A friend found out her branch office was closing, landlord showing office.

[Lost4words]

What a way to find out. She has till the end of Jan +/-.

If you work for Portamedic, you better ask your landlord, as Portamedic corp HQ has already negotiated ending leases of many many branches.

HQ is waiting for "THE RIGHT TIME" to tell the employees. We cant have them spending less for the holidays so they can be prepared for the downfall now can we!

Or maybe they plan to send emails out on December 24th!

My friends area manager had the nerve to say "At least you are getting paid"

Corporate generosity is so wonderful isnt it!

8643

[lectrobyte]

1. Yes, gotta love those December layoffs. Just happened to two

friends of mine.

[bleedingheart]

2. My husband got laid off from his last job three days after Christmas

I can't tell you how much that sucks.

[Bunny]

3. Well, I agree that management can be ham-handed at times, that's

for sure. But anytime there are going to be layoffs or closings at this time of the year, management can't do right by anyone. If they lay off before the holidays, so people know it's coming and can tone down their spending, management is the Grinch who wants to steal Christmas. If they wait till right after the holiday, management is bad because, if people had known they were going to be out of work, they could have spent less in preparation for lean times.

Either way, neither management nor employees win. I think the 4th quarter should end March 31 - kinda takes the holidays out of the picture.

[JHB]

5. I don't really see the equivalence...

The former may have them looking bad in some eyes, but that's preferable to having them act bad by any measure.

[Bunny]

7. So are you saying that if you were to be laid off in December, you

would prefer to know this before Christmas? I think I would prefer that myself, although it would sure ruin the holidays. But at least I'd know ahead of time that I probably shouldn't be dropping hundreds or even thousands of dollars on Christmas presents.

[Javaman]

10. Personally, I think the employer could have used more tact. nt

[Bunny]

11. I agree with you on that 100%.

[Lost4words]

14. That was really my point.

It would be as if movers came in for the furniture and PC's, Surprise loyal employees!

I felt the same way when the Baltimore Colts moved lock stock and barrel to Indianapolis overnight.

Just Plain Dissed!

[JHB]

17. Correct, that was my intent.

You may not be able to control a layoff, but the farther ahead of time you know, the more time you have to prepare. For a company to withhold the information just so that no one will "think they are grinches"... that's just not a valid excuse.

[bleedingheart]

6. well said...

my company's fiscal year ends way before the holidays so lay offs typically never occur during the "festive time"...

[Lost4words]

4. American workers need to learn one word. SOLIDARITY!

It worked in poland, it can work here.

start talking to your friends mention it over and over again.

Solidarity!

[northzax]

9. but it took Poland from lifetime full employment

to a market economy where layoffs work. That particular trade union has been savaged by the open market, the shipyards at Gdansk just can't compete with the rest of Europe-

not that you don't have a good idea, but it's not the best starting point, I think.

[Lost4words]

12. You make an excellent point!

You know to show my ignorance on the subject of Poland, I didnt know Solidarity was actually an active trade union.

But the thought of having a real voice,.... the masses of working class America coming together, truly uniting for common good, was a soothing fantasy I had earlier today.

But you are correct, and in hindsight Solidarity might not be the best movement descriptor.

:toast:

[Marrah_G]

8. wow....................

I run a life ins. brokerage.... we use PM all the time. Is the company itself folding?

[Lost4words]

16. Best to ask PM directly, I am a 3rd party in this.

Portamedic is owned by Hooper Holms and there were news releases from the co about a RIF at PM.

Best to do a google search on Hooper Holms to get the full picture.

[SoCalDem]

13. My husband was laid off once on the day before Thanksgiving

The only thing we had to be thankful for was that the boss at least paid him his vacation & severance and about $4k he owed us for stuff we had to put on one of OUR credit cards because HIS credit was so awful..:grr:

and one phone call later, my husband had a better job, closer to home..and he was able to kick back through the holidays and take it easy :)

There's never a good time to lose a job, but I have heard of many employers who lay people off right at the holiday time.. and most are not as lucky as my husband was :(

[InkAddict]

15. Holiday greetings like that just not!

After a lay-off in October in which the spouse got severence only because he signed away the right to sue, we got a Christmas card from the CEO - ouch!- just as the severence was over.