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Professional Question: Blindsiding Staff...

FleshEater

FleshEater

Ordinary Average Guy
Joined
May 21, 2020
Member Number
832
Messages
3,528
Loc
Pennsylvania
So, because of COVID-19, I'm losing a lot of my staff, permanently.

Because we mainly hire disabled individuals, we have to maintain a certain ratio per contracts. However, as lower staff reduction occurs, my management is at risk of being demoted/moved around.

In your opinion, is it better to blindside my management staff with this information, or give them a heads up that something "could" possibly change? I've worked with a couple of these people for 10 years, and some for almost 5 years. I've been blindsided before and it's not pleasant. Neither option is pleasant, but when it happened to me it felt deceitful.

What says IBB?
 
Heads up for sure. I'd even bang out a letter of recommendation for them as well.

Relevant video:
 
Agreed being blindsided usually leaves a bad taste in peoples mouths.
 
If you can give them a heads-up without divulging anything that could come back to bite you in the ass, then yes, give them a heads up. I've seen well meaning people get in shit because of confidential information they let slip with the best intentions.
 
There is no good way. Just do everything with respect and honesty.
 
Even when I've been shitcanned for it, I never regretted being straight forward and honest with people. I try to treat people like I want to be treated and I would like to know if I need to be making contacts with people to line up my next gig.
 
aquad00d said:
If you can give them a heads-up without divulging anything that could come back to bite you in the ass, then yes, give them a heads up. I've seen well meaning people get in shit because of confidential information they let slip with the best intentions.
Click to expand...

This is solid^^^

Say what you can so at least they can prepare for it
 
I would give them a heads up and maybe make some phone calls to other companies you may know to help them out. People may be pissed, but they will respect you!
 
Okay, I knew I made the right move. They're panicked at this moment, but I told them I wanted to be upfront and honest and not blindside them IF something happens.

Luckily no one on site will be terminated, but demoted. The people who took a voluntary furlough over this, though, they'll be axed. My devotion right now is to the current staff who have stuck it out with us for 7 months, while not reaping all the unemployment benefits offered by the .gov. I'm so thankful for those employees.
 
That's shitty for the people taking a voluntary furlough. My wife almost took one and I told her hell no for your reasons. Sucks because people think they are helping the biz and get axed anyway.
 
aquad00d said:
If you can give them a heads-up without divulging anything that could come back to bite you in the ass, then yes, give them a heads up. I've seen well meaning people get in shit because of confidential information they let slip with the best intentions.
Click to expand...

Spot on advice. CYA 1st though.
 
Good on you for doing that. I’ve had it both ways and panicked both ways. But being blindsided felt like the company was heartless and deceitful.
 
FleshEater said:
Okay, I knew I made the right move. They're panicked at this moment, but I told them I wanted to be upfront and honest and not blindside them IF something happens.

Luckily no one on site will be terminated, but demoted. The people who took a voluntary furlough over this, though, they'll be axed. My devotion right now is to the current staff who have stuck it out with us for 7 months, while not reaping all the unemployment benefits offered by the .gov. I'm so thankful for those employees.
Click to expand...

There is no such thing as a blindside in this Covid economy. Everyone knows business are failing, struggling, shifting and scrambling.

You made a mistake from a business perspective. You are now paying people to look for jobs during working hours. The responses you are getting seem to be from employees, of course they want a heads up, who wouldn't. I would want that information as soon as possible. You are no longer paying people to work for you and in the interest of your business. You are now running a crew who is
-off tilt
-unfocused
-not doing the job your company requires
-they are stressed and nervous
-they are job hunting while you pay
-its now public information that you are struggling... and your people will tell people

In most scenarios it is bad for your business to put people on notice. You have violated your fiduciary responsibility to your company but hey... at least you are a humanist with a heart, right?


From the people perspective, you did them a favor. It was certainly good for each of them to know what was coming. You feel better and they have important information relevant to their future.


I cant give you my opinion if it was the right move or wrong move. It depends on your business, market, the talent pool, the employees, and on and on. You might have caused serious havoc and damage to your business OR it might not negatively affect and everyone has vital info. it depends.


Be very careful publicly and in writing saying why you terminated someone or a group of people. Depends on your state but that could violate a few things.
 
Poke said:
There is no such thing as a blindside in this Covid economy. Everyone knows business are failing, struggling, shifting and scrambling.

You made a mistake from a business perspective. You are now paying people to look for jobs during working hours. The responses you are getting seem to be from employees, of course they want a heads up, who wouldn't. I would want that information as soon as possible. You are no longer paying people to work for you and in the interest of your business. You are now running a crew who is
-off tilt
-unfocused
-not doing the job your company requires
-they are stressed and nervous
-they are job hunting while you pay
-its now public information that you are struggling... and your people will tell people

In most scenarios it is bad for your business to put people on notice. You have violated your fiduciary responsibility to your company but hey... at least you are a humanist with a heart, right?


From the people perspective, you did them a favor. It was certainly good for each of them to know what was coming. You feel better and they have important information relevant to their future.


I cant give you my opinion if it was the right move or wrong move. It depends on your business, market, the talent pool, the employees, and on and on. You might have caused serious havoc and damage to your business OR it might not negatively affect and everyone has vital info. it depends.


Be very careful publicly and in writing saying why you terminated someone or a group of people. Depends on your state but that could violate a few things.
Click to expand...

That's one way to look at it. Another is that you want trust to run both ways, and should treat employees the way you want to be treated, and trust that they will not behave inappropriately as a result.... My $0.02, if you have a relationship where employees would behave like that then they are probably not focused on the job to begin with.

Of course, that assume the conversation is a 'we're having issues and may have to make changes to job assignments, etc., not sure yet but giving you a heads up' vs a 'I'm going to fire 4 of ya'll next week, good luck, hahahaha!"
 
Poke said:
There is no such thing as a blindside in this Covid economy. Everyone knows business are failing, struggling, shifting and scrambling.

You made a mistake from a business perspective. You are now paying people to look for jobs during working hours. The responses you are getting seem to be from employees, of course they want a heads up, who wouldn't. I would want that information as soon as possible. You are no longer paying people to work for you and in the interest of your business. You are now running a crew who is
-off tilt
-unfocused
-not doing the job your company requires
-they are stressed and nervous
-they are job hunting while you pay
-its now public information that you are struggling... and your people will tell people

In most scenarios it is bad for your business to put people on notice. You have violated your fiduciary responsibility to your company but hey... at least you are a humanist with a heart, right?


From the people perspective, you did them a favor. It was certainly good for each of them to know what was coming. You feel better and they have important information relevant to their future.


I cant give you my opinion if it was the right move or wrong move. It depends on your business, market, the talent pool, the employees, and on and on. You might have caused serious havoc and damage to your business OR it might not negatively affect and everyone has vital info. it depends.


Be very careful publicly and in writing saying why you terminated someone or a group of people. Depends on your state but that could violate a few things.
Click to expand...

I get what you're saying, but this place is far different than any "business" you might know.

The people on furlough aren't being terminated because of me. When they left, our site had a tenant count of roughly 2,000 people. After COVID that number has been reduced to 200. The damage is done. While we might see people returning to our location, they'll never be at 2,000 people every day, ever again. We might see 40% of that. So, it's out of pure necessity that those furloughed will be cut. It's already been 7 months, so that's a month longer than our company usually hangs onto people.

Also, this area is not job privy. There's no other industry for anyone to leave to. This site has literally been the largest employer in our area for over 30 years. Nothing even comes close to the security, the pay, or the benefits.

All of us have come from the bottom up. It sucks taking one step down, but everything about this COVID sucks. We haven't even seen the large scale affect this is going to have on the economy in our state. I'm pretty sure Wolf has literally destroyed well over 100,000 jobs with his decisions.
 
junkytj said:
Even when I've been shitcanned for it, I never regretted being straight forward and honest with people. I try to treat people like I want to be treated and I would like to know if I need to be making contacts with people to line up my next gig.
Click to expand...

This and then there is the "protect yourself" part. ..
 
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