They let me go....

[Warped9]

Wow! Just...wow! After thirteen years they let me and Cipra (another fella in my department), both full-timers, go from Future Shop. It at least puts to rest any thought of maybe having done something wrong. But some serious realignments in the company have cost us our jobs. Just...wow! I wish them luck in maintaining staff morale and filling our shoes. Now I gotta figure out what I'm going to do.

I went in like usual and began my routine. Then the GM ducked his head in and asked to see me. He said he needed me for something. When I get into the office my antenna was up and I sensed something was amiss. All he'd say was that the company was making changes and my services were no longer required. I learned later that a couple of others were let go as well.

A beautiful sunny day and what a way to start it. At least my (former) GM had the decency to look genuinely upset about it. He took pains to assure me it had nothing to do with my performance or anything else related to my service, that it was just a business decision made from above and out of his hands. He tried to reassure me that he considered me a friend and one of his very best workers, but there was nothing he could do.

Great news coming on the heels of learning my father has esophagus cancer and what he is facing in the coming months.

 

[Amaris]

Tough luck, Warped9. I hope things work out for you!

 

[Warped9]

Well, at least I'm not broke and they're giving me half a year's income to soften the blow.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

^ That's a really good thing. Don't take to long to find something else, but at least you could take a few weeks to think about things and help your dad out.

Good luck to you and your father.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Six months' severance is exceedingly generous. It will at least give you a chance to breathe before you have to decide what to do next.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Well, at least I'm not broke and they're giving me half a year's income to soften the blow.

Well, that's good at least. Hopefully that should give you a decent buffer and some time to find another job before money gets too tight.

I'm sorry to hear about you losing your job and about your father's cancer, though. That's a lot to deal with all at once. Best wishes to you on finding a new job and to your dad on hopefully making a full and speedy recovery.

 

[auntiehill]

That SUCKS, but at least you have a bit a cushion to help keep you afloat for a little while. Good luck with the job hunt!

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Oh, no! Best wishes to both you and your father.

 

[Use of Time]

Sorry to hear that. Its never easy. Hopefully you can find something quickly. Good luck to you.

 

[1001001]

That's really tough. Sounds like you didn't see it coming?

13 years...that's a long time. At least the severance package will soften the blow a little.

Best of luck to you and your family.

 

[Warped9]

Sounds like you didn't see it coming?

Nope, I didn't hear that train at all. With some others it was easy to see the train coming before it hit, but in thirteen years I've never really feared for my job. On top of which over the past few hours I've heard at least four other coworkers were also let go today.

My head is still spinning and I'm not sure what I feel as well as feeling all sorts of things. While I didn't love my job I also didn't dislike it either. I never really felt like it was a chore going to work bolstered by working with mostly good people and particularly good superiors. On those few days when I didn't feel like working it was usually because I didn't feel well or I was tired from not sleeping well, and neither were a common occurrence.

A lot of your identity can be tied up in where you work and what you do, particularly after so many years. I am feeling a bit disoriented right now.

 

[Marc]

Sounds like you didn't see it coming?

Nope, I didn't hear that train at all. With some others it was easy to see the train coming before it hit, but in thirteen years I've never really feared for my job. On top of which over the past few hours I've heard at least four other coworkers were also let go today.

My head is still spinning and I'm not sure what I feel as well as feeling all sorts of things. While I didn't love my job I also didn't dislike it either. I never really felt like it was a chore going to work bolstered by working with mostly good people and particularly good superiors. On those few days when I didn't feel like working it was usually because I didn't feel well or I was tired from not sleeping well, and neither were a common occurrence.

A lot of your identity can be tied up in where you work and what you do, particularly after so many years. I am feeling a bit disoriented right now.

Future shop has been doing the same in Canada in recent months with people being fired and stores being closed. Here they are tied in with Best Buy and the announcement was made in January of what was happening.

depending on the store and overall situation your GM might not be far behind you heading out the door.

Hopefully after 13 years you get a severance package of some sort and pay for long service leave etc (well if they do that in the U.S).
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/01/31/business-best-buy-closure.html

 

[Warped9]

From what I've heard today 7 of us (including me) were let go. Mind you I was treated with dignity. No one followed me about as I collected my few things and no one escorted me out of the building. They even paid for my cab home. They didn't treat me like I was someone unwanted anymore which was a small consolation. I've often said you can like the people you work with even if you have issues with those you work for. I don't harbour any ill will toward my former GM or other immediate managers. Some unknown higher ups in Future Shop Canada and Best Buy, well...

I was never fond of Best Buy buying Future Shop about twelve years ago. Over the years they did seem to operate in a mostly hands-off manner, but I think trouble began to be in the offing when BB bought a lot of those (then) closed Circuit City stores in the States. After that there was the crash of '08 and BB seems to have been reeling ever since. BB of Canada started to hurt and then FS started to feel it.

It's going to be very hard to maintain decent staff morale after today particularly in a smaller store like mine and I suspect this has been happening in other stores as well.

 

[1001001]

A lot of your identity can be tied up in where you work and what you do, particularly after so many years. I am feeling a bit disoriented right now.

That's understandable.

I've worked for my company for nearly ten years, and at some point stopped thinking about the possibility of being let go, for whatever reason.

I would feel completely lost for a little while, I imagine.

Take some time and get your bearings.

 

[bbailey861]

Best of luck to you, Warped9.

 

[BillJ]

Hope everything works out for you and your father Warped9.

 

[Sector 7]

Best of luck, Warped9. You may not realize it now, but six months severance is unusual in most any field. Most people get no severance at all.

My best for your dad, too.

 

[MANT!]

Warped 9, did they give you a recommendation letter? often when one is laid-off, as well as providing severance, a recommendation letter is included to help ease the transition to new employment.. If not, perhaps you can contact your manager to provide you one..
every little bit helps.. And get those resumes out NOW..it only takes a few minutes to send em out via email...and it won't interfere with your father's care too much for you to do a low level job search while you digest all that's happened to you..

Good thoughts to you and your dad.. I'm pulling for you..

 

[Warped9]

Warped 9, did they give you a recommendation letter? often when one is laid-off, as well as providing severance, a recommendation letter is included to help ease the transition to new employment.. If not, perhaps you can contact your manager to provide you one..
every little bit helps.. And get those resumes out NOW..it only takes a few minutes to send em out via email...and it won't interfere with your father's care too much for you to do a low level job search while you digest all that's happened to you..

Good thoughts to you and your dad.. I'm pulling for you..

Thank you. Part of my situation is also living in a small town. I'm not really sure what the job situation will be like. Perhaps I can look into more unconventional options rather than more common positions most everyone will go for. It might take me a few days to get my bearings I think. Tomorrow I will go to Services Canada and inquire about applying for employment insurance benefits for the interim, something I haven't done for decades.

 

[Marc]

Warped 9, did they give you a recommendation letter? often when one is laid-off, as well as providing severance, a recommendation letter is included to help ease the transition to new employment.. If not, perhaps you can contact your manager to provide you one..
every little bit helps.. And get those resumes out NOW..it only takes a few minutes to send em out via email...and it won't interfere with your father's care too much for you to do a low level job search while you digest all that's happened to you..

Good thoughts to you and your dad.. I'm pulling for you..

Thank you. Part of my situation is also living in a small town. I'm not really sure what the job situation will be like. Perhaps I can look into more unconventional options rather than more common positions most everyone will go for. It might take me a few days to get my bearings I think. Tomorrow I will go to Services Canada and inquire about applying for employment insurance benefits for the interim, something I haven't done for decades.

Good luck with Service Canada.

There have been numerous news reports how the waiting times for EI have gone up since the last federal election.

The only thing is they may require you to wait until your severance money runs out before putting you onto EI but maybe you can at least get the process started if the need arises you can get the money straight away rather than having to wait once the severance money runs out.