Corporate Layoffs and Separation ProgramsThe General Motors (GM) did and had to do separations and layoffs to survive in this economic crisis. On May 19th, 2009 I got separated from my employer the GM Powertrain. I had been working as mechanical engineer and designer since 1991 in different locations. Although only for ten years and six months I was hired direct employee. I wrote this article for some people from Europe or from a different culture that may envy us, the people living in the USA, for freedom, opportunities and more material advantages. Many do not know that we pay a price and that is more stress because the job insecurity. The truth is in the capitalist world most companies work for profit and in the due process the capital and resources are reassigned continuously. The destruction and corporate lay-offs are part of economic reconstruction and business optimization. I learned that from school and my experience. Despite this is part of my business thinking now, I still have my ego problem being separated and retired the American style.
Corporate LayoffsThat morning, at about 9.00a.m. the Department Manager came to my cubicle and very politely – only if I have time – invited me to accompany him for a meeting. I was glad to meet him and to talk about some working issues I had lately. He was quiet so I kept quiet too walking the corridor to the other side of the building. The meeting room has improvised white paper blinds at door and the side wall for privacy. Suddenly I understood that I will get separated from company right than and there. Inside the room on one side of the table were sitting the Department Director a tall middle age man and the Human Resources Manager a slim blond lady. I sat on the other side. My Dept. Manager did not enter the room. The Director was short and well rehearsed; he did three hundred before me, “Because the economic situation the company should do adjustments and your position was cut. We thank you for your dedicated contributions made to our company.” We shook hands and I wished him “Good luck” in his way out. The Human Resource Manager said in one breath “With ten years of service you are qualified for retirement and five months salary pay separation. This is your envelope with instructions.” The five months full pay was very good news. I relaxed in my chair, “I gladly take the offer. Thank you. I will be 66 years young in couple of months and the Social Security check will come. Please receive my business card where I promote my e-book “The Escape from Romania in 1989” on two websites. Today it happens to be nineteen years since my arrival in the USA.” She took the card. In her way out she introduced an older woman, the “Right Management” (RM) company’s representative. Initially I did not want to sign my agreement that I will attend RM orientation session for a counseling and job search help; but I signed because the GM already paid for it. She had got my card and the “Good luck!” from me as well. Now came the hard part, leaving the room I saw a security woman casual dressed, not in uniform waiting for me. Her job was to accompany me out with some of my personal things. It will not be a direct walk to the company’s door; we will stop first to my cubicle. I made it easy for her and me. It took me few minutes to sort my personal books between a cardboard box already saved under my desk and her plastic bags. That box became a symbolic casket for my engineering life; I have different plans for my future life. I left the box behind to be shipped to my home address. The Department Manager that I knew him for sixteen years passed by and wished me the best. Very nice! In our way out I greeted three coworkers sharing with them the news and I wished them “Good luck!”
Conclusions about Corporate LayoffsI worked with hundreds of people at that company. Some died before retirement, some retired with diploma, cake and coffee. I paid respect or enjoyed the retirement parties as they timely happened. Saying “Goodbye” to coworkers or to everybody who touched your life it is a civilized and desirable way to end with your employer. In fact my direct supervisor did not know about my scheduled separation was for that morning. The departure “ceremonies” were early in the day and short. The security person help with my personal belongings and the orientation meeting for a new job application sanitized to some extent the hard feelings to everybody - including the executives. Nobody was happy doing the separation for sure. Later, at the new job orientation meeting I asked the “Right Management” instructor, “Why this separation process was used?” He said, “The lay-off process is very common in the USA. The employee is told that his/her position is terminated and a security person accompanies him/her to the company’s door. This way the company's property, computer data are protected and loud or angry statements from separated people, very disturbing and bad for remaining people morale and their productivity are avoided. The personal belongings are packed and mailed.”
My Retirement PlansI had been working for my retirement moment for the last ten years and I have got retired with separation/ layoff stigma. My ego should be comfortable with my retirement in America after 42 years of work; twenty two of engineering in Romania and nineteen in the USA. I am happy with my real estate business, web sites promoting my e-books,
internet blogging and articles.
I have to agree, this is a safe and sane reasoning under circumstances. That does not mean that everybody's ego is coming so fast to a peaceful resolution after the separation event. The American way is to identify yourself with your job. “You are what you work” is a common belief. Some separated people died home, dressed for work with past company logo on their shirts, in about one year after their retirement, because the "identity loss" pain. Certainly I am more than my past job description. I wrote this article about lay-offs for all of us too. We have been “dealt” new cards again so to speak;
it is up to us how we play them next.
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