Layoff timing couldn’t have been worse
May 5, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Firing, In This Week's E-Newsletter, Latest News & Views
This hospital’s manager picked the worst possible time to tell a nurse she was being laid off.
Budgetary cutbacks forced Dean Health’s West Clinic in Madison, WI, to cut back on staff. Cutbacks aren’t unusual these days, but most managers are better at breaking the news.
One Dean nurse says she was assisting a surgery when her manager interrupted to hand her a pink slip. There was a period where no nurse was attending the procedure — which is a serious violation of medical protocol.
And presumably, the nurse had to return to the surgery and finish her job after hearing the news — not the most comforting thought for the patient.
What’s the worst firing story you’ve ever heard? Let us know about it in the comments section below.
May 5th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
I was the night shift Production Manager with 18 years of seniority. The numbers showed my group had the lowest error rate, highest production rate and lowest absenteeism of any shift. I had helped grow the group to be almost self supportive. But when it came time to downsize results didn’t matter because I had the least seniority of the group so it started with me. I remember the out of state DOM sliding the packet across the table and saying it was not performance related and it is affective immediately. I asked who was doing your computer back-ups tonight? Oh, you do that! Yes, I am also your assistant computer coordinator and I perform your nightly computer back-ups and do system repairs. I then asked who was doing the HazCom meeting for the plant scheduled next week? Oh, you do that to! Yes, I am also your plant Safety Director. He paused for a few moments and asked if I would stay on another 2 weeks to cross train people to take over my additional responsibilities. I did and walked out after 2 weeks hoping they would call me back but it didn’t happen. The worst part was I got the news on my wedding anniversary so after the meeting my wife was outside waiting for me to get off work so we could go out to dinner. “Honey, I just lost my job” put a damper on the special occasion. All has worked out OK since then so I can only say it was a learning experience.
May 8th, 2009 at 12:50 am
[...] Layoff timing couldn’t have been worse: Cutbacks arenu2019t unusual these days, but mos.. http://tinyurl.com/dzxrnu Tags: arenu2019t, [...]
May 8th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Patrick’s story underscores poor preparation and some good reasons why seniority is not the most useful method.
May 8th, 2009 at 11:15 am
I heard about this on the day it happened and could not figure why in the world the nurse could not have finished the surgery before getting notice. Was the “terminator” on a short timeline? That was absolutely appalling.
In 1984, my husband was the VP/Auditor for a large financial institution in California. Much of management was laid off/terminated, but they kept him. He was sent to Chicago in the snow to meet with some investors and assure them. He was then called to a small city reachable only by the company plane, and terminated on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving with no way to get home until the next day. The new COO who fired him was totally rude.
As an HR professional who has had to terminate and/or layoff many people in the last 29 years, the total lack of compassion and concern was amazing to me, especially after they had just used him for their own purposes.
That was when I started mistrusting the words and motives of company management and determined that no matter what I would do what I could to leave employees with as much dignity and support as possible.
May 8th, 2009 at 5:47 pm
In September of 1987 my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. The western division of my company new her very well and sat me down to offer all the help and care i needed to get us (and 3 sons) through this terrible experience. They told me to take off as much time as i needed to help her etc. I in turn told them working was good therapy for me thanks but no thanks. Two weeks later another H.R. person asked me to go to lunch and during lunch she started crying because she was ordered to inform me that i was being terminated. (they used terminology lay off slow business etc) In those days the word “stress” was just beginning to be the new “buzz” word, and the worst thing that could happen to anybody was have a spouse with a life threating medical problem and losing a job after 10 years plus. BINGO I FELL INTO THAT MAJOR CATEGORY. All worked out because the crummy severance package they were offering was thrown back in their face. I told them that at this division i hired 90% of all the 300 plus employees and it would not take long for them to find out that the H.R. person was being fired because his wife has breast cancer, and the company was concerned with their group insurance medical increase etc. Summarize to-date my wife is 22 years cancer free, i continue to work in a H.R. with an owner who is still irate how i was treated in 1987 and yes those responsible for my layoff are looking for work in their early 60’s. I hope this was not too lengthy but it taught me to look and listen to people differently when promises are made.