WARNING**** A JC RANT OF EPIC PROPORTIONS*** IVE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE *** BUT FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO IS EXPERIENCING THIS OR WHO ALREADY HAS**** IM GONNA TALK ABOUT IT **** WORK PLACE ABUSE >>> Here goes ... The company I work for has been in business and family owned and operated for 98 years. In 2011, the owner retired and left the company to her daughter to run. Her daughter is approximately the same age that I am and she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature. She’s been writing the all American novel for as long as I’ve known her and I’ve even visited her at her lake home and been given the tour or her “favorite writing places” and it IS lovely. Needless to say, she has very little interest in running an industrial supplies and distribution company and as such, she almost immediately began interviewing for a “CEO” – someone who could pick up where her mother had left off. (that’s right, the company has traditionally been run by women for 98 years as well. It didn’t take long before she’d hired a smooth talking older gentleman who knew all the right things to say and exactly what kind of promises to make. He started here in March of 2011. The first order of business was to move all of the branch managers out of his way (there are 3 locations) he moved the manager for the corporate branch (where I work) into centralized purchasing as the Purchasing Supervisor (also, my department) …. moved the person managing the 2nd branch (who like the corporate branch manager had been with the company for 35 years) into a made up position as the new VP of Safety or some B.S. and just blatantly fired the 3rd branch manager and replaced him with an associate of his with whom he’d worked before. Slowly, this new “CEO” has raised our customer’s prices, brought in manufacturer products as franchised lines that nobody likes to work with (our employees nor our customers), migrated to a new software platform (my research indicates this software company has been sued several times for improper implementation & mis-leading sales initiatives), fired the original Treasurer (who was a CPA and had been with the company for 12 years) to bring in another of his former associates and together …. These two men have taken things even further. They’ve, set the building we’ve been in at corporate for over 35 years up for rent and have spent the last two years trying to negotiate a suite fillout in a newer building and has since launched a large marketing campaign informing customers and vendors alike of the impending move, because “We’re Growing Bigger to Serve You Better” – the building we’re in is paid for, now we’ll pay astronomical rent and it’s mostly because the building we’re in is old. It’s a relic, but also an historical building. I suppose “Mr. CEO” is too big and too good to have an office that looks like it may have been used as the set from Joe Vs. The Volcano, but I digress. This isn’t his money he’s spending. This company has ALWAYS operated in the black and for the 1st time in 68 years we’re in the Red. Little Miss English Literature, has to be aware at this point of what’s she’s done (however inadvertently) but, now she’s too vested, this HAS to work because the alternative is to tell mommy, that she blew it. I don’t blame her for holding out hope, I really don’t. It isn’t as though, she hired this person expecting to be drained dry while he plays Master of the Universe with his friends. The breaking point came today, when I read an email from this “Mr. CEO” saying he’s done another round of firings. This time he terminated the employment of an inside sales person from the branch I purchase for. This person has two children, one on the way and a wife who is on disability. How dare he!!?? That’s not even the worst of it, the 2nd firing was of the former branch manager, turned VP of Safety. This man is 68 years old, has dedicated 35 years of his career to this company and while I don’t know what retirement looks like for him financially, I imagine, if he was tolerating all of these changes over the last 3 years at his age, that he at the very least, needed his paycheck. Needless to say, Morale is down, way down ….everyone is itching to get out of here and almost no one hasn’t sent out a resume or two and/or been on a couple of interviews. I’m not sure which direction I am going to take myself, but I will say that my eyes and ears are open and my heart is broken for the people whose lives “Mr. CEO” has no problem messing with, and in some cases ruining (at least for the immediate future). I’ve been around the block a few times, this isn’t my 1st rodeo and I’ve seen plenty. This is by far the most reprehensible human behavior I’ve ever seen 1st hand in a professional setting. For the last two years, I’ve been witness to some of the worst treatment of fellow human beings ….. I’m appalled folks, sick to my stomach for these gentlemen who didn’t deserve this and I have no intention of waiting to be next or waiting to be asked to join their club (persons with souls need not apply.) Thanks for listening … ~JC
Posted on: Tue, 03 Dec 2013 13:58:22 +0000
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