Corp Marketing Layoffs

[deepsouthmamaw]

oh ok guess thats why they r getting rid of marketing ppl the drivers have to do your job now so u have none

 

[moreluck]

I thought I heard they are hiring marketing execs off the street.

 

[Cezanne]

I thought I heard they are hiring marketing execs off the street.[/QUOTE ) You mean the ones with the hand written cardboard "work for food" signs?

 

[tieguy]

They were primarily let go based on their results from last year's Marketing Competency Assessment. Last year, based on recommendations from McKinsey consulting, everyone in marketing was ranked by their manager on several core areas of marketing skills. Yes, some of the people that got laid off were not good employees. But, many of them seem to have gotten low scores on that assessment because they were not liked by their manager or because they had recently been asked to move into Marketing. Some were even PROMOTED recently! Then, BOOM, sorry, you don't have the skills we need, we'll NDA you your stuff. Something don't smell right about this.

One observation was that there was a MUCH higher proportion of employees laid off that had minority / double-minority status, relative to the proportion of minority people at UPS. Many women and african-americans. Could some subconscious level of implicit racism/not liking people that are different, by their managers, have played a role? I hope not. :-(

PS I've heard from a senior manager at corp. that other corp. departments should expect cuts. Some rumor-based guesses: Shared Services, HR, Automotive, Sales Training.

I'm not sure I would have left without time to collect my personal items. There aren't too many LP folks around big enough to bounce me out of the club and the police would not support my being forced to leave without my personal items.

 

[upssalesguy]

You must not make any money

wow. and I am the one calling people out.

sorry that should read YOU would not make any money

is that what you really mean? MY PAY IS BASED ON PERFORMANCE. jerky.

oh ok guess thats why they r getting rid of marketing ppl the drivers have to do your job now so u have none

was that sent from your blackberry? vry gd skilz haz u

 

[BrownGhost74]

I thought I heard they are hiring marketing execs off the street.

Actually that started back in December when UPS Marketing went outside and hired ~40 marketing execs to bring in the skills that Marketing says they needed. Then to stay head count neutral, they let experienced UPSers go.

 

[BrownGhost74]

They were primarily let go based on their results from last year's Marketing Competency Assessment. Last year, based on recommendations from McKinsey consulting, everyone in marketing was ranked by their manager on several core areas of marketing skills. Yes, some of the people that got laid off were not good employees. But, many of them seem to have gotten low scores on that assessment because they were not liked by their manager or because they had recently been asked to move into Marketing. Some were even PROMOTED recently! Then, BOOM, sorry, you don't have the skills we need, we'll NDA you your stuff. Something don't smell right about this.

One observation was that there was a MUCH higher proportion of employees laid off that had minority / double-minority status, relative to the proportion of minority people at UPS. Many women and african-americans. Could some subconscious level of implicit racism/not liking people that are different, by their managers, have played a role? I hope not. :-(

PS I've heard from a senior manager at corp. that other corp. departments should expect cuts. Some rumor-based guesses: Shared Services, HR, Automotive, Sales Training.

Now I'm not sure of the rumors you mention, but the first part of this post is true. It was not as objective as it should have been and some good, talented people were let go. The whole culture of this company has changed! So much for "promotion from within"! So much for "career development"! So much for the "partnership" concept - but then that's been gone for while now.

 

[Cezanne]

Now I'm not sure of the rumors you mention, but the first part of this post is true. It was not as objective as it should have been and some good, talented people were let go. The whole culture of this company has changed! So much for "promotion from within"! So much for "career development"! So much for the "partnership" concept - but then that's been gone for while now.

Sure hate to tell you this, but it was never there to begin with. The (let them eat cake) mentality and study your history and see where this is heading....

 

[deepsouthmamaw]

wow. and I am the one calling people out. you said people should be paid by their work performance. you guys are the one dumping all your work on the drivers. maybe if you did the work you guys dumped on the drivers you guys would still have something to do and you ppl would still have a job



is that what you really mean? MY PAY IS BASED ON PERFORMANCE. jerky.that would be jerket to you



was that sent from your blackberry? vry gd skilz haz u

if you want to be the spelling and blogging police that might be a good job for you

 

[bluehdmc]

From what I heard, they put them all in a conference room, let them know it was their last day and then told them they will be walked out and their personal belongings will be sent to them. Ouch.

I'm not sure I would have left without time to collect my personal items. There aren't too many LP folks around big enough to bounce me out of the club and the police would not support my being forced to leave without my personal items.

This seems to be a common corporate thing anymore, escorting former employees off the property,I've heard of this happening elsewhere. As far as I know the police would support this. You are an "at-will" employee, other than your briefcase or purse anything in your desk could be considered company property. It is a shame you can't get your pesonal photos or whatever. They don't want you sneaking that disc of confidential information with you.

 

[hangin455]

This seems to be a common corporate thing anymore, escorting former employees off the property,I've heard of this happening elsewhere. As far as I know the police would support this. You are an "at-will" employee, other than your briefcase or purse anything in your desk could be considered company property. It is a shame you can't get your pesonal photos or whatever. They don't want you sneaking that disc of confidential information with you.

Good point - these folks probably access to a lot of "propriety" information.

 

[705red]

Like what? The colonels secret ingredients? The next mullet commercial to air? They were treated like crap! Bottom line! Its uncalled for and we will all see the ripple effects hurting this company down the road.

 

[hangin455]

Like what? The colonels secret ingredients? The next mullet commercial to air? They were treated like crap! Bottom line! Its uncalled for and we will all see the ripple effects hurting this company down the road.

I think these folks are privvy to lots of volume and revenue stuff.
I didn't mean to suggest that were in any way treated well.

 

[Catatonic]

Like what? The colonels secret ingredients? The next mullet commercial to air?

Believe it or not, there are e-mails, memos, initiative description, etc. that UPS would like to keep out of lawyers and competitors hands.

They were treated like crap! Bottom line! Its uncalled for and we will all see the ripple effects hurting this company down the road.

While not SOP for United Parcel Service this is what other companies have been doing for years (including FedEx). UPS is just implementing Best Practices from Consultants and benchmarked companies. Terminating people that have not committed a terminatible offense is new territory for UPS but I know UPS researched this ... we always do!
This is actually easier on the terminated employees and much less unsettling on the employees that stay. The bottom-line is that no matter how this is handled, it is still unsettling and demotivating to the remaining workforce.
As far as the ripple effect ... time will tell.

PS - Red, I am on vacation today ... just so you don't think I'm posting from work.

 

[FAVREFAN]

Like what? The colonels secret ingredients? The next mullet commercial to air? They were treated like crap! Bottom line! Its uncalled for and we will all see the ripple effects hurting this company down the road.

The Colonels secret ingredients! LMAO!

 

[Cezanne]

Believe it or not, there are e-mails, memos, initiative description, etc. that UPS would like to keep out of lawyers and competitors hands.


While not SOP for United Parcel Service this is what other companies have been doing for years (including FedEx). UPS is just implementing Best Practices from Consultants and benchmarked companies. Terminating people that have not committed a terminatible offense is new territory for UPS but I know UPS researched this ... we always do!
This is actually easier on the terminated employees and much less unsettling on the employees that stay. The bottom-line is that no matter how this is handled, it is still unsettling and demotivating to the remaining workforce.
As far as the ripple effect ... time will tell.

PS - Red, I am on vacation today ... just so you don't think I'm posting from work.

So much about being "Union Free".

 

[705red]

Believe it or not, there are e-mails, memos, initiative description, etc. that UPS would like to keep out of lawyers and competitors hands.


While not SOP for United Parcel Service this is what other companies have been doing for years (including FedEx). UPS is just implementing Best Practices from Consultants and benchmarked companies. Terminating people that have not committed a terminatible offense is new territory for UPS but I know UPS researched this ... we always do!
This is actually easier on the terminated employees and much less unsettling on the employees that stay. The bottom-line is that no matter how this is handled, it is still unsettling and demotivating to the remaining workforce.
As far as the ripple effect ... time will tell.

PS - Red, I am on vacation today ... just so you don't think I'm posting from work.

SOP, and that is what has seserated us from everyone else, we have never operated like tht. This company has been run like the biggest family owned company forever. People mattered at the time when I started, now we are no different than Fedex in your own words. We thoought Eskew was bad? Davis is worse ad he has broght his outside influence in and done away with the way UPS should be run.

Evevryone should be pissed over this! Boycott the stock, some kind of employee uprising in retaliation!

 

[tieguy]

Believe it or not, there are e-mails, memos, initiative description, etc. that UPS would like to keep out of lawyers and competitors hands.


While not SOP for United Parcel Service this is what other companies have been doing for years (including FedEx). UPS is just implementing Best Practices from Consultants and benchmarked companies. Terminating people that have not committed a terminatible offense is new territory for UPS but I know UPS researched this ... we always do!
This is actually easier on the terminated employees and much less unsettling on the employees that stay. The bottom-line is that no matter how this is handled, it is still unsettling and demotivating to the remaining workforce.
As far as the ripple effect ... time will tell.

PS - Red, I am on vacation today ... just so you don't think I'm posting from work.

I hate to chime in and validate a rumor that may not be true but I would not totally be surprised. The partnership legacy is gone. I think the future holds more performance based discharges.

 

[hey1you]

SOP, and that is what has seserated us from everyone else, we have never operated like tht. This company has been run like the biggest family owned company forever. People mattered at the time when I started, now we are no different than Fedex in your own words. We thoought Eskew was bad? Davis is worse ad he has broght his outside influence in and done away with the way UPS should be run.

Evevryone should be pissed over this! Boycott the stock, some kind of employee uprising in retaliation!

I wonder if an officer worker union for corporate employees / field marketing / sales / etc. would fly. OPEIU seems to have a good one. I know professionals in other walks of life who are part of unions, and they really appreciate the power it gives the employee. The dues are not that outrageous either (e.g. $420-$600 per year, but they make that up easily in raises), from what I've heard.

Let me get a head count --- who would be interested in learning more about a white-collar union???

http://www.opeiu.org/NeedAUnion/FrequentlyAskedQuestions/tabid/116/Default.aspx

 

[NHDRVR]

Lets be honest here. I've read your many posts here. I've read the many posts of those who work in the airline industry the pilots and mechanics. You folks are in my opion the most pampered and catered to prima donnas I have ever seen in this company. Most upsers come in and grind out a very hard living working for a very demanding company. You folks cry when the cavier is not baluga. You cry if the toilet paper is not made of silk. Please don't insult our intelligence by even suggesting that you folks would actually consider doing anything that would resemble an act of loyalty towards this company.[/QUOTE]

Now that was refreshing...

There is a disconnect between those in operations and those who work in the general offices. I always thought of UPS as those 2 sides and not really union/management. Those who work in the GO's will never truly understand what a driver goes through during the day with aches, pains, and general b.s. We, on the other hand, will never know the feeling of showing up to work one morning and be brought into a conference room to be told we are now unemployed. Each position, hourly, management, automotive has it's own stresses...blah, blah, blah We know all of this and the best Sales Reps. are the ones who know it also. The particular Reps. in our center never have a bad thing to say about any driver. I don't know if they do this differently in NNE but they are frequently on road and, IMHO, do a very good job trying to juggle too many accounts for one person to handle.

Having said that...

It would be nice If I stopped hearing how we, the drivers, 'don't really understand' what is going on with UPS and the economy. That patronizing crap needs to stop coming down from the top... (I am not referring to your particular post Tieguy)