Liars, Inc.
Have you ever noticed how I NEVER ONCE referred to my former employer by name?
Well, that's all about to change.
Lately I've been calling them "They Who Shall Not Be Named Because They Suck", but I'm really starting to think that they no longer deserve such courtesy. They suck – that much is true. But when they're pure out-and-out jerks to their few remaining employees, then they deserve to be called on the carpet for their lousy ethics and total jerkiness.
I'll let the below news article explain why I'm outing them. Be sure to note the portion I put in bold, and keep this in mind the next time you shop for a new computer.
* * * * * * * *
Acer Cutting 130 Jobs In North Sioux City
What was once the largest employer in the Sioux City area is laying off even more people. On Wednesday we learned that Acer which bought out Gateway computers is cutting 130 jobs.
Most of those positions come from Gateway's "BestPractices Center" and include tech support and management jobs. Workers learned of the mass layoff this morning at the company's plants in North SiouxCity, South Dakota and Irvine, California.
Back in October, Acer chairman and C-E-O J-T Wang told business week magazine that none of the Gateway jobs would be cut. Another company official told North Sioux City employees that their jobs weren't in jeopardy and newly laid off employees say that even management was shocked by today's news.
Gateway and Acer have agreed to pay the laid off workers through the end of March though they are no longer required to show up for their jobs.
* * * * * * * *
See what I said about "jerkiness"?
Truth be told, this isn't the first time that The Cow lied to their employees about layoffs. After a tense 18 months of uncertainly and sporadic job cuts, Ted Waitt, the founder/former CEO stood in front of us at a town hall meeting in November, 2003 and promised that there would be no more layoffs. "Those days are over, and I promise you there will be no more cuts." People stood and cheered – there was applause, hugs, tears, and a general sense of relief.
Seven days later, on December 3, Teddy & Co. fired 5,000 of my co-workers. That was the day we went from 12,000 employees to 7,000, and my little team went from 10 people to 5. Today? GTW has somewhere around 800 people left, compared to the 19,000 when I started 10 years ago.
Lying to your dedicated workers. Shocking, huh? Still, there really was no surprise in me that the Acer-hole management did the same thing to the few good people who remain with the company. In fact, I told the Lovely Mrs. G. in November when I read that they promised no more job cuts that oops – everyone working there had better start typing a resume today.
It's no secret that in most businesses today employees are disposable. They wring you out for everything they can get from you, then they toss you out on the street. Thanks, now get the hell out. So you need to be prepared at all times for the worst, but I know from experience that despite all of the ugliness around you, you still want to find the best in your employer. It's like working for Darth Vader, and hoping he'll come to his senses before the Emperor can get to him.
I spoke to a couple of people I still know there – they totally wiped out the Best Practices Center; i.e. their GTW-based tech support. They spent MILLIONS (literally) starting that up two years ago. I was offered a chance to go work in that group – and I'm damn glad I didn't take it. About 50 of the 130 people laid off were immediate co-workers of mine – a couple of them used to be in my team way back when, and the BPC dept. manager was my original GM when I first started at GTW 10 years ago.
It's a bloody shame what they've done to those people.
I've been fortunate enough to move on to a new employer that treats me with kindness, courtesy, and respect. I LOVE my new job, and I'm looking forward to rocking the socks off of this place for years to come.
I doubt that the new place will ever pull that "Oh, we're not gonna do any job cuts" crap on us, mainly because I think they've got something Gateway sold off years ago – their heart. It was a 180 degree turnaround for me to come to a company that actually cares for their workers. And you know what? I kinda like it.
My heart goes out to my old GTW friends – both current and former – and I hope that they'll be able to bounce back without having to resort to groveling for some awful outsourcer. May you find the happiness at work that I now have.
And Acer management? I hope you live to regret treating people so bad.
Well, that's all about to change.
Lately I've been calling them "They Who Shall Not Be Named Because They Suck", but I'm really starting to think that they no longer deserve such courtesy. They suck – that much is true. But when they're pure out-and-out jerks to their few remaining employees, then they deserve to be called on the carpet for their lousy ethics and total jerkiness.
I'll let the below news article explain why I'm outing them. Be sure to note the portion I put in bold, and keep this in mind the next time you shop for a new computer.
* * * * * * * *
Acer Cutting 130 Jobs In North Sioux City
What was once the largest employer in the Sioux City area is laying off even more people. On Wednesday we learned that Acer which bought out Gateway computers is cutting 130 jobs.
Most of those positions come from Gateway's "BestPractices Center" and include tech support and management jobs. Workers learned of the mass layoff this morning at the company's plants in North SiouxCity, South Dakota and Irvine, California.
Back in October, Acer chairman and C-E-O J-T Wang told business week magazine that none of the Gateway jobs would be cut. Another company official told North Sioux City employees that their jobs weren't in jeopardy and newly laid off employees say that even management was shocked by today's news.
Gateway and Acer have agreed to pay the laid off workers through the end of March though they are no longer required to show up for their jobs.
* * * * * * * *
See what I said about "jerkiness"?
Truth be told, this isn't the first time that The Cow lied to their employees about layoffs. After a tense 18 months of uncertainly and sporadic job cuts, Ted Waitt, the founder/former CEO stood in front of us at a town hall meeting in November, 2003 and promised that there would be no more layoffs. "Those days are over, and I promise you there will be no more cuts." People stood and cheered – there was applause, hugs, tears, and a general sense of relief.
Seven days later, on December 3, Teddy & Co. fired 5,000 of my co-workers. That was the day we went from 12,000 employees to 7,000, and my little team went from 10 people to 5. Today? GTW has somewhere around 800 people left, compared to the 19,000 when I started 10 years ago.
Lying to your dedicated workers. Shocking, huh? Still, there really was no surprise in me that the Acer-hole management did the same thing to the few good people who remain with the company. In fact, I told the Lovely Mrs. G. in November when I read that they promised no more job cuts that oops – everyone working there had better start typing a resume today.
It's no secret that in most businesses today employees are disposable. They wring you out for everything they can get from you, then they toss you out on the street. Thanks, now get the hell out. So you need to be prepared at all times for the worst, but I know from experience that despite all of the ugliness around you, you still want to find the best in your employer. It's like working for Darth Vader, and hoping he'll come to his senses before the Emperor can get to him.
I spoke to a couple of people I still know there – they totally wiped out the Best Practices Center; i.e. their GTW-based tech support. They spent MILLIONS (literally) starting that up two years ago. I was offered a chance to go work in that group – and I'm damn glad I didn't take it. About 50 of the 130 people laid off were immediate co-workers of mine – a couple of them used to be in my team way back when, and the BPC dept. manager was my original GM when I first started at GTW 10 years ago.
It's a bloody shame what they've done to those people.
I've been fortunate enough to move on to a new employer that treats me with kindness, courtesy, and respect. I LOVE my new job, and I'm looking forward to rocking the socks off of this place for years to come.
I doubt that the new place will ever pull that "Oh, we're not gonna do any job cuts" crap on us, mainly because I think they've got something Gateway sold off years ago – their heart. It was a 180 degree turnaround for me to come to a company that actually cares for their workers. And you know what? I kinda like it.
My heart goes out to my old GTW friends – both current and former – and I hope that they'll be able to bounce back without having to resort to groveling for some awful outsourcer. May you find the happiness at work that I now have.
And Acer management? I hope you live to regret treating people so bad.
posted by Tommy G at
6:19 AM
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