopen as an ill-conceived indepedent venture.

I was required to make a list of the best ten (out of forty) workers; the other thirty would be let go. Like you, I was required to be silent about it.

I hated doing it. It was a fairly uniformly young group of workers, and we were all friends in addition to being coworkers. However, almost all of the workers were college and high school students, so the impact of the sudden loss of income wouldn't ripple much beyond each individual worker. For that reason (among others) my situation was much easier than yours.

I had the last laugh, sort of. The owners had assumed that I would stay on to helm the new doomed venture, but I could readily see that it would collapse within six months, so I clandestinely secured another job in town.

When the time came, I let the employees go, and then I submitted my own resignation effective immediately.

Of course, I was 24 and in a position to make that kind of statement. Today, my responsibilities forbid me that luxury.


You have my sympathies as you work through this difficult time!

[ThomCat]

3. That really, really sucks.

You didn't say enough for us to know if it's a business down-turn, or if they just foolishly bulked up the staff and then changed their minds. It's a damned shame to have to let people go so quickly that they can't get unemployment. That's just cruel.
:(

[SeattleGirl]

4. Been there, done that, and it sickened me.

Especially because of one of the people I had to let go. I argued up one side the wall and down the other, but to no avail. I tried coming up with alternative scenarios, other ways to deal with it to keep this one person, but none of my ideas was accepted.

Fortunately, both people found jobs with other companies in the same field right away, but I will never forget the looks on their faces, or the way I felt when I had to tell them we were letting them go.