Best of luck guy. You have your work cut out for you. Hugs and hope.

Ugh. Letting people go is the worst and when it could have been better planned or avoided...beyond frustrating. When I started managing, I figured out why the older generation use to keep a flask of whiskey in their bottom desk drawer. For days like that. (Not that I'm advocating alcohol as a solution. Joann's idea of a hug is probably better.)

That's a problem that is being faced by so many NHS hospitals here in the UK (my own hospital is now around £80 million in the red).

In order to avoid wide scale redundancies, many jobs have been regraded which has lead to a reduction in pay (thankfully my job is funded at a national level so I'm not affected).

Many hospitals over here are now cutting external contracts and directly employing the relevant staff themselves. My hospital recently decided to employ its own catering team instead of using the contractor any longer, and we have (allegedly) managed to save a predicted £100k.

It really sucks to be in the position of firing people. Of course, when they tell you to fire people, they mean the ordinary workers; God forbid you suggest firing one of the managers, or one of the board members. In my hospital, you could either fire ten ordinary workers or one senior manager - guess which our COO would prefer?

Contractors and consultants can really cost a business a lot...not just their fees, but the damage they do to morale. Only CEOs are a greater burden.

I'm not sure why you have to fire the innocent employees. I would guess your intrepid CEO earns at least 10 times what you do. He should bear the glad tidings. Of course, he could hire a contractor to do the deed.

what the hell is wrong with that CEO! He should be fired.

You could always volunteer to quit and save someone else their job

Anyways, over 200 busy bees were set free just this past Thursday at my mom's office when their entire department got outsourced to India or some shit. I'm not at the position where I could live with myself if I had the authority to executive lay offs that could put thousands of people out of work and practiced it.

You could always volunteer to quit and save someone else their job

 

Anyways, over 200 busy bees were set free just this past Thursday at my mom's office when their entire department got outsourced to India or some shit. I'm not at the position where I could live with myself if I had the authority to executive lay offs that could put thousands of people out of work and practiced it.

Actually, this is my last straw, I can't save their jobs based on my meager salary, but I am not going to continue working for an organization that has such crazy management, who don't take personal responsibility about their own bad choices.

My heart goes out to you. This type of me-first mentality is what's really wrong with corporate culture. Once management attains a certain status, they're no longer accountable for their actions, because they can cut back everybody else's piece of the pie to cover their own shortcomings or lack of sound judgment.

W_L, I wish you all the luck in the world, and have every confidence you'll emerge from this a stronger and better man. I'll keep you in my thoughts.

Some people don't realize when they move up to a higher position, it comes with higher responsibility. I think the management has to be pretty bad to be able to have such unauthorized purchase, but then it's not unique to your organization.

No, you can't save them, because you ain't superman. I tried to save some people, but it didn't help my career. So as much as we'd love to be saints, choose wisely. If your CEO couldn't understand his intemperance in using money has a consequence of costing other people's lives, there is nothing you can make him learn to be a better human being. Some executives do earn their positions, but some are purely up there through fate (and they don't know how lucky they are).

I might side with Y_B that you can always quit, but just remember, it didn't help my career one bit. If you defy to "lay off" 20 people, they'll just find another person to "fire" you and lay off the 20 people (lay off and fire are different. You fire someone who has done misconduct. "Lay off" is a result of reorganization, the person isn't stigmatized with labels. People who are laid off gets benefits after release. Fired person gets nothing).

Wow, that really doesn't sound like a good situation to be in.

not what i meant...

not what i meant...

I don't mean you're asking him to quit, but anyways.... Gosh, let's not .

not what i meant...

I was getting to that point either way, the management has changed significantly over the 2 years I have been working. On one hand, it has allowed me the ability to quickly rise through ability and talent in an organization that lacks decisive leadership, on the other hand, there is a reason why management is that bad.

Did we get a whole new set of emoticons?