There's a manufacturing facility about 100 miles of here that makes tools. They're a medium sized company, and they have a policy: No one gets laid off. People can be fired for a myriad of reasons, like being constantly late or performing poorly over a long period of time. All they ask is that you do your best and perform well, following all procedures and staying within time and productivity constraints, and that if you didn't, you would be fired. While a couple of my friends thought it was wrong to hold such high hire/fire standards, I thought it was more than fair. I may not have a degree, but I work hard, and I do use my head. That's probably why Walmart got rid of me years ago.
That goes to the point I argued, which is that two-way loyalty is very beneficial to long-term success. The company you worked for either wasn't aware of that lesson, or was very poorly managed. Either way, I'm very sorry to hear what happened.
Exactly. Company loyalty was truly dead when IBM had its first layoff ever on Black Wednesday in 1992. Sure other companies had had layoffs, but not IBM. IBM was known as one of the safest companies to work for. IBM was a family and always took care of its own. IBM's corporate culture was to keep unions out by providing better pay and benefits than any union collective bargaining could ever hope to attain. When IBM had its first layoff the family died that day. The illusion was broken. Company loyalty was truly dead in corporate America.
They were indeed poorly managed. It was in the efforts to clean up management that the layoffs happened--they totally restructured the company. I'm just saying it's the rank-and-file people--the ones who truly produced value for the company--who paid the price for managerial incompetence. So much for loyalty, eh?
Like Iguana I work in a university, so normal profit and loss rules don't apply. I don't for for the Uni however, but for a small centre housed there, which is directly funded by the government, so if the government really has no money this time round, our contracts will run out next March. I've been working there for 20 years and am very loyal to the centre and our achievements over that time. The Uni not at all since they rarely impinge on our day-to-day work.
Yes, exactly After this, it was a slippery slope. The new generation that was just getting into the working scene saw no reason to be loyal to a company that could lay them off without notice, and the company corporate culture shifted to "screw you guys, we're doing what's best for our shareholders... period". Once that 'every man for himself' mentality kicked in, company loyalty became as archaic an idea as cassette tapes.
In corporations? ...there are a few left who understand that good investments in people pay massive dividends...if you can recognize and then keep the talent. Too complex for a large organization. Also, too many employees milking loyalty for a free ride. This is "old school" mindset...typically frowned upon by your modern MBA. You know the ones...they drive a leased Mercedes to an over mortgaged house. You see, it's just too hard to manage employees! Outsource it! However...those who can wield this power...who can get the most from their team...well...not even the $25/day rate of outsourcing can compete with them. They are few.