18 Years... Down the drain

eeboater · Jan 28, 2005

Here's a good one for you. My mom has been working for an organization for almost 19 years now. The organization uprooted our family from Pittsburgh... moved us to Green Bay (one of the good things they've done, I might add). Now, they are telling my mom that they want her at their Headquarters in the Milwaukee area. She is too good at her job to stay at one of the Branch offices in Green Bay. How is that for a kick in the nuts? You're so good at what you do, we are going to force you to relocate again. The thing is, she doesn't want to move to Milwaukee. She got divorced about 2 years ago and since then has built a life for herself that is nearly ir-replacable. She is an EMT on the side, does TONS of volunteer work, and has a group of friends that she really relies on. Now, she has to give it all up to keep her seniority, vacation time, and the decent wage she is pulling down. On top of all that, they are not giving her a wage increase, and they're giving her a total of $3,000 to move two cars, a sailboat, and the contents of a two bedroom house down to Milwaukee. She has to tell them today whether or not she is "accepting the job." If she doesn't, she's out of a job. What a rotten fricking deal. They just **** me off so bad that that I'm spitting fire. So, anyone in the Green Bay area looking to hire a self-confident Office manager that is well organized, very dedicated, and great at anything she does? Sean

kenimpzoom · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

With 19 years experience she should find a good job where she lives now. Id tell current employer to go to he_ _. Ken

NYMINUTE · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

This is getting all too common here in this country. Emloyers have taken an ownership role in their employees lives. I guess it is to be expected with the number of those who are jobless now thanks to NAFTA, and the sagging economy. Everyday I walk out the door of my employer wondering if I will be back tomorrow. It is that slow, and salaried personnel are necessary evil to a CEO. Best of luck to your mom. After 18 years off service, there will be a lot of interest in her loyalty.

eeboater · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

Thats what I figured... If she said, "Hey, I like working here, I've been here longer than 95% of the employees in the company, I do a good job, I get things done, I know things others don't, but I DONT WANT TO MOVE TO MILWAUKEE." You'd think they would say, ok. But no. Sean

rodbolt · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

hello its a very common trick corperations use to get older employees to quit rather than retire. the last two years a friend of mine spent with delcuamps foods was a good one. many employees quit rather than relocated. they moved him 4 times in his last 2 years but he hung it out and retired on the first eligible day he had. his last two years with that company were a nightmare. he spent maybe 2 days a month Home for 2 years. hey would work his schedule so he had rotating shifts and days off and all kinds of other things. eventually the management was busted for it.but he hung it out. but a lot of the 50 plus crowd just could not. if they did not relocate then they got a pittance severance package and a have a nice day.

rogerwa · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

When I started with the comapany that I am now employed with, there was a culture of lifetime employment if you did your job. Boy has that changed. We had layoffs for the first time in company history about two years ago. I was outsourced about nine years ago (yet I am back). I learned loyalty to the company only benefits the company because it will not be repaid. Everything the comapany does in the name of employee benefits has some underlying benefit to the employer. I have changed my attitude that I am a business partner of the company and that we both have a releation because it is mutually beneficial. Once it is not beneficial for me, I will be gone. I expect the saame to be true on the opposite condition. Its a cynical view, but in an employ at will environement, what you speak of would be very difficult to stop. We are talking ethics versus legality.

kenimpzoom · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

roger, once you people realize what you have realized, they will be much happier. A company views all employees as disposable no matter how long they have been there. Therefore, you should view them as disposable too. Ken

Barlow · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

Sean, I worked for an international design/build firm that was started/based out of Fond Du Lac only to have all but a few positions relocated to Milwaukee to a new "Corp." building they built down town next to a 'satelite' building they owned. It was a smart move by the Company .. no doubt about it. Lessened their expenses a great deal and put them in a larger employment pool of qualified workers, not to mention exposure, and traveling expenses (Fondy isn't a real transportation hub ya know

). Anywho .. In doing this the Company offered everyone to stay-on (Family built business and VERY loyal to quality employees). I however wasn't going to subject myself to this and had a home on Kettle Moraine Lake at the time with my wife(ex) working in Kohler at Kohler Co. as a designer there and the move closer to Milwaukee wasn't a feesable option for us. We liked where we were. I took the situation as an opportunity to start off on my own. This was something that I'd been contemplating and encouraged to do for a while but, never motivated an attempt. What a blessing it has actually turned out to be! with the 19yrs in the company and them entertaining options .. I'd encourage your mother to do the same!! because after x-amount of years being the curriculum coordinator at a private school in the Madison area my mother, being in her sixtys, took a jump and went in a seperate direction altogether. She's a busy body so retirement wasn't an option. I guess what I'm getting at here is if she wants to stay put in the Green Bay area then encourage her to take a look at her options .. that city and surrounding comunity is growing by leaps and bounds and I'm sure with her experience(s) and her 'social' setting she'll come out ahead of the game. just my .02 blabber but, should be a revitalising time not depressing and bitter.

eeboater · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

I have to agree with you Barlow. I have told her on many occasions that she should take advantage of this situation to start her own shop. She's a miniatures addict. You know, dollhouses and the like. I think she should start up her own miniature shop. But that may be a lil too ambitious for her. Sean

gonfishn · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

Sounds so familiar..Big Corps need ya in the beginning then once you have helped them achieve success they forget how and who got them there. Big corps are getn rid of the aging work force and replacing with younger folks at half the pay and hardly any benefits.. Happened to me a few months ago..Ten years of hard work to build a Store..Had it all a percent of the business profits,super 401k and all the perks..Once I topped a million gross then came back to me and basically said your making to much..Cut my pay 40 grand and said take it or leave it.. I left and many here know the rest..I started my own company and doing great...Tell her to start her own shop..Yes its a little scary leaving the security behind but one of the rewards is gettn up and lookn forward to going to work again.. If you have a dream go for it..Mant times we look back and say I wish i had done that many years ago..Encourage her and support her and tell her to go for it....

Barlow · Jan 28, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

Sean .. I better clarify something i think -

(by me).. with the 19yrs in the company and them entertaining options .. I'd encourage your mother to do the same!!

I didn't necessarily mean that she should start her own business by that .. more so "entertaining (her) options" as did the company she's working for. just thought to clarify

Wingnutt · Jan 29, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

I know from first hand knowledge (as a lot of us here do too) that an employeer has absolutly NO loaylity to it's employes any more. Here's two quotes from above that hits the nail right on the head: Big corps are getn rid of the aging work force and replacing with younger folks at half the pay and hardly any benefits.. I learned loyalty to the company only benefits the company because it will not be repaid. Everything the comapany does in the name of employee benefits has some underlying benefit to the employer Ok, rant mode on now A lot of older folks saw the paridine shift that took place back in the early '90's. It used to be that companies viewed thier employees as valuble assets that got them where they were. No more it's exactly the opposite now. Not only that, but nobody cares a wit if you have years of experience in your field, they won't even talk to you anymore without at least a BS degree. To addinsult to injury, the pay is about half of what it used to be, to say nothing of the lace of benifits. And they have the nerve to wonder why there is no more employee loyality anymore.

Rant mode off

steam_mill · Jan 30, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

eeboater, What is being done to your Mom is very very wrong. I'm in my mid-thirties, in the workforce for a little over 10 years. In my career, I have been a consultant and have been to many many organizations. Bottom line, very few if any employers care any more. I've worked in Canada and the U.S. Loyalty to investors far out weighs loyalty to employees. I always travelled a lot, but it was short term. Well my employer wanted me to start doing Europe. This would involve much longer stays. It was the best kick in the a** I could have gotten. I started looking for work and decided that I no longer wanted to work for the private sector. I took a pay cut but made up for with a lot of time off (6 weeks, 2 days to start!ie. more boating!) and become a senior manager with a large municipality. I did get lucky. Although I make less money, I have a lot more time off. And am about as sure as can be that I will be employed 'till retirement. Government workers are not lazy. They have to work slower than the private world because they have a double duty to ensure that there is no impropriety as they report to the public and not the stock market. Maybe she can try to get into the civil service? Best thing that happened to me!

DJ · Jan 30, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

Written by steam_mill, regarding gov't workers.

They have to work slower than the private world because they have a double duty to ensure that there is no impropriety as they report to the public and not the stock market.

Horse hockey. They're (gov't) not doing a very good job of it here in the US, serving the public or staying out of trouble. Generalizations can been made here about the corporate world, I'll make mine about civil service. For the rest, Employment is not a lifetime guarentee. Unless, you work for the government, which we may all be soon. I've moved to six different cities, in my current carerr. Why? Because I liked my job and I wanted to stick with it. If you do not want to move, you DO NOT HAVE TO. Just don't expect a compnay to revolve around you and any little niche you have carved out for yourself somewhere. Believe me. Moving an employee is a gigantic expense and risk for the company. Feel flattered they want to move you. How would you fell if they did not offer?

Trent · Jan 30, 2005

Re: 18 Years... Down the drain

Government workers are not lazy. They have to work slower than the private world because they have a double duty to ensure that there is no impropriety as they report to the public and not the stock market. THAT IS BS!!!!!!!!!!!! If this is how you feel! My thoughts are YOU ARE LAZY! Now thats my thoughts only and not of this sight! Edit....I think this is a TROLL!!!!! JB..If Im off. Please delete.

18 Years... Down the drain

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