What's happening where you work?

secretariata (Forum Supporter) said:

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In conversations with the boss over the past few weeks, it came out that he is doing "workforce/workflow" analysis which has not been requested by upper management in something like 20 years. From his description, this is how long should tasks take and how much production should be performed by each type and level of staff. The last time managers were asked to do this was a year or so prior to the last reorg.

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So, we recently had our 1st "quarterly" workload meeting in 18 months. The boss informed us that he did a 2 year workload projection and "justified" all of our positions for the next 2 years. Meanwhile, I've been "slow rolling" on some very minor stuff and charging 50% of my time to overhead. I've been told to expect this for at least the next 3-4 months. So that comfort of knowing all our positions have been "justified" for the next 2 years isn't much comfort, at least to me.

The guy that was hired 3 months before me also has barely any work and he got a nasty letter from the IRS Looking for mid 6 figures in taxes and penalties! Sounds like paperwork didn't get filed properly from the sale of his house when they moved here and the IRS thinks he pocketed the entire sale price when something like 70% of it went to pay off the mortgage. So at least I don't have that hanging over my head along with job security concerns.

My boss is making me pick up a neighbors tractor for an engine rebuild.

Getting ready to roll out windows 11 across the state. My current average of about 1300 miles a month driven for work is about to explode. Aside from that trying to find room for more people with no more space and restrictions on equipment orders. But it's less stressful than my job 3 months ago and I am paid way more. 

I'm picking up a Model A engine today.

Kind of hoping they'll lay me off in April so I can collect pogey for a year, then pack it in.

It's dead here

The guy who quit before Christmas called me in mid-January. Said he had made a mistake and wanted to know if he could come back to work. We sat down and talked about it and I agreed to hire him back. That brings the crew up to 8 with 4 trucks on the road. That is allowing us to catch up on the workload so response times for service are down. That makes for happy customers, which leads to...  

Things don't seem to be slowing down. Another competitor has pulled out of the area due to a lack of manpower. Their customers are starting to call us. 

Three of the largest employers in the area have large expansions in the works for 2024 and that and the continued population growth should keep things lively around here for the next couple of years. 

Some days I feel like Sisyphus. 

Peabody said:

Kind of hoping they'll lay me off in April so I can collect pogey for a year, then pack it in.

It's dead here

Me again. 
 

The company today announced that they will be accepting requests for temporary layoffs. No time limit, but benefits will continue, and we will be able to collect unemployment insurance benefits. 

My area is slowing/shrinking.  I've had a few interviews with companies in similar industries and will video chat here in 5 minutes with HR from a healthcare product company.  If I want to do more than tread water, this healthcare product company may be the way forward?  Wish me luck.

In reply to Toyman! :

do not lament Sisyphus. Pushing the rock gave him purpose. Without it, he'd just be a guy at the bottom of a hill.

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Toyman! :

do not lament Sisyphus. Pushing the rock gave him purpose. Without it, he'd just be a guy at the bottom of a hill.

Purpose is not a bad thing, but some days the top of the hill doesn't look to be getting any closer. One day, I'd like to reach it. 

Toyman! said:

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Toyman! :

do not lament Sisyphus. Pushing the rock gave him purpose. Without it, he'd just be a guy at the bottom of a hill.

Purpose is not a bad thing, but some days the top of the hill doesn't look to be getting any closer. One day, I'd like to reach it. 

may i remind you that you drive a Bentley?

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

Toyman! said:

AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Toyman! :

do not lament Sisyphus. Pushing the rock gave him purpose. Without it, he'd just be a guy at the bottom of a hill.

Purpose is not a bad thing, but some days the top of the hill doesn't look to be getting any closer. One day, I'd like to reach it. 

may i remind you that you drive a Bentley?

Having a Bentley is another reason to keep pushing the ball.

I also may have a streak of maschoism that goes with my sense of purpose. 

Think I'm going to go work for a VW dealer. This domestic tech life isn't for me, the whole non ac shop and race to the bottom hours that domestic manufacturers are running isn't too cool lol.

German engineering = job security.

I'm currently waiting to hear from a competitor about jumping to them in the insurance adjuster world. My current employer has morphed my job a couple of times into something I truly don't enjoy, and is now likely adding a whole other level of BS to it. I really don't want to change jobs again at 59, but I also don't want to do this mind numbing, virtual paper pushing job for my remaining years. So, we wait.

If I stay here, I quit in 3 years and take some lower paying job for a couple years until I'm 65 and can fully retire. If I make the move, I work another 5-6 years to that age but get another pension, while doing something I like far more. 

My job is steady, as there's always a shortage of apartment maintenance staff, but I really hate my career. Also, my current employer is a large "Affordable Housing" focused company, so if there is a recession, we should still be ok, IF the people running it don't bankrupt us first. There's a lot of employee turnover here, and several sites financials are not great. Upper management of course doesn't seem to care. TL;DR: Property Management is steady but soul-sucking.

Peabody said:

Peabody said:

Kind of hoping they'll lay me off in April so I can collect pogey for a year, then pack it in.

It's dead here

Me again. 
 

The company today announced that they will be accepting requests for temporary layoffs. No time limit, but benefits will continue, and we will be able to collect unemployment insurance benefits. 

uhhh.... Congratulations.  I think ?

I have so many rocks I'd rather be pushing up a hill than the current job-rock.  Car projects... house projects... travel... etc... 

"Where you work" update: still busy... still losing more guys in the electrical engineering dept than we can find replacements for.   Fortunately for me, the project I'm currently working on is so large that I don't have the bandwidth to take on a second or third project.  On the bright side, it makes filling out the forecasting database pretty easy.  For the first time my 23 years at this company, I actually have someone working under me, which is interesting.  I'm so used to be a "lone wolf" worker, that delegating work is not something that comes easy to me., but I'm slowly getting better. 

I am a Machine Repair Technician for a mid sized machine shop. We have 30 Haas CNC machines, 10 Mazaks, a couple ENSHU and Grob machines, 10, 14 and 16 foot Metlsaw Plate saws and 12 PMI cutting saws. We went from 5 shifts with 100 people per shift (M-Th 2x10, F-Su 2x12, M-F 5x8) to the Daytime M-Th and M-F having about 75% crew, Offshifts are all maybe 25% manned. Our company is primarily a recycling company and we lead up the Michigan can recycling program so we are pretty set there but it seems the manufacturing arm is down a bit. 

My book will be out of review on Amazon this week so If y'all would just order a couple hundred thousand to a million copies it would make my work week easier.

In reply to QuasiMofo (John Brown) :

What's the book?

Slightly off topic, but if I've been poached by another company is it better to tell my current boss I've been poached or simply that I'm putting in two weeks' notice?

I work in Metal Components manufacturing, mostly medical and furniture.  Our umbrella of companies makes everything from furniture to firetrucks and refurbished airplanes, we support those companies also.  We are slow, no OT for me and some are down to 35 hours a week.  We did just spend a big chunk on gently used equipment from a competitor so expecting a bounce back.

In reply to Crxpilot :

Unless you're trying to leverage your new offer to get a raise at your current employer and you want to stay with them, I don't see the advantage of offering up that information.  Employees change jobs all the time, you don't have to tell them the exact circumstances.

Edit to add:  I assumed that you don't have a signed "do not compete" clause/contract with your current employer.

Thanks. No non-compete.

In reply to Crxpilot :

Turn in 2 weeks and call it good. Always be prepared for them to walk you out as soon as that happens, especially if going to a competitor. 

The credit union at which I work is merging with another later this year.  I don' t know if my position translates to their position chart so while they've emphasized nobody is getting downsized, I have no idea what position I might have come the end of the year.  I really don't want to retire but I don't want to be a teller again and I really don't want to go back into foodservice management again...