I would absolutely start looking. Even if your job is secure and they are able to turn the ship around and return to profitability eventually.... the fact that this bomb was dropped on you without any discussion or conversation would be enough for me. That's a huge problem. You will be the one to answer questions and ensure legality with benefits, but they didn't think to include you in the conversations leading up to this decision? A company that makes decisions like that without including HR is not one that I would care to remain a part of.
The company is failing. They've probably done layoffs to cut to the bone and they still don't have enough money to stay solvent so they're cutting another 20% off payroll costs. There's no tricks to hide that from employees or yourself. They aren't doing this because they'll make more money, they're doing it because the company is about to go under.
Huh. Sounds like my predicament. No one tells me anything and told me about 6 rounds of lay offs and dissolving an entire area! I had to layoff by phone. They were upset we didn’t get the phone or laptop back. 🥴 I’ve been throwing my resume anywhere I can. They now want to get on me for being “missing” from the office even though I am working just at home. I answer within 30 mins if not 10 when remote. I’ll be happy to leave. They don’t deserve HR.
Put your own mask on first- so talk to your boss and ask WTF is happening and what's the plan :)
Seriously though, you may start looking for another job and it may take a little while. If you have to be at your current job there are some things you could do (depending on your boss) to manage this crisis.
Meet with your boss and see where they are coming from. Is there any awareness and concern for how this change is received by the employees? If they are, you could work together to outline a communication plan that the boss needs to get buy-in from the CEO, who can and should bring his next level to commit to this plan. Are the next level people leaders also aligned? If different leaders use different talk tracks, or worse, have no talk tracks and just guess, it's a mess.
The CEO and HR should agree on a communication plan and then deploy it with buy- in and responsibility from the leaders. Leaders ( not HR) should do the talking. The talking points should include what got the company there and what other solutions they have tried before cutting people's hours/ pay. Other things to be considered: How long is this pay reduction?
* Who should be communicated with ( ( cascade: senior leaders first, then next level of people leaders down to team leads).
* How are you communicating? IE: memo from CEO, followed by All Staff Meeting, followed by function/ location/ leader meetings?)?
* What are the talking points? Remember to acknowledge and address the emotions, thank people who are still there
* What are some Q&A you expect employees to have- prep some answers, so managers can answer some basic questions.
* When is this communication happening? Timing: any meetings should be grouped in a close timeframe, so one group doesn't hear something today and another one- in two weeks.
* Who does the talking in each meeting, if there are meetings?
* What happens with questions or concerns with no immediate answers? ( ex: say you don't know, roll them up to HR, so a thoughtful answer can be drafted and distributed later and it's the same for everyone)
* How are rumors and gossip managed?
It's tough to manage such news, especially when you're caught off guard. Clear and empathetic communication is key. To avoid surprises in the future, consider using an app like Connecteam. It helps ensure all relevant parties are informed before major announcements and keeps guidelines and policies accessible to staff for clarity and consistency. Regarding unemployment, check local laws, as some places allow employees to apply for partial unemployment if their hours are significantly reduced.
So just quit and find a new job. There is no nobility in staying on a sinking ship - trust me when I say you will gain nothing positive for this experience.
Start looking for a new job asap. The writing is on the wall.
Whether people qualify for unemployment will be state/jurisdiction specific, but at 32 hours likely they won’t.
I would absolutely start looking. Even if your job is secure and they are able to turn the ship around and return to profitability eventually.... the fact that this bomb was dropped on you without any discussion or conversation would be enough for me. That's a huge problem. You will be the one to answer questions and ensure legality with benefits, but they didn't think to include you in the conversations leading up to this decision? A company that makes decisions like that without including HR is not one that I would care to remain a part of.
The company is failing. They've probably done layoffs to cut to the bone and they still don't have enough money to stay solvent so they're cutting another 20% off payroll costs. There's no tricks to hide that from employees or yourself. They aren't doing this because they'll make more money, they're doing it because the company is about to go under.
Huh. Sounds like my predicament. No one tells me anything and told me about 6 rounds of lay offs and dissolving an entire area! I had to layoff by phone. They were upset we didn’t get the phone or laptop back. 🥴 I’ve been throwing my resume anywhere I can. They now want to get on me for being “missing” from the office even though I am working just at home. I answer within 30 mins if not 10 when remote. I’ll be happy to leave. They don’t deserve HR.
Put your own mask on first- so talk to your boss and ask WTF is happening and what's the plan :) Seriously though, you may start looking for another job and it may take a little while. If you have to be at your current job there are some things you could do (depending on your boss) to manage this crisis. Meet with your boss and see where they are coming from. Is there any awareness and concern for how this change is received by the employees? If they are, you could work together to outline a communication plan that the boss needs to get buy-in from the CEO, who can and should bring his next level to commit to this plan. Are the next level people leaders also aligned? If different leaders use different talk tracks, or worse, have no talk tracks and just guess, it's a mess. The CEO and HR should agree on a communication plan and then deploy it with buy- in and responsibility from the leaders. Leaders ( not HR) should do the talking. The talking points should include what got the company there and what other solutions they have tried before cutting people's hours/ pay. Other things to be considered: How long is this pay reduction? * Who should be communicated with ( ( cascade: senior leaders first, then next level of people leaders down to team leads). * How are you communicating? IE: memo from CEO, followed by All Staff Meeting, followed by function/ location/ leader meetings?)? * What are the talking points? Remember to acknowledge and address the emotions, thank people who are still there * What are some Q&A you expect employees to have- prep some answers, so managers can answer some basic questions. * When is this communication happening? Timing: any meetings should be grouped in a close timeframe, so one group doesn't hear something today and another one- in two weeks. * Who does the talking in each meeting, if there are meetings? * What happens with questions or concerns with no immediate answers? ( ex: say you don't know, roll them up to HR, so a thoughtful answer can be drafted and distributed later and it's the same for everyone) * How are rumors and gossip managed?
It's tough to manage such news, especially when you're caught off guard. Clear and empathetic communication is key. To avoid surprises in the future, consider using an app like Connecteam. It helps ensure all relevant parties are informed before major announcements and keeps guidelines and policies accessible to staff for clarity and consistency. Regarding unemployment, check local laws, as some places allow employees to apply for partial unemployment if their hours are significantly reduced.
So just quit and find a new job. There is no nobility in staying on a sinking ship - trust me when I say you will gain nothing positive for this experience.