Sorry to say this but my “real” job is going to take up most of my time for the rest of December.  I’ve worked a lot of extra hours over the last couple of months.  I will probably continue to work extra hours for the rest of December.  (Right up to the end of my current program; most likely resulting in being laid off in Jan.)

As a result of the extra hours, I have to choose between time with my kids and time with my website.  Sorry again but I’m choosing the kids.  I’ll do my best to post as often as I can in the next couple of weeks.

Layoffs suck…

I work in the Aerospace industry.  It used to be a 7 year cycle of ups and downs.  Thankfully the 7 year cycle doesn’t appear to be sync’ed in time between the different Aerospace companies.  Unfortunately the 7 year cycle appears to be more like 3 or 4 years now.

During the down side of the Aerospace business cycle layoffs happen (also read s**t happens).  Over this last year my company has been in a constant state of trickling layoffs.  My employer has stated that people with the correct skill set will be kept.  The reality appears to be that dumb luck defines who stays and who goes.

A state of constant layoffs drives morale into the basement.  As a result most people who can find a satisfactory replacement job have done so.  That isn’t to say the rest of us are unemployable by another company but many are looking for a job in just the right place with the right salary and several other factors.  There’s no need to take just any job so long as you still have your current job.

Morale after over a year of constant layoffs

The morale in any company after over a year in a state of constant layoffs is always terrible.  There is no other way to describe it.  After a year, every employee

1. has lost faith in their upper management to fix the situation. 
2. is sick of waiting for things to get better on their own. 
3. is sick of the revolving door of hirings, firings, adn reorganizations at the top. 
4. has had their hopes for a promotion in the near future quashed.
5. has gotten no raise or a crummy raise.
6. has watched a lot of friends leave or get the pink slip.
7. feels unappreciated.
8. is ready to move on. 

So who’s left?

 After a year of layoffs, who’s left?  You can probably answer that for yourself but it boils down to the people with no ambition and the people looking for another job.  The people looking won’t just stop looking when things get better.

Do layoffs payoff?

Layoffs happen.  After a couple of years of good profits most companies have some deadwood.  Short targeted layoffs are probably worth doing every so often.  Long, drawn out layoffs just drive everyone to look for alternative employment.

In engineering, there is a “coming up speed” time that every new employee goes through.  New employees have to learn the ins and outs of the company’s processes.  New employees have to learn the people involved.  New employees have to learn the already developed tools and the tools that still need development.  Replacing an engineer is not cheap but the true cost doesn’t appear to be recognized by the guys at the top.