" I know SWG in RTP had 1400 layoffs. I don't know who much we will have, but I'm expecting to get fired." - IBM LAYOFFS (Raleigh: real estate, crime)

[CarolinaCowboy]

Very sorry to hear about your job. Reading the many posts here lately, I think reality is starting to creep in, that we are in a mess and its gonna be a big one. The Triangle has a little better shield of armor around it, but we are going to get our due medicine too. I warned people, after the holidays through summer would be bad. I hate to say it folks, but the worst is far, far from being here yet. I still maintain this is just the beginning.

[uncletupelo]

Cowboy- You really have your finger on the pulse of this place. How long have you lived here now? Please let me know the number of months. It is amazing how well you know this area. I have lived here for 42 years. My family has been in NC since 1720. How did you get to be such an expert as a blow in transplant? Can you name the four squares of Raleigh? How did New Bern get its name? What was the name of Duke University before that? Arnold Palmer played at what course in Wake Forest as a student? What home in downtown Raleigh did Grant take over during the war? What are the boundries of Oakwood Cemetary? Name the other confederate cemetaries. What county was Daniel Boone and Nathan Bedford Forrest born in? What was the man's name that found Chapel Hill? Who were the Haw River Boys? Please define where down east is. Where is Kidd Brewer Stadium? What family has always owned Grandfather Mountain? Who was Hinton James? Who was Kidd Brewer? Who was Choo Choo Justice? Who was Everett Case? Who was Wallace Wade? Who was I Beverly Lake? Who was Willis Smith? Please let me know.

[Bilirubin]

Wikipedia here I come.

[mzd]

Originally Posted by NewUser

Are you saying that their direct supervisors knew ahead of time who was going to be laid off, so they gave those people a bad performance review, even though those people were good performers? (...) But it's even worse to have to fabricate a bad performance review to justify the layoff.

It does happen at IBM. The folks to be laid off are identified, and then the managers give them a low rating to justify letting them go. If a person has been targeted for being laid off, there is not much that s/he can do. The manager will find a way to justify the low rating.
As for how I know: I have been on both sides of the table.

[saturnfan]

Originally Posted by mzd

It does happen at IBM. The folks to be laid off are identified, and then the managers give them a low rating to justify letting them go. If a person has been targeted for being laid off, there is not much that s/he can do. The manager will find a way to justify the low rating.
As for how I know: I have been on both sides of the table.

I had that happen to me at a utility company in New Orleans in 1989. Completely wrong review followed by layoff.

Found out later that the 10 top users of the company health plan were flagged to be gone. We had a few serious issues that year and got on the hit list.

[ViewFromThePeak]

Originally Posted by uncletupelo

Cowboy- You really have your finger on the pulse of this place. How long have you lived here now? Please let me know the number of months. It is amazing how well you know this area. I have lived here for 42 years. My family has been in NC since 1720. How did you get to be such an expert as a blow in transplant? Can you name the four squares of Raleigh? How did New Bern get its name? What was the name of Duke University before that? Arnold Palmer played at what course in Wake Forest as a student? What home in downtown Raleigh did Grant take over during the war? What are the boundries of Oakwood Cemetary? Name the other confederate cemetaries. What county was Daniel Boone and Nathan Bedford Forrest born in? What was the man's name that found Chapel Hill? Who were the Haw River Boys? Please define where down east is. Where is Kidd Brewer Stadium? What family has always owned Grandfather Mountain? Who was Hinton James? Who was Kidd Brewer? Who was Choo Choo Justice? Who was Everett Case? Who was Wallace Wade? Who was I Beverly Lake? Who was Willis Smith? Please let me know.

Other than being a handy trivia partner, I fail to see how knowing any of these useless facts helps me understand the triangle economy. Your diatribute does, however, show your disdain for recent immigrants to the area.

I also find it ironic that close friends and colleagues whose ancestros arrive centuries ago were unable to predict the local housing slowdown, yet I as a 10 year transplant had no problem identifying it. Makes you wonder...

[ViewFromThePeak]

Originally Posted by North_Raleigh_Guy

Anybody have a link to the story with details about RTP?

ViewFromThePeak,

I've seen your comments before about people fleeing to infrastructure jobs in other states. Is that a serious or semi serious comment? I only ask because I don't really see the connection between say a software engineer and a structural engineer or the skill sets needed to be successful at those two very different jobs.

Just trying to connect the dots.....

NRG,

If/when a New New Deal is reached, many new jobs will be supposedly "created". Not just structural engineers and ditch diggers, but cubicle drone jobs as well. Even so, unemployment is an excellent motivator for some young software engineer to change careers and begin more physical labor. Reminds me of the movie "Office Space" , although the motivator won't be because he hates his job, but because he doesn't have one anymore. Additionally, virtually none of those jobs will assist the triangle economy. Our roads and what few bridges we have are perfectly sound and secure and we don't have the same level of need that other regions of the country have.

[tlh1005]

Originally Posted by ViewFromThePeak

IBM was a little more of a surprise to folks because they are a fairly profitable business even nowadays.

You don't know IBM then.... IBM hasn't been "Your father's IBM" for a long time now. It used to be a lucrative job, nowadays when I hear someone say they are an IBM'er I wonder what they think about all of the layoffs they've had over the years and the rumors that Global Services will be cut in HALF!

I knew a guy who graduated from comp-sci a semester earlier than I, we were both up for jobs there and lucky for me he got the job. He was laid off before he even started work.

I feel bad for all of the people having to deal with yet another IBM "resource adjustment", or whatever they call it these days.

[Native NC]

Originally Posted by mzd

It does happen at IBM. The folks to be laid off are identified, and then the managers give them a low rating to justify letting them go. If a person has been targeted for being laid off, there is not much that s/he can do. The manager will find a way to justify the low rating.
As for how I know: I have been on both sides of the table.

Indeed it is true and is woven all through this what they term "reduction in force". There is recourse though and attorneys willing to assist. If you have been on both sides of that table, where do you rank your business ethics? Have you been asked to diminish an employee's PCB rating?

[uncletupelo]

view- just the know it all and complaining blowins. the rest of the newcomers are fine by me. most natives that i know(basically everyone i know) feels the exact same way.