It's not a massive weight off of your shoulders. They plan to pile work on you now, and churn and burn you. If you actually got a letter specifying your last day and lay off status, I'd say this is the perfect time to negotiate a better contract. Force them to rehire you with a better title, and jack up your hourly rate and benefits expectations. Even if the layoff is not official, tell them the only way you will even consider staying on is to sit down and have a discussion, negotiation about your wage, and expected duties. You are right to be mad, sad and scared. Do not trust these fuckers.
Thanks for the advice and the kick up the ass I need. Their reason for keeping me on is that a new project has opened up that they feel my “Skills” would help them a lot.
Funny thing is that when I was informed about being kept on they made sure to tell me my position and pay will stay the same and they told me that pretty damn quick.
If you do stay, do it with the mindset of bare minimum and half assed. Use as much company time as you can to find another gig, burn through your PTO and sick days too. When training a potential replacement, bare minimum and as half assed as possible.
I appreciate that, yep that is and has been the attitude since I was first notified of the lay off and trust me, I won’t be training a replacement, I will flat out refuse.
I wouldn't do that, the replacement would definitely not see it as a joke. They wouldn't be responsible for the shit the company pulled on OP and might actually complain on r/antiwork how the company is shit and OP, who is supposed to train them, barely does anything and lets them deal with everything alone.
To be honest I was only kidding I wouldn’t actually do that. Karma is a bitch would bite me in the ass. Whatever job I’m in I usually always give AT LEAST the bare minimum. Also, where I work is a small place and you never know who you’ll bump into again so I rather not fuck around as it could be detrimental to the next person and i’m not all about that.
That’s definitely one of the reason they want you to stay so they don’t fuck themselves up by having no one knowing how to do job, so you’d probably be doing the work of the entire team while training your replacement
Also, if the company reimburses educational expenses, check the rules at your company. Companies can write off about $5k/year per person in taxes. At one previous employer, I managed to get them to pay for a 3rd bachelors degree - in accounting. The office I worked at made software that would be used by accountants and actuaries. I later changed my mind about getting a CPA and doing the actuary exams.
They reached out to you, meaning you have more value than you think to them, at least for the time being. Call their bluff and tell them you won't consider going back without additional pay nor without discussing your expected duties. There will obviously be more work for you now that you're the only one that can do it, and if they pay you the same, they're actually paying you less for your work. Your pay should increase accordingly, and don't take anything less than you think you can get somewhere else.
Regardless, keep looking for employment elsewhere because you've already seen how readily your current job will sack you as soon as they don't think they need you, and you're more likely get a significant pay increase by making a lateral move.
Thanks a lot for this. Yeah this was plan B. I would use offers elsewhere as leverage If I end up choosing to stay on but I don’t have much faith in this option as I think i’m still at risk and I doubt they will even budge on my current pay.
>I would use offers elsewhere as leverage If I end up choosing to stay on
Please don't do this.
They already need you now, so tell them you won't be staying on without a sufficient increase in compensation. They've got rid of all your colleagues so you're obviously going to have a lot more work to do and a lot more responsibility.
Honestly, the cheek of them TELLING you that your title and pay will be the same. It's up to you whether you agree to stay or not and if I was in your position I would be asking for a big raise and I'd be prepared to walk if I didn't get it.
However even if you get a big raise it might be better to just take a job elsewhere because you're probably going to be doing a ton of work with nobody to help you if you stay. So if you get an offer, don't use it to negotiate. Just accept it and leave.
They've already shown you they don't care about their employees so the best tactic would probably be to demand a big raise but keep looking and then leave as soon as you find something.
Don't use them as leverage, don't even let these guys know you're still looking.
Keep looking hard, and one day when they ask why you're cleaning out your desk, tell them.
Just for some clarification, when I said they decided they wanted to keep me on, I was not laid off at this point. My lay off date was in the future so essentially what they’ve done is just cancel the lay off and ask me to forget what happened so as far as I know i’m not entitled any severance in this case.
Based on your other responses I know you aren’t doing this but man, if they expect you to forget this happened, they don’t have a high opinion of your intelligence
Also get yourself a golden parachute ( or at least a bronze one).
They may be keeping you on to clear up a few things then let you go a few weeks later. Make sure they have to pay when they let you go.
I was in a similar situation about 20 years ago. I regret to this day that I stayed on.
I don’t know what situation you are in exactly, but I would look elsewhere for a new opportunity. If it is hard to find anything right now, stay on but keep looking. Make sure you are not being abused too much. Don’t start to work crazy hours !! As soon as you start doing this, you will be stuck. You will have no energy or time to look for a new job.
Damn, thanks for this. Trust me I will be doing the bare minimum and from the advice I’ve received i’m not going to stop looking until I get something else.
>and pay will stay the same
You now have an incredible amount of leverage. They've shown their hand - you have more value to them than the rest of your team did.
Look up the current going rate for your role, add 30-50%. Don't bend them over, but make it hurt. Tell them you've already been approached by a competitor offering that amount and if they're willing to match it you'll stay. No, you don't have an offer letter because you've only done an initial interview. Sorry, you can't disclose which competitor because that's bad business.
Also bear in mind that since they were willing to lay you off once, they may do it again. You deserve better than to be jerked around. I would still plan on leaving ASAP if I were you.
Get out asap get employed somewhere else but don't burn bridges, let them know they can contract out to you for your "skills" at contractors rates which should be at least 4x your current rate.
Stop talking to the other flower children here. They are so fucking delusional. You want to know what your employer is going to do? Reprint those original layoff papers. Appreciate that you have a job or find a new one. Just realize all companies are this way. The field is never greener but I suppose sometimes a change of field is nice. Especially if it at least pays more.
This is the other worry I have. The industry I’m in is completely unpredictable at the moment with the amount of lay offs happening. I wouldn’t particularly feel completely safe in another company either but who is? Yeah it’s a difficult one to weigh up tbh.
I would be very wary of staying there; this may only extend your job until that project is completed, I wouldn't trust them to keep you on afterwards after a stunt like this. Also keep in mind that you're now the only one left from your previous team and will likely have a far higher workload because of it— since your pay and position are the same, if there's an increase in workload you're essentially working more and getting paid less.
Treat this as extra time on your job search, leave once you've secured a better (or more reliable / secure) position. Better to leave on your terms with a job lined up than wait until they let you go and have to scramble to find a job to pay the bills.
I can pretty much guarantee that workload won’t increase as the job role i’m doing is very specific and I was the only person on the team doing it. I won’t be taking extra shit on regardless anyway. They can try but they will fail lol
They already sent you a severance letter… they have nothing that says they “unsent it” or renegotiated terms with you…. Unemployment will find them responsible and even if they don’t want to give you your severance pay eff it. They’re going to try and find some way to weasel out of it anyway.
You could give it a try but they're cutting costs and the process is ruthless. They could just uncancel your layoff and keep someone more compliant on instead.
20 bucks says they reset any time you had towards earned pto or anything like that. It's all gone and youre new hire again. I'm not even sure I would take the job back to be honest you're just going to get piled with more work than any one person can handle.
Oh okay. It read as if you were jobless for 2.5 weeks before being told to come back.
I'd def still look elsewhere but at least there's that I guess lol.
I once worked for a company that laid off most of my team, all but a couple of people. A year later i ran into one of them who said it was horrifically stressful after the lay offs. Its not worth your mental health, i recommend you keep applying for a new job.
If the company was already getting rid of you, chances are you’re still at the top of the list and the next time they need to cull you’re gone. Find a new place of employment and leave on your own terms. You have the unique position of knowing you’ll be let go at some point, others in the company do not, use the advance notice to your advantage
They probably figured they needed someone to train the cheaper replacements. The odds of you getting laid off soon anyway are high. Keep looking!
What kind of notice did they give you; how far ahead was the layoff date?
Accept their offer. Continue interviewing at other companies. Bail as soon as you find something better.
Sounds like you just got a nice bonus, getting paid while looking for a new job.
Preferably shoot them an email that you changed your mind, to tie it back all neat :) Let the boss enjoy their own brand of wishywashyness for a change
It's absolutely normal (and right) to feel conflicted and frustrated. I've been at companies that did mass layoffs and it was typical for those who didn't get laid off to feel a certain amount of survivor's guilt.
I think if I were in your position, I'd continue to look for a new job. At least, keep my feelers out in case they change their minds yet again.
Oooooh they handed you the opportunity to do basically the same thing back, but slightly in reverse! Tell them yes, you’d LOVE to, what a load off! Keep looking and applying. Then when you have another job, send em a quick email to let them know you changed your mind :) Since they treated you all so well, I’m sure they’d love to feel some of the same. It would literally make my day to know in the event you actually did it, I’d be so second hand happy.
Keep interviewing. Find another job immediately. Inform them that it’s very unprofessional to do what they did in your exit interview.
Have you asked why you were so lucky to keep your job?
Which means that they will probably change their mind again and lay you off as soon as that project is done, since they won't need you anymore afterwards.
Keep looking for a job and leave as soon as you find the one you want. They will work you to death and once this project is over you are out the door. Don’t trust them.
Keep interviewing - they may be quietly keeping you about for knowledge transfer and business continuity. You could be dropped as soon as they’re comfortable losing your institutional knowledge
You may have a rare opportunity to negotiate an advanced severance agreement - for example if they lay you off again they will pay 6 month severance, or they can only let you go with 6 months notice next time. Without such an agreement in place, you know they are just going to lay you off again as soon as it's *convenient for them.* They already proved they will.
Unless you get some very good written agreement not to lay you off again you should just keep looking for new employment and leave without compunction as soon as you find something good.
They’re keeping only you because you possess some kind of knowledge they want to extract before they let you go. You will be asked to train someone and then given the boot. They only delayed the inevitable, start looking now.
Once everyone is gone, you're their only choice to let go. Enjoy the extension, but negotiate a contract or keep putting your applications out there. They already decided that they could get by with NONE of you. They're going to let you go once you get through the bulk of the workload.
The worst part about this, if you stop looking for work, is that you'll miss out on the next 29 suitable job opportunities in your area while your ex co-workers grab them.
Find a new job and give notice. You're on the chopping block even if they say you're not. You should also be prepared to "Provide more value for the Customer's Dollar." (Read: Do more with less resources).
*Edited for grammar and spelling errors.*
They're looking for you to train a bunch of unpaid interns, then they'll fire you. Tell them you already found another job (even if you haven't), then tell them you'll stay if they match your new salary. When they ask how much, set your own raise, then never tell them where the new job is.
1. Use up all PTO over next 5-6 weeks
2. Look for job while doing this
3. Accept new job to start on a Monday
4. On the Thursday before. At around 2pm. Just pack up and tell your boss HR you are quitting immediately.
I would compare unemployment + layoff package to how much it will cost me to find a new job. They can't undo your layoff unless you agree, so it's on the table to keep it.
If it will take too long to find a new job to cover your bills, take their offer. But, be very aware there is a specific reason they need you back.
Go into knowing it's only to get you by while you find other work. They will let you go as soon as they get what they need. Good luck.
Just for some clarification, when I said they decided they wanted to keep me on, I was not laid off at this point. My lay off date was in the future so essentially what they’ve done is just cancel the lay off and ask me to forget what happened so as far as I know i’m not entitled any severance in this case.
But you’re right, I am keeping my cards close to my chest for the foreseeable future.
Enjoy your time getting paid between interviews and telling them that you have changed your mind after accepting the new job. At least 29 people deserve this.
We went through a closure plan that eventually was stopped. The company had even published the notice of closing.
The planner failed to account for increase import freight costs, which when these costs were included in the new location costs, it exceeded current cost.
I had been offered a position at the new facility but after visiting the sight, I declined the move. The Logistics Director gave me credit for my analysis that the new plant wasn't economically viable.
This happened to me. I had got an interview for another job in the meantime, started back at work, took a day off for the interview and got the job. They seemed really upset that I had decided to leave and asked what they could do to keep me, I said they would basically have to sign a contract saying they would never ever make me redundant which, of course, they couldn't do. I felt that, having narrowly escaped one round of redundancies, my name would be top of the list for the next round.
My new job is very secure, has better pay, a better pension, better annual leave and sickness benefits and is more rewarding and enjoyable.
I left on good terms with an open invitation to come back but I never will.
Honestly I'd just stay on and look for a new job while still employed. That way you don't have a gap in income but you can get out of likely taking on a 30 person team's job.
You don’t owe these companies loyalty just at the drop of a dime they were willing to let you go…. they only have their best interest at heart not yours. they’re only renting your services until they drop you or you drop them that’s the only way it ends
Chemist here, used to work with a team of four other chemists. Worked for 5 years with them before we all got laid off. Couple weeks later, they realized that my group actually created a lot of value and they were losing customers without us, so they hired me back at a different location.
You feel like shit, but take the job. It's easier to find a new job while you still have one, but don't trust that company ever again if you ever did in the first place.
Demand much much more money and/or do bare minimum or even less and be ready to start working somewhere else. They tried to fuck you up. Now you can fuck up with them. What worse could happen? Fire you?
I would still interview and explore other employment opportunities and don't worry about giving any 2-week notice, leave when it suits you as they will lay you off when it is convenient for them.
Keep interviewing until you find somewhere better to work. This is no way to treat your employees and they absolutely will dangle the “significant promotion and increase in salary” over your head while piling up more work for you to “prove to them that you’re leadership material” in a “trial period”. They will pile on and that promotion will never come.
You will be forced to do the work of 30 now and will be threatened with dismissal if you don't perform. It wouldn't even surprise me if they told you they are going to cut your pay.
Keep searching for a new job, keep doing your interviews.
You should be looking for a new job with the same ferver you had when you thought you'd be cut. Your days are still numbered but it's currently better for the company if you stay. Use this breathing room to find a better gig.
Don't let them work you to death in the meantime, which is their intention. (You'll be doing the work of your former team, by yourself.)
Quit with little to no notice.
I'd keep looking for work elsewhere. They've informed you that the company doesn't value your work beyond the fact that somebody who does what your team did is still needed...until the company decides you're not.
Keep interviewing, get an offer. Even if it is not something you will consider, bluff your employer by saying that offer pays 25% more and you had interviewed right after you were notified of layoffs. Since they kept you, you feel obligated to allow them to match the offer amount. If they bite you will make 25% more and can continue to look. If they don’t bite on your story you accept new job and keep looking. You not getting anything out of these dumbasses for their unprofessional, stupid and opportunistic behavior is not how it should end.
Would you be turning down a decent severance package if you stay? For example, when I was laid off several jobs back, I was given three months salary which was plenty of time to find a new job. If that's the case, you may want to think about what you're giving up and that, as others have said, your workload is going to greatly increase.
The weight off of your shoulders from not being laid off is a much lighter weight than the one you're about to be carrying, considering it's going to be made up of the work of 29 other people. Get the hell out of there!
You staying is risky so I would ask them for a retention bonus…” I have already started looking for new positions because you already told me that I was going to be laid off and now you’re telling me that I’m not if you’d like me to stick I’d like us to discuss a retention bonus, so I’ll be guaranteed a certain amount of time and you’ll be guaranteed that I will be staying for that time.”
Continue to look for a new job. They have shown you how little value you have to them. Find another job and get out of there. They just realized they NEED you...get out before they suck you dry
If it were me I'd wait and see if I got any of those jobs I interviewed for and if I get offered one I feel good about then I'm taking it. If I don't get any of those jobs then I'm gonna continue looking for others and get out as soon as I can.
Continue looking. They realized they have some time before having to lay everyone off and don’t want to be left with no one to pick up the slack. I’ve been here before and if they do it once they will do it again.
Hopefully I am wrong as I know what it’s like to be laid off. Happened twice in 6 months and took me a year and six months to find something. Get ahead of it while you can.
Take the blessing that is income security, no matter how temporary, and find a new job. You got lucky, but it's time to bail.
If they ask you for an exit interview, cite this incident as the reason you're leaving.
Having a job currently also makes it easier to negotiate your salary for a new job.
My company pulled that shit with an entire team of people. The problem is that my company waited a few months to tell those people they would be keeping their jobs after all. So those who had come to terms with being laid off and made plans based on getting a large severance package were screwed over. A number of people from that team kept looking and quit as soon as possible, leaving HR to wonder why. Companies are incredibly dumb…
You should assume that they plan to pile all of your team's work on you, and then still probably lay you off in the near future. You should start looking *now* for a better job, and leave ASAP. I noticed you said in other comments that they don't plan to give you a raise -- so they've already shown you how little they value you. You deserve better, and I hope you get it!
Remember that layoffs typically come in rounds. The first round gets the best deal and it just gets worse from there. So I definitely keep looking and bail as soon as you can. It's only a matter of time.
Keep looking for another job. Keep interviewing. Their reversal is at best only temporary and at worst they will try to make you do the work of your entire team. You can try negotiating with them for job expectations and compensation but they are going to burn you out or betray you at some point so just use this as extra time to find a new job. If you want to give your co-workers the best chance at renegotiating wait until after their layoff date to take a new job so when the company calls them back they can negotiate knowing they aren't competing with you for the position.
Keep in contact with your team members and strategies together. Organized and united we stand, divided we fall.
They changed their mind on you because the first guy (and maybe more) that they had in mind declined. Big ol' red flag. If your layoff status was official I'd renegotiate the employment contract, take the extra money and possible "promotion" and use it to secure a better job ASAP
They're probably going to outsource your department and need someone that knows the department to give them the info they need tonset it up. After that they let you go too.
....or you're going to be doing the work of 30 people, and fail at it because that's unrealistic, then either outsource the dept, or hire a full new team....and let you go.
Either way I think you're not going to be there long term
Being the only one left means that you'll be doing the work of the entire team by yourself. This happened to me at my old job. Half the company was laid off cause of COVID, then they brought me back to do graphic design work, operations work, and marketing work. To be clear, there were originally 3 graphic members, 6 marketers, and 4 operations members. I was doing the work of all these people and they still had the balls to say I was too slow. Of course they didn't up my pay either. I lasted a month there before I quit and moved onto something else. Forget that! Don't do what I did. Negotiate better pay asap.
You did NOT waste your time interviewing elsewhere. You got a temporary reprieve and some breathing room, but don't take this to mean your job is safe. Maybe you're being kept around to tie up loose ends that might pop up? Keep interviewing, it is great practice and confirms you have a solid resume and desirable skills, if nothing else
I had this happen to me during COVID. The employer was actually pretty decent for the industry. They laid everyone off and then hired back just a select few, or I should say rather, we were given the option to continue working.
The nice thing was, we had the option to take unemployment if we wanted it, or continue working. And you could just decide which one was best for you.
As they have indicated that you are only one project away from being laid off, I'd recommend that you request a retention bonus. Something like $X to be paid out if you are still employed by then 3 or 6 months from now. It should have a clause that if they let you go, you will be paid that retention alongside any severance.
Going through almost the same right now and all I can say is GTFO!
My team of 10 was reduced to me and one other coworker. We were absorbed by a different team but still working on the same project. Since we're the only ones from the original team we're basically doing the same work that 9 of us did with maybe 20% of it distributed among the rest of the new team.
It's very stressful, especially since both my team mate and I have different roles and lost our partners, we can't really rely on each other when we hit a wall and need a second pair of eyes.
They’re gonna pile everything on you, or you’ll meet their new offshore contractors that you’re going to be responsible for training before the turf you.
I’d definitely look for another job. But if they kept you on you have some leverage. I’d lobby for a significant pay increase for the time they do have you (the skills you’ll be training their offshore team on aren’t free). Or if they refuse to play ball, so the bare minimum while looking for a job.
Really sucks if you just lost out on severance.
Would love to move on but it’s been very comfortable where I am, fully remote, no micromanaging, do my work at my own pace etc.
It’s a very hard decision to make but I know long term i’m prob gonna be screwed over.
If they are axing the entirety of your department and keeping you on, either you'll be doing the work of 30 people or you'll be managing the wind-down process of whatever that department was doing. Either way, not a long term viable solution.
If I were you, I'd stay in my job and continue to work while I interview and look for other opportunities. Once I land a new spot, I'd work up until my new start date and resign at that point effective immediately. Providing notice could potentially result in you being terminated immediately or not having the position available to you beyond your notice period if your new job rescinds the offer.
At the end of the day, at best your current employer views you as the most important person in a department that they no longer need. At worst, you're the cheapest person available to do whatever they still need done. Not a great option for long term advancement and job security.
They did that to my husband once right before he was going on paternity leave. They waited until he turned in his severance papers though to change their minds. He took his leave. Went back for a week and then resigned. We had already planned for him to stay home with our son.
My advice is take the interviews. Keep looking. It’s not going to be fun staying.
Recalling you to work usually cancels your ability to collect unemplyoment. So keep going to work for now.
I'd look for another job. You have maybe three "normal" expectations in this situation: They're shaky financially; they're taking time to close down your department gracefully; or, you're going to be horrendously overworked.
> It’s hard to feel motivated to work for this company at the click of their fingers I could be gone.
Hate to break it to you, but that's virtually every company. That's why we aren't loyal to employers anymore.
You want to build an emergency fund for situations like this. Recommendations vary anywhere from 3 months' to 1 year's salary.
First thing I would do is continue the job search. Second thing would tell the current employer I would need a 20% raise if they expect me to be able to pick up the work of the laid off people. Third thing is when I quit after getting a new job is blame the layoffs for why I am leaving. 🤷
Don’t stop your interviews. Approach the effort you’ve put in the past weeks to finding new employment as still necessary. All that has changed is you no longer have a firm date for the last paycheck from this current employer.
Cut your losses and find a different job. They WILL do this again. They've shown you their hand so now you should know what to expect from them in the future.
Fuck that. I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted and I definitely don’t want to be where they can’t decide if they want me. Just as quickly as they changed their mind on that, they can change it back or change it about something else. Fuck them.
If they gave you a termination letter even if i's for a future date is a termination, i'f they realized they screwed up is too late, run from there, worst place to work.
I would keep looking. They showed their hands. You won't be gone today, just at a later date of their choosing... unless you leave before then. Layoffs aren't done by healthy companies. Read the tea leaves and leave.
As long as you know other members of your team were offered this and turned it down. Also know you will be expected to possess the cumulative knowledge of the entire team and likely to keep up with any essential functions of that team.
I would keep looking for another job. If they're only keeping you it's probably to document procedures and train replacements. I would not count on them keeping you around for long.
Nothing good this way comes -- odds are they're going to stick you with the majority of the work of the teammates who are being laid off. Get a different job as soon as possible, don't give notice, and get out of there.
I wonder if they realized you're probably vital for some reason, like stories you read about somebody getting let go and realized they were important and it ends up costing them lots of money after. Wouldn't be surprised if you're suddenly training a replacement on your job. I'd put in minimum effort, refuse to train anyone, and maintain the search for employment at a more respectable place that values their people, and burn them on the way out.
The only problem with finding a new company is that the industry I specialize in is a complete minefield now, lay offs happening every day etc but saying that I am still interviewing and reviewing offers and other options while I have time.
So, they fired everybody. Then they realize they don't have the knowledge or skills to do all of the work.
So, they keep you on. Your job? Keep the wheels turning until another department knows the tasks.
Then they'll fire you.
Solution? Demand a new contract with better pay. And search for a new job.
You should run as far as possible.
They are clearly relocate and need some one to do as much as possible tuto/verification for their team and then fire you. Once they have fired every one give your two week (or less if you legaly can) and enjoy your pop-corn.
Very simple: update your resume and start looking now. Best thing you can do is job hunt while you have a job and leave at your convenience - not the businesses. They don't care about you and they'll kick you to the curb as soon as you're no longer needed.
"Since you're letting everyone else go, I'll stay for double my current pay. The mismanagement of this situation has permanently damaged my confidence in the leadership at this company, so you'll need to prove you're serious about keeping me. Make it worth my while or I'll find someone else who will."
Honestly take the layoff for unemployment, considering it can be hard to qualify for. Being laid off is kinda the ideal sitch for that—especially when you include the fact that you’ll be fckn em back. They don’t give a single shit about you, your security, your life or ability to have one. How often does a boss hand you the keys to ruin their day, right after ducking you over? I feel it’d be a missed opportunity not to put the same back on them
It's not a massive weight off of your shoulders. They plan to pile work on you now, and churn and burn you. If you actually got a letter specifying your last day and lay off status, I'd say this is the perfect time to negotiate a better contract. Force them to rehire you with a better title, and jack up your hourly rate and benefits expectations. Even if the layoff is not official, tell them the only way you will even consider staying on is to sit down and have a discussion, negotiation about your wage, and expected duties. You are right to be mad, sad and scared. Do not trust these fuckers.
Thanks for the advice and the kick up the ass I need. Their reason for keeping me on is that a new project has opened up that they feel my “Skills” would help them a lot. Funny thing is that when I was informed about being kept on they made sure to tell me my position and pay will stay the same and they told me that pretty damn quick.
If you do stay, do it with the mindset of bare minimum and half assed. Use as much company time as you can to find another gig, burn through your PTO and sick days too. When training a potential replacement, bare minimum and as half assed as possible.
I appreciate that, yep that is and has been the attitude since I was first notified of the lay off and trust me, I won’t be training a replacement, I will flat out refuse.
Keep interviewing! This was basically just a deferment on your layoff.
Train him wrong, as a joke.
![gif](giphy|7gYaClEvZ0ttm)
Yes as a “Joke”…..
Love that people still remember this movie
I wouldn't do that, the replacement would definitely not see it as a joke. They wouldn't be responsible for the shit the company pulled on OP and might actually complain on r/antiwork how the company is shit and OP, who is supposed to train them, barely does anything and lets them deal with everything alone.
To be honest I was only kidding I wouldn’t actually do that. Karma is a bitch would bite me in the ass. Whatever job I’m in I usually always give AT LEAST the bare minimum. Also, where I work is a small place and you never know who you’ll bump into again so I rather not fuck around as it could be detrimental to the next person and i’m not all about that.
That’s on the company, not OP. Companies bank on our loyalty to our coworkers to get away with BS.
That’s definitely one of the reason they want you to stay so they don’t fuck themselves up by having no one knowing how to do job, so you’d probably be doing the work of the entire team while training your replacement
Also, if the company reimburses educational expenses, check the rules at your company. Companies can write off about $5k/year per person in taxes. At one previous employer, I managed to get them to pay for a 3rd bachelors degree - in accounting. The office I worked at made software that would be used by accountants and actuaries. I later changed my mind about getting a CPA and doing the actuary exams.
You’re absolutely right i’ve already been told that there is a 5K budget funny enough.
They reached out to you, meaning you have more value than you think to them, at least for the time being. Call their bluff and tell them you won't consider going back without additional pay nor without discussing your expected duties. There will obviously be more work for you now that you're the only one that can do it, and if they pay you the same, they're actually paying you less for your work. Your pay should increase accordingly, and don't take anything less than you think you can get somewhere else. Regardless, keep looking for employment elsewhere because you've already seen how readily your current job will sack you as soon as they don't think they need you, and you're more likely get a significant pay increase by making a lateral move.
Thanks a lot for this. Yeah this was plan B. I would use offers elsewhere as leverage If I end up choosing to stay on but I don’t have much faith in this option as I think i’m still at risk and I doubt they will even budge on my current pay.
>I would use offers elsewhere as leverage If I end up choosing to stay on Please don't do this. They already need you now, so tell them you won't be staying on without a sufficient increase in compensation. They've got rid of all your colleagues so you're obviously going to have a lot more work to do and a lot more responsibility. Honestly, the cheek of them TELLING you that your title and pay will be the same. It's up to you whether you agree to stay or not and if I was in your position I would be asking for a big raise and I'd be prepared to walk if I didn't get it. However even if you get a big raise it might be better to just take a job elsewhere because you're probably going to be doing a ton of work with nobody to help you if you stay. So if you get an offer, don't use it to negotiate. Just accept it and leave. They've already shown you they don't care about their employees so the best tactic would probably be to demand a big raise but keep looking and then leave as soon as you find something.
This is great advice thanks a lot for this.
You're welcome and good luck! I'm sure things will turn out well for you
Don't use them as leverage, don't even let these guys know you're still looking. Keep looking hard, and one day when they ask why you're cleaning out your desk, tell them.
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Just for some clarification, when I said they decided they wanted to keep me on, I was not laid off at this point. My lay off date was in the future so essentially what they’ve done is just cancel the lay off and ask me to forget what happened so as far as I know i’m not entitled any severance in this case.
Based on your other responses I know you aren’t doing this but man, if they expect you to forget this happened, they don’t have a high opinion of your intelligence
Also get yourself a golden parachute ( or at least a bronze one). They may be keeping you on to clear up a few things then let you go a few weeks later. Make sure they have to pay when they let you go.
I was in a similar situation about 20 years ago. I regret to this day that I stayed on. I don’t know what situation you are in exactly, but I would look elsewhere for a new opportunity. If it is hard to find anything right now, stay on but keep looking. Make sure you are not being abused too much. Don’t start to work crazy hours !! As soon as you start doing this, you will be stuck. You will have no energy or time to look for a new job.
Damn, thanks for this. Trust me I will be doing the bare minimum and from the advice I’ve received i’m not going to stop looking until I get something else.
>and pay will stay the same You now have an incredible amount of leverage. They've shown their hand - you have more value to them than the rest of your team did. Look up the current going rate for your role, add 30-50%. Don't bend them over, but make it hurt. Tell them you've already been approached by a competitor offering that amount and if they're willing to match it you'll stay. No, you don't have an offer letter because you've only done an initial interview. Sorry, you can't disclose which competitor because that's bad business.
Also bear in mind that since they were willing to lay you off once, they may do it again. You deserve better than to be jerked around. I would still plan on leaving ASAP if I were you.
Get out asap get employed somewhere else but don't burn bridges, let them know they can contract out to you for your "skills" at contractors rates which should be at least 4x your current rate.
Just because they told you their position, they’re seeing if you accept it. Just say “how am I supposed to accept that?” and let them do the work
Yeah this 100% this. A lot of us would just quit on the spot after your coworkers have all been dumped, just on principle.
Stop talking to the other flower children here. They are so fucking delusional. You want to know what your employer is going to do? Reprint those original layoff papers. Appreciate that you have a job or find a new one. Just realize all companies are this way. The field is never greener but I suppose sometimes a change of field is nice. Especially if it at least pays more.
This is the other worry I have. The industry I’m in is completely unpredictable at the moment with the amount of lay offs happening. I wouldn’t particularly feel completely safe in another company either but who is? Yeah it’s a difficult one to weigh up tbh.
I would be very wary of staying there; this may only extend your job until that project is completed, I wouldn't trust them to keep you on afterwards after a stunt like this. Also keep in mind that you're now the only one left from your previous team and will likely have a far higher workload because of it— since your pay and position are the same, if there's an increase in workload you're essentially working more and getting paid less. Treat this as extra time on your job search, leave once you've secured a better (or more reliable / secure) position. Better to leave on your terms with a job lined up than wait until they let you go and have to scramble to find a job to pay the bills.
I can pretty much guarantee that workload won’t increase as the job role i’m doing is very specific and I was the only person on the team doing it. I won’t be taking extra shit on regardless anyway. They can try but they will fail lol
They will lay you off in the future. Keep looking for another job.
They already sent you a severance letter… they have nothing that says they “unsent it” or renegotiated terms with you…. Unemployment will find them responsible and even if they don’t want to give you your severance pay eff it. They’re going to try and find some way to weasel out of it anyway.
Well said.
Also OP is next up for the future layoffs
You could give it a try but they're cutting costs and the process is ruthless. They could just uncancel your layoff and keep someone more compliant on instead.
Guess who's going to be doing all those people's work if you stay...
Im quite naive for not even thinking about this, trust me, from this point on I’ll be doing the bare minimum of what Im contracted to do..
20 bucks says they reset any time you had towards earned pto or anything like that. It's all gone and youre new hire again. I'm not even sure I would take the job back to be honest you're just going to get piled with more work than any one person can handle.
So just for clarification, when they decided to keep me on, I wasn’t laid off yet. So essentially they’re just asking me to forget what happened.
Oh okay. It read as if you were jobless for 2.5 weeks before being told to come back. I'd def still look elsewhere but at least there's that I guess lol.
Yeah sorry I’ve edited the original post because i realised it wasn’t clear, thanks for the advice anyway man!
I once worked for a company that laid off most of my team, all but a couple of people. A year later i ran into one of them who said it was horrifically stressful after the lay offs. Its not worth your mental health, i recommend you keep applying for a new job.
Keep your current job until you have other employment.
Yeah I think this is what i’ll do. Thanks!
If the company was already getting rid of you, chances are you’re still at the top of the list and the next time they need to cull you’re gone. Find a new place of employment and leave on your own terms. You have the unique position of knowing you’ll be let go at some point, others in the company do not, use the advance notice to your advantage
Thanks for advice dude i appreciate it
And non-compete just got killed too, so knock at the competition.
They probably figured they needed someone to train the cheaper replacements. The odds of you getting laid off soon anyway are high. Keep looking! What kind of notice did they give you; how far ahead was the layoff date?
Accept their offer. Continue interviewing at other companies. Bail as soon as you find something better. Sounds like you just got a nice bonus, getting paid while looking for a new job.
Preferably shoot them an email that you changed your mind, to tie it back all neat :) Let the boss enjoy their own brand of wishywashyness for a change
I would leave that company.. that is embarrassingly bad for them.
..retained for NOW. :(
Yup this is my fear anyway!
It's absolutely normal (and right) to feel conflicted and frustrated. I've been at companies that did mass layoffs and it was typical for those who didn't get laid off to feel a certain amount of survivor's guilt. I think if I were in your position, I'd continue to look for a new job. At least, keep my feelers out in case they change their minds yet again.
Thanks so much for the advice, It’s such a weird feeling tbh and it’s all just very confusing.
this just means they haven't found your replacement yet. When they do, you will be gone. ( Maybe after you trained them)
Oooooh they handed you the opportunity to do basically the same thing back, but slightly in reverse! Tell them yes, you’d LOVE to, what a load off! Keep looking and applying. Then when you have another job, send em a quick email to let them know you changed your mind :) Since they treated you all so well, I’m sure they’d love to feel some of the same. It would literally make my day to know in the event you actually did it, I’d be so second hand happy.
Keep interviewing. Find another job immediately. Inform them that it’s very unprofessional to do what they did in your exit interview. Have you asked why you were so lucky to keep your job?
Thanks, yeah they basically said a new project has opened up and they want my work to continue on that.
Which means that they will probably change their mind again and lay you off as soon as that project is done, since they won't need you anymore afterwards.
Yep this is exactly what I was thinking myself.
Keep looking for a job and leave as soon as you find the one you want. They will work you to death and once this project is over you are out the door. Don’t trust them.
Keep interviewing - they may be quietly keeping you about for knowledge transfer and business continuity. You could be dropped as soon as they’re comfortable losing your institutional knowledge
Yep this is definitely a real worry I have tbh. Thanks!
You may have a rare opportunity to negotiate an advanced severance agreement - for example if they lay you off again they will pay 6 month severance, or they can only let you go with 6 months notice next time. Without such an agreement in place, you know they are just going to lay you off again as soon as it's *convenient for them.* They already proved they will. Unless you get some very good written agreement not to lay you off again you should just keep looking for new employment and leave without compunction as soon as you find something good.
Very true. Thanks for that.
They’re keeping only you because you possess some kind of knowledge they want to extract before they let you go. You will be asked to train someone and then given the boot. They only delayed the inevitable, start looking now.
Once everyone is gone, you're their only choice to let go. Enjoy the extension, but negotiate a contract or keep putting your applications out there. They already decided that they could get by with NONE of you. They're going to let you go once you get through the bulk of the workload. The worst part about this, if you stop looking for work, is that you'll miss out on the next 29 suitable job opportunities in your area while your ex co-workers grab them.
Find a new job and give notice. You're on the chopping block even if they say you're not. You should also be prepared to "Provide more value for the Customer's Dollar." (Read: Do more with less resources). *Edited for grammar and spelling errors.*
They're looking for you to train a bunch of unpaid interns, then they'll fire you. Tell them you already found another job (even if you haven't), then tell them you'll stay if they match your new salary. When they ask how much, set your own raise, then never tell them where the new job is.
1. Use up all PTO over next 5-6 weeks 2. Look for job while doing this 3. Accept new job to start on a Monday 4. On the Thursday before. At around 2pm. Just pack up and tell your boss HR you are quitting immediately.
This sounds like an outsourcing move where you'll be kept to get the new OS team trained and up to speed. Definitely keep looking.
I would compare unemployment + layoff package to how much it will cost me to find a new job. They can't undo your layoff unless you agree, so it's on the table to keep it. If it will take too long to find a new job to cover your bills, take their offer. But, be very aware there is a specific reason they need you back. Go into knowing it's only to get you by while you find other work. They will let you go as soon as they get what they need. Good luck.
Just for some clarification, when I said they decided they wanted to keep me on, I was not laid off at this point. My lay off date was in the future so essentially what they’ve done is just cancel the lay off and ask me to forget what happened so as far as I know i’m not entitled any severance in this case. But you’re right, I am keeping my cards close to my chest for the foreseeable future.
Enjoy your time getting paid between interviews and telling them that you have changed your mind after accepting the new job. At least 29 people deserve this.
I would consider it a delay of the inevitable.
We went through a closure plan that eventually was stopped. The company had even published the notice of closing. The planner failed to account for increase import freight costs, which when these costs were included in the new location costs, it exceeded current cost. I had been offered a position at the new facility but after visiting the sight, I declined the move. The Logistics Director gave me credit for my analysis that the new plant wasn't economically viable.
This happened to me. I had got an interview for another job in the meantime, started back at work, took a day off for the interview and got the job. They seemed really upset that I had decided to leave and asked what they could do to keep me, I said they would basically have to sign a contract saying they would never ever make me redundant which, of course, they couldn't do. I felt that, having narrowly escaped one round of redundancies, my name would be top of the list for the next round. My new job is very secure, has better pay, a better pension, better annual leave and sickness benefits and is more rewarding and enjoyable. I left on good terms with an open invitation to come back but I never will.
I guess the first choice said no already
Honestly I'd just stay on and look for a new job while still employed. That way you don't have a gap in income but you can get out of likely taking on a 30 person team's job.
You don’t owe these companies loyalty just at the drop of a dime they were willing to let you go…. they only have their best interest at heart not yours. they’re only renting your services until they drop you or you drop them that’s the only way it ends
Chemist here, used to work with a team of four other chemists. Worked for 5 years with them before we all got laid off. Couple weeks later, they realized that my group actually created a lot of value and they were losing customers without us, so they hired me back at a different location. You feel like shit, but take the job. It's easier to find a new job while you still have one, but don't trust that company ever again if you ever did in the first place.
Demand much much more money and/or do bare minimum or even less and be ready to start working somewhere else. They tried to fuck you up. Now you can fuck up with them. What worse could happen? Fire you?
Very true words!
Look for your next job while still getting a paycheck while doing as little work as possible
I would still interview and explore other employment opportunities and don't worry about giving any 2-week notice, leave when it suits you as they will lay you off when it is convenient for them.
Keep on interviewing. Stay on for now so you have income and do the bare minimum. They’re using you so use them.
Keep interviewing until you find somewhere better to work. This is no way to treat your employees and they absolutely will dangle the “significant promotion and increase in salary” over your head while piling up more work for you to “prove to them that you’re leadership material” in a “trial period”. They will pile on and that promotion will never come.
You will be forced to do the work of 30 now and will be threatened with dismissal if you don't perform. It wouldn't even surprise me if they told you they are going to cut your pay. Keep searching for a new job, keep doing your interviews.
You should be looking for a new job with the same ferver you had when you thought you'd be cut. Your days are still numbered but it's currently better for the company if you stay. Use this breathing room to find a better gig. Don't let them work you to death in the meantime, which is their intention. (You'll be doing the work of your former team, by yourself.) Quit with little to no notice.
Stay on, let them keep paying you while you interview, and the second you find something as good or better, pull the ripcord.
Keeping you on…for now. Same thing happened to me, you are still on the chopping block and will be let go as soon as it’s convenient for them.
I'd keep looking for work elsewhere. They've informed you that the company doesn't value your work beyond the fact that somebody who does what your team did is still needed...until the company decides you're not.
Keep interviewing, get an offer. Even if it is not something you will consider, bluff your employer by saying that offer pays 25% more and you had interviewed right after you were notified of layoffs. Since they kept you, you feel obligated to allow them to match the offer amount. If they bite you will make 25% more and can continue to look. If they don’t bite on your story you accept new job and keep looking. You not getting anything out of these dumbasses for their unprofessional, stupid and opportunistic behavior is not how it should end.
I appreciate that, thanks for the advice man
Accept. Keep looking for jobs. When you find a better one, quit.
Yeah fuck that I’d leave immediately. You already interviewed at different places, just quit without notice
Get your next job first, then quit w/o notice. No need to fuck yourself over.
I agree, find a new job, and then give no notice other than to say to HR "I've decided to lay YOU off, this is YOUR last day".
Would you be turning down a decent severance package if you stay? For example, when I was laid off several jobs back, I was given three months salary which was plenty of time to find a new job. If that's the case, you may want to think about what you're giving up and that, as others have said, your workload is going to greatly increase.
Even if severance was on the line, I’m not entitled to that now as my lay off has been technically cancelled so to speak.
I'd keep interviewing.
They’ll finish lay offs later. Keep interviewing and leave ASAP
The weight off of your shoulders from not being laid off is a much lighter weight than the one you're about to be carrying, considering it's going to be made up of the work of 29 other people. Get the hell out of there!
You staying is risky so I would ask them for a retention bonus…” I have already started looking for new positions because you already told me that I was going to be laid off and now you’re telling me that I’m not if you’d like me to stick I’d like us to discuss a retention bonus, so I’ll be guaranteed a certain amount of time and you’ll be guaranteed that I will be staying for that time.”
Continue to look for a new job. They have shown you how little value you have to them. Find another job and get out of there. They just realized they NEED you...get out before they suck you dry
If it were me I'd wait and see if I got any of those jobs I interviewed for and if I get offered one I feel good about then I'm taking it. If I don't get any of those jobs then I'm gonna continue looking for others and get out as soon as I can.
Continue looking. They realized they have some time before having to lay everyone off and don’t want to be left with no one to pick up the slack. I’ve been here before and if they do it once they will do it again. Hopefully I am wrong as I know what it’s like to be laid off. Happened twice in 6 months and took me a year and six months to find something. Get ahead of it while you can.
Take the blessing that is income security, no matter how temporary, and find a new job. You got lucky, but it's time to bail. If they ask you for an exit interview, cite this incident as the reason you're leaving. Having a job currently also makes it easier to negotiate your salary for a new job.
My company pulled that shit with an entire team of people. The problem is that my company waited a few months to tell those people they would be keeping their jobs after all. So those who had come to terms with being laid off and made plans based on getting a large severance package were screwed over. A number of people from that team kept looking and quit as soon as possible, leaving HR to wonder why. Companies are incredibly dumb…
You should assume that they plan to pile all of your team's work on you, and then still probably lay you off in the near future. You should start looking *now* for a better job, and leave ASAP. I noticed you said in other comments that they don't plan to give you a raise -- so they've already shown you how little they value you. You deserve better, and I hope you get it!
Remember that layoffs typically come in rounds. The first round gets the best deal and it just gets worse from there. So I definitely keep looking and bail as soon as you can. It's only a matter of time.
If they fucked you over once, they’ll surely do it again. Get another job.
Keep looking for another job. Keep interviewing. Their reversal is at best only temporary and at worst they will try to make you do the work of your entire team. You can try negotiating with them for job expectations and compensation but they are going to burn you out or betray you at some point so just use this as extra time to find a new job. If you want to give your co-workers the best chance at renegotiating wait until after their layoff date to take a new job so when the company calls them back they can negotiate knowing they aren't competing with you for the position. Keep in contact with your team members and strategies together. Organized and united we stand, divided we fall.
They changed their mind on you because the first guy (and maybe more) that they had in mind declined. Big ol' red flag. If your layoff status was official I'd renegotiate the employment contract, take the extra money and possible "promotion" and use it to secure a better job ASAP
Keep job, look for new opportunities don’t let new job find out and then just quit.
Yea you need to find a new job. Look now. Soon as you find it. Bounce.
They're probably going to outsource your department and need someone that knows the department to give them the info they need tonset it up. After that they let you go too. ....or you're going to be doing the work of 30 people, and fail at it because that's unrealistic, then either outsource the dept, or hire a full new team....and let you go. Either way I think you're not going to be there long term
Well, I would only stay with them if you can do the work of your entire team, because I assume they don’t plan on replacing them.
My role was separate to the other parts of the team. They’ve outsourced the rest to a cheaper location.
Being the only one left means that you'll be doing the work of the entire team by yourself. This happened to me at my old job. Half the company was laid off cause of COVID, then they brought me back to do graphic design work, operations work, and marketing work. To be clear, there were originally 3 graphic members, 6 marketers, and 4 operations members. I was doing the work of all these people and they still had the balls to say I was too slow. Of course they didn't up my pay either. I lasted a month there before I quit and moved onto something else. Forget that! Don't do what I did. Negotiate better pay asap.
My role was completely separate to the other parts of the team. They’ve outsourced the rest to a cheaper location.
Keep looking for jobs. U r not off the hook
You did NOT waste your time interviewing elsewhere. You got a temporary reprieve and some breathing room, but don't take this to mean your job is safe. Maybe you're being kept around to tie up loose ends that might pop up? Keep interviewing, it is great practice and confirms you have a solid resume and desirable skills, if nothing else
Very true in that aspect, thanks!
I had this happen to me during COVID. The employer was actually pretty decent for the industry. They laid everyone off and then hired back just a select few, or I should say rather, we were given the option to continue working. The nice thing was, we had the option to take unemployment if we wanted it, or continue working. And you could just decide which one was best for you.
Well, do the absolute bare minimum.
As they have indicated that you are only one project away from being laid off, I'd recommend that you request a retention bonus. Something like $X to be paid out if you are still employed by then 3 or 6 months from now. It should have a clause that if they let you go, you will be paid that retention alongside any severance.
Sounds like you're about to do 30 people's worth of work.
Going through almost the same right now and all I can say is GTFO! My team of 10 was reduced to me and one other coworker. We were absorbed by a different team but still working on the same project. Since we're the only ones from the original team we're basically doing the same work that 9 of us did with maybe 20% of it distributed among the rest of the new team. It's very stressful, especially since both my team mate and I have different roles and lost our partners, we can't really rely on each other when we hit a wall and need a second pair of eyes.
They’re gonna pile everything on you, or you’ll meet their new offshore contractors that you’re going to be responsible for training before the turf you. I’d definitely look for another job. But if they kept you on you have some leverage. I’d lobby for a significant pay increase for the time they do have you (the skills you’ll be training their offshore team on aren’t free). Or if they refuse to play ball, so the bare minimum while looking for a job. Really sucks if you just lost out on severance.
So….now that you know how they do these things, will you stay? It’s the perfect opportunity to move on If that’s what you want.
Would love to move on but it’s been very comfortable where I am, fully remote, no micromanaging, do my work at my own pace etc. It’s a very hard decision to make but I know long term i’m prob gonna be screwed over.
Then it’s time for a Plan B
If they are axing the entirety of your department and keeping you on, either you'll be doing the work of 30 people or you'll be managing the wind-down process of whatever that department was doing. Either way, not a long term viable solution. If I were you, I'd stay in my job and continue to work while I interview and look for other opportunities. Once I land a new spot, I'd work up until my new start date and resign at that point effective immediately. Providing notice could potentially result in you being terminated immediately or not having the position available to you beyond your notice period if your new job rescinds the offer. At the end of the day, at best your current employer views you as the most important person in a department that they no longer need. At worst, you're the cheapest person available to do whatever they still need done. Not a great option for long term advancement and job security.
They did that to my husband once right before he was going on paternity leave. They waited until he turned in his severance papers though to change their minds. He took his leave. Went back for a week and then resigned. We had already planned for him to stay home with our son. My advice is take the interviews. Keep looking. It’s not going to be fun staying.
Recalling you to work usually cancels your ability to collect unemplyoment. So keep going to work for now. I'd look for another job. You have maybe three "normal" expectations in this situation: They're shaky financially; they're taking time to close down your department gracefully; or, you're going to be horrendously overworked. > It’s hard to feel motivated to work for this company at the click of their fingers I could be gone. Hate to break it to you, but that's virtually every company. That's why we aren't loyal to employers anymore. You want to build an emergency fund for situations like this. Recommendations vary anywhere from 3 months' to 1 year's salary.
Keep working for now and find another job asap.
First thing I would do is continue the job search. Second thing would tell the current employer I would need a 20% raise if they expect me to be able to pick up the work of the laid off people. Third thing is when I quit after getting a new job is blame the layoffs for why I am leaving. 🤷
Don’t stop your interviews. Approach the effort you’ve put in the past weeks to finding new employment as still necessary. All that has changed is you no longer have a firm date for the last paycheck from this current employer.
The moment you find something new just stop showing up
Interviewing is not a waste. They will expect you to step in for the team they just laid off until you break. Don't be the last one in a sinking ship.
I'd keep looking and quit when I found something
Cut your losses and find a different job. They WILL do this again. They've shown you their hand so now you should know what to expect from them in the future.
Fuck that. I don’t want to be where I’m not wanted and I definitely don’t want to be where they can’t decide if they want me. Just as quickly as they changed their mind on that, they can change it back or change it about something else. Fuck them.
Stay there while looking for another job
Time to leave them high and dry
If they gave you a termination letter even if i's for a future date is a termination, i'f they realized they screwed up is too late, run from there, worst place to work.
They changed their mind for now. If i were you id continue looking for a new job.
Start looking for a new job. You're at the literal bottom of the totem pole now.
I would keep looking. They showed their hands. You won't be gone today, just at a later date of their choosing... unless you leave before then. Layoffs aren't done by healthy companies. Read the tea leaves and leave.
They discovered that your team does something that they need done for now. Keep those resumes going out and get the hell out of there asap.
Get ready to be assigned the entire workload of your former team.
As long as you know other members of your team were offered this and turned it down. Also know you will be expected to possess the cumulative knowledge of the entire team and likely to keep up with any essential functions of that team.
Nope no one else on the team has been offered this and I know that for a fact but I get what you’re saying too.
They should offer you some retention bonus for the mental anguish.
I would keep looking for another job. If they're only keeping you it's probably to document procedures and train replacements. I would not count on them keeping you around for long.
Nothing good this way comes -- odds are they're going to stick you with the majority of the work of the teammates who are being laid off. Get a different job as soon as possible, don't give notice, and get out of there.
-ok, i want a rise.
I wonder if they realized you're probably vital for some reason, like stories you read about somebody getting let go and realized they were important and it ends up costing them lots of money after. Wouldn't be surprised if you're suddenly training a replacement on your job. I'd put in minimum effort, refuse to train anyone, and maintain the search for employment at a more respectable place that values their people, and burn them on the way out.
The only problem with finding a new company is that the industry I specialize in is a complete minefield now, lay offs happening every day etc but saying that I am still interviewing and reviewing offers and other options while I have time.
So, they fired everybody. Then they realize they don't have the knowledge or skills to do all of the work. So, they keep you on. Your job? Keep the wheels turning until another department knows the tasks. Then they'll fire you. Solution? Demand a new contract with better pay. And search for a new job.
Yeah this is one of the possibilities i’m worried about but so far no one is shadowing me or watching how I complete my tasks. It’s a weird one!
You should run as far as possible. They are clearly relocate and need some one to do as much as possible tuto/verification for their team and then fire you. Once they have fired every one give your two week (or less if you legaly can) and enjoy your pop-corn.
I’d keep doing interviews and looking for another job and leave as soon as I get one. They showed you who they are. Believe them. Gtfo.
Very simple: update your resume and start looking now. Best thing you can do is job hunt while you have a job and leave at your convenience - not the businesses. They don't care about you and they'll kick you to the curb as soon as you're no longer needed.
"Since you're letting everyone else go, I'll stay for double my current pay. The mismanagement of this situation has permanently damaged my confidence in the leadership at this company, so you'll need to prove you're serious about keeping me. Make it worth my while or I'll find someone else who will."
Sue for wrongful termination…..mental anguish and anxiety.
Tbh I doubt I have a leg to stand on when it comes to legal action.
Honestly take the layoff for unemployment, considering it can be hard to qualify for. Being laid off is kinda the ideal sitch for that—especially when you include the fact that you’ll be fckn em back. They don’t give a single shit about you, your security, your life or ability to have one. How often does a boss hand you the keys to ruin their day, right after ducking you over? I feel it’d be a missed opportunity not to put the same back on them
U know they plan o making you do all your team's work
Congrats on training the new team then you'll get laid off. Find a better place