Outsourced!

[Lilydragon]

Ok, I waited a while, but I can tell everyone now. Me and my job have been outsourced. My job is going to India as of April. Almost the whole facility here is being let go, that's 150 people. There is a federal program that helps people get new jobs, go back to school and all that fun stuff that helps people who's jobs have been outsourced. I'm hoping to get in with that and go back to school. We'll see...

[LiamKerrington]

Ok, I waited a while, but I can tell everyone now. Me and my job have been outsourced. My job is going to India as of April. Almost the whole facility here is being let go, that's 150 people. There is a federal program that helps people get new jobs, go back to school and all that fun stuff that helps people who's jobs have been outsourced. I'm hoping to get in with that and go back to school. We'll see...

That sux - a lot. Hopefully the federal program will offer you a decent kick-off for a better future then ... Wish you well!

[Osiris]

What a fucking joke. I know there are a few companies in Canada that outsource everything to India. I get phone calls from my cellular service provider from people who can't speak English. I don't understand their logic beyond the greed factor. There's no reason to send a job that a Canadian can do to someone in another country when that job is to deal with the public of an English speaking country. Seriously. I can't honestly count how many times I've had to ask for a supervisor, and then another, and then another until I was able to understand the person on the other end of the line. Fuck outsourcing. The unemployment rates are too fucking high in our own countries. Fucking shitballs, that gave me a wicked headache just thinking about how much it pisses me off.

P.S. I would feel the same dealing with anyone with a strong enough accent to impede my ability to understand them.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

This is really bad news. Ironically, those who are responsible for the decision, the upper management, will never be outsourced themselves.

[turbo]

Best of luck in the search of a new job and going back to school! Hope the program helps you out.

[Cabbage Patch]

Lilydragon,

One of the ironies here is that if you asked the executives who make these decisions why they do it they'll give you a long list of problems, most of which have their roots in government actions. They'll tell you about the high tax rates, the high cost of complying with environmental, safety, liability, and now healthcare regulations. They'll tell you how easy it is to be sued in American courts and how costly it is to defend yourself even when you are completely innocent, and God forbid you lose--civil juries in California award 8 figure judgements at the drop of a hat!

The one thing you rarely hear them complain about is employee wage scales.

Meanwhile, the same government that makes things ever harder and more expensive to do business in the United States does nothing to prevent outsourcing, and is hard at work making it easier. Off-shore phone centers are only possible because the cost of international calling is kept artificially low for commercial users and subsidized Trans-oceanic phone lines have been built that vastly exceed normal traffic requirements.

But the government is right there to help when you need a hand once your job is gone. I suggest you apply for every service you qualify for right away. Some require 30 to 60 days to process, and the career re-training program (called TAA) is first-come, first-served till their money runs out. PM me if you want details.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Some of the links on the Outsourcing page at Wikipedia remind me of Orwells new speak in his book 1984:

Application Management Services Framework
Business process outsourcing (BPO)
Business process outsourcing in the Philippines
Call center industry in the Philippines
Co-sourcing
Comparative advantage
Contingent workforce
Engineering process outsourcing (EPO)
Farmshoring
Freelance marketplace
Globality
Global sourcing
Homeshoring
Information technology outsourcing (ITO)
Knowledge process outsourcing (KPO)
Legal process outsourcing (LPO)
List of management topics
Offshore software development
Offshoring
Offshoring Research Network
Print and mail outsourcing
Programmers Guild
Recruitment process outsourcing (RPO)
Regional insourcing
Socially responsible outsourcing
Supply chain
Telecentre
Telecommuting
Third-party logistics (3PL)
Transition methodology
Verifiable computing
Vested outsourcing

Information technology outsourcing: Hilarious!!!!! A safe encryption software from China !!!!! LMAO!!!!!! Ummm, hello Symantec !!!:yay:

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Best of luck in the search of a new job and going back to school! Hope the program helps you out.

Seconded. Good luck to you, Lilydragon!

[Witch_Doctor]

Ok, I waited a while, but I can tell everyone now. Me and my job have been outsourced. My job is going to India as of April. Almost the whole facility here is being let go, that's 150 people. There is a federal program that helps people get new jobs, go back to school and all that fun stuff that helps people who's jobs have been outsourced. I'm hoping to get in with that and go back to school. We'll see...


This is horrible news to read. I wish you the best of luck in bouncing back.

[Osiris]

I'm still rolling on floor after reading "the government is right there to help when you need a hand once your job is gone." That has to be the funniest thing I've ever read.

[reaper239]

I'm still rolling on floor after reading "the government is right there to help when you need a hand once your job is gone." That has to be the funniest thing I've ever read.


in a sense i agree with him. it's like my post about the NFA, the government creates a problem and then compounds the problem. if you create a problem you should take responsibility and fix the problem. however, i disagree for the most part, the solution is not to have the government offer assistance, it's to get government involvement to a minimum to begin with.

[Osiris]

in a sense i agree with him. it's like my post about the NFA, the government creates a problem and then compounds the problem. if you create a problem you should take responsibility and fix the problem. however, i disagree for the most part, the solution is not to have the government offer assistance, it's to get government involvement to a minimum to begin with.

It just reminds me of paying into E.I., and then when you need it you find out you can't collect it because you didn't file for it immediately after you lost your job. Bitch, I would have taken the time to file, but I was busy trying to find a fucking job so that I wouldn't have to. After searching, living off of savings to avoid using your benefits, you're told that too much time has passed. Too much time? You only keep my money for so long, and then . . . what? You give it to someone else? You flushed it down the toilet? You lost it at the track? If you pay into it that money should be sitting and waiting until you need it. Bureaucracy is the bane of government assistance programs' success. You're not asking for a hand-out, you're asking for the money that you've "put aside" for a time of need. It would be like the bank telling me, "No, I'm sorry but even though you've been putting money into your account for the last fifteen years, you haven't made a withdrawl in that time, I'm afraid all your money is gone." For some reason this really irks me.

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

[...] It would be like the bank telling me, "No, I'm sorry but even though you've been putting money into your account for the last fifteen years, you haven't made a withdrawl in that time, I'm afraid all your money is gone." For some reason this really irks me.
[/COLOR]

Well, this is what partial happened when Lehman filed for bankcruptcy. The equity ratio of most banks (European / American) is not that great. If the governments had not pumped enough liquidity into the markets, the financial markets would have imploded.

[LiamKerrington]

It just reminds me of paying into E.I., and then when you need it you find out you can't collect it because you didn't file for it immediately after you lost your job. Bitch, I would have taken the time to file, but I was busy trying to find a fucking job so that I wouldn't have to. After searching, living off of savings to avoid using your benefits, you're told that too much time has passed. Too much time? You only keep my money for so long, and then . . . what? You give it to someone else? You flushed it down the toilet? You lost it at the track? If you pay into it that money should be sitting and waiting until you need it. Bureaucracy is the bane of government assistance programs' success. You're not asking for a hand-out, you're asking for the money that you've "put aside" for a time of need. It would be like the bank telling me, "No, I'm sorry but even though you've been putting money into your account for the last fifteen years, you haven't made a withdrawl in that time, I'm afraid all your money is gone." For some reason this really irks me.


So, it's not only Germany that provides such a fucked up system ... Why don't I feel good about that?
Ironically those system are supposed to help the greater good by helping out the ones in dire need, while on the contrary you have to perform a striptease regarding your personal situation in front of employees or officers of public authroities who have solid and safe jobs, earn quite a good amount of money and who are the ones deciding your fate. In my humble opinion these crazy systems crash someone's dignity as soon as he tries to get what 'belongs' to him ... With all due respect: the good idea behind those systems is sold down the river and wasted in rules and regulations no sane man would think of being fair or of any use ...

[Osiris]

So, it's not only Germany that provides such a fucked up system ... Why don't I feel good about that?
Ironically those system are supposed to help the greater good by helping out the ones in dire need, while on the contrary you have to perform a striptease regarding your personal situation in front of employees or officers of public authroities who have solid and safe jobs, earn quite a good amount of money and who are the ones deciding your fate. In my humble opinion these crazy systems crash someone's dignity as soon as he tries to get what 'belongs' to him ... With all due respect: the good idea behind those systems is sold down the river and wasted in rules and regulations no sane man would think of being fair or of any use ...

I was told "you don't honestly believe that government services are free, do you?" in a very condescending tone by one of these assholes when I was disputing my claim. My response "Yeah, that's what my fucking tax dollars are for, dumb ass, NOT my employment insurance." proved to me that the people who are handling the processing side of things have absolutely no idea how the system works or the government is doing something incredibly shady with my money.

[LiamKerrington]

I was told "you don't honestly believe that government services are free, do you?" in a very condescending tone by one of these assholes when I was disputing my claim. My response "Yeah, that's what my fucking tax dollars are for, dumb ass, NOT my employment insurance." proved to me that the people who are handling the processing side of things have absolutely no idea how the system works or the government is doing something incredibly shady with my money.

I feel sorry about what happened to you. This sux hell ...

[Osiris]

I feel sorry about what happened to you. This sux hell ...

Neh. Thanks, but it's not as bad as all that. I lost my job because the company went under, not because they gave my job to someone in another country.

[scbubba]

I was told "you don't honestly believe that government services are free, do you?" in a very condescending tone by one of these assholes when I was disputing my claim. My response "Yeah, that's what my fucking tax dollars are for, dumb ass, NOT my employment insurance." proved to me that the people who are handling the processing side of things have absolutely no idea how the system works or the government is doing something incredibly shady with my money.

They definitely have no clue. Most are simply drawing their paychecks and marking time until they can get a nice pension (who the hell has a pension anymore in the private sector?).

The fear that people are going to abuse or exploit the employment insurance is so high that the only people that seem to get any benefit from the EI system are the people EMPLOYED by the system and not those that it was created to assist.

[Lilydragon]

Well, I'm hoping to get in with TAA to go back to school. The petition has already been filed, and I just received my WARN letter today. Unemployment here can suck.

[Cabbage Patch]

Well, I'm hoping to get in with TAA to go back to school. The petition has already been filed, and I just received my WARN letter today. Unemployment here can suck.

TAA is a good program. What are career fields are you thinking about pursuing?

[Lilydragon]

I was thinking about becoming a paralegal when I grow up. I love the legal stuff and I love research, so I think it could be a good fit. My last position before what I'm doing now was as a Freight Claims Analyst. I got to look at transportation contracts, and fight with transportation companies for money. I loved it until it was dumbed down so much that all I was sending out anymore was form letters to fight a claim.

[LiamKerrington]

A paralegal? Sweet.

[HorrorHiro]

What a fucking joke. I know there are a few companies in Canada that outsource everything to India. I get phone calls from my cellular service provider from people who can't speak English. I don't understand their logic beyond the greed factor. There's no reason to send a job that a Canadian can do to someone in another country when that job is to deal with the public of an English speaking country. Seriously. I can't honestly count how many times I've had to ask for a supervisor, and then another, and then another until I was able to understand the person on the other end of the line. Fuck outsourcing. The unemployment rates are too fucking high in our own countries. Fucking shitballs, that gave me a wicked headache just thinking about how much it pisses me off.

P.S. I would feel the same dealing with anyone with a strong enough accent to impede my ability to understand them.


Corporatism and Capitalism.

[HorrorHiro]

This is really bad news. Ironically, those who are responsible for the decision, the upper management, will never be outsourced themselves.

Upper management always has a hierarchical monopoly on power both in and outside of the work place. If they did't they would actually have to treat their employees like human beings.

[reaper239]

Upper management always has a hierarchical monopoly on power both in and outside of the work place. If they did't they would actually have to treat their employees like human beings.

that's such a load. everyone screams about management exploiting the workers, but it goes both ways. if an employer doesn't do basic things and pay his employees a wage comparable to the job, he won't have employees, likewise the worker tries to get as much as possible out of his employer for compensation. it's a give and take, a balancing act, and the only places workers are exploited unfairly is where there is no free market and people are not free to move around as they please.

[HorrorHiro]

I'm still rolling on floor after reading "the government is right there to help when you need a hand once your job is gone." That has to be the funniest thing I've ever read.


It would be far more accurate to say "the government is right there to make you think they actually give a fuck about you."

[HorrorHiro]

that's such a load. everyone screams about management exploiting the workers, but it goes both ways. if an employer doesn't do basic things and pay his employees a wage comparable to the job, he won't have employees, likewise the worker tries to get as much as possible out of his employer for compensation. it's a give and take, a balancing act, and the only places workers are exploited unfairly is where there is no free market and people are not free to move around as they please.

There is nothing "balancing" about having 1 person or a small group of people act like people's lives are nothing but a numbers game. And workers (depending on your definition of "exploited") are exploited at any place of work that isn't equal.

[reaper239]

there's no numbers game except for balancing the check book. which is hard to do when the government keeps taking more and more of the money you make and essentially forces you to outsource your company just to stay in business.

and how exactly do you define equal? i define exploited as not receiving just compensation for your time and efforts. and here, no one forces you to take a job that is ill befitting of your talents and skills, so if you take a job flipping burgers for $5.00 an hour, you are saying that your time is worth $5.00 an hour. if you feel your time is worth more, get a different job, that's the beauty of a free market system.

[Lilydragon]

there's no numbers game except for balancing the check book. which is hard to do when the government keeps taking more and more of the money you make and essentially forces you to outsource your company just to stay in business.

and how exactly do you define equal? i define exploited as not receiving just compensation for your time and efforts. and here, no one forces you to take a job that is ill befitting of your talents and skills, so if you take a job flipping burgers for $5.00 an hour, you are saying that your time is worth $5.00 an hour. if you feel your time is worth more, get a different job, that's the beauty of a free market system.

The company I work for went over budget on a new finance system that hasn't worked right from the beginning, and a few years ago they went over budget building a new office building. For years they told us we were best in class in what we did, but when they came to tell us we were losing our jobs they said that the business that is taking over our jobs has the tools that make THEM best in class. We felt like we were lied to all those years. The same day we found out we were losing our jobs a news artical came out stating that our CEO was to receive an $11 million bonus! Today I received a letter from our unemployment benefits office stating that I qualify for TAA and unemployment benefits. I'm just ready for it all to be over.

[reaper239]

The company I work for went over budget on a new finance system that hasn't worked right from the beginning, and a few years ago they went over budget building a new office building. For years they told us we were best in class in what we did, but when they came to tell us we were losing our jobs they said that the business that is taking over our jobs has the tools that make THEM best in class. We felt like we were lied to all those years. The same day we found out we were losing our jobs a news artical came out stating that our CEO was to receive an $11 million bonus! Today I received a letter from our unemployment benefits office stating that I qualify for TAA and unemployment benefits. I'm just ready for it all to be over.

i'm not at all saying that there aren't companies out there aren't people running some of these companies who are only out to make that almighty dollar, and i cancertainly see from your point how you could feel burned like an ant under a magnifying glass, but at the same time there are companies that have done everything they could to keep their people gamefully employed but simply come down to move out or shut down. now does this mean i think a ceo should get a $50 bonus, let alone $11 million, for sending their company over seas? absolutely not. i know this doesn't take the sting out of your situation, but there is hope, there are people in charge of companies who genuinely care about their employees. it's a crap shoot trying to find one, but they're out there. i wish you the best of luck finding one of these compasionate caring individuals.

[scbubba]

i'm not at all saying that there aren't companies out there aren't people running some of these companies who are only out to make that almighty dollar, and i cancertainly see from your point how you could feel burned like an ant under a magnifying glass, but at the same time there are companies that have done everything they could to keep their people gamefully employed but simply come down to move out or shut down. now does this mean i think a ceo should get a $50 bonus, let alone $11 million, for sending their company over seas? absolutely not. i know this doesn't take the sting out of your situation, but there is hope, there are people in charge of companies who genuinely care about their employees. it's a crap shoot trying to find one, but they're out there. i wish you the best of luck finding one of these compasionate caring individuals.

There are a lot of companies and businesses that truly value their people. The folks that run these companies are typically less beholden to people that don't work there - e.g. venture capital, wall street, etc. I've worked at a few places like this and at least one that wasn't.

My current company (doing software in the design and construction industry) has been faced with dealing with the down economy in that sector from the beginning (we started in the company in late '08). It got real tight in '12 so we instituted pay cuts from the top level down (myself included). Executive and management took minimum 30% salary reductions. We did end up having to let a couple of people go, but again we started at the top there too.

My point to this is simply to show that there are companies run by real people. They are struggling sometimes but, more often than now, they are doing the right things. It might mean making a little less money for a while, but my experience has been that it's often well worth it to stay out of the "investor-first" type of organizations that get all the headlines.

Lilydragon, I really hope that you are able to find something very soon. Your situation sounds like it sucks. If you think there may be something I could do to help out from way over here in South Carolina, drop me a message and I'll see what I can do.

[Lilydragon]

Well, it's official. I've been out of work for 2 weeks and just received my first severance check. I stayed all the way to the end of my stay. And for the last two weeks have not been able to find a thing... But if worse comes to worse I'll sign up with a staffing agency, that how I found my last job. But sitting at home when I'm not looking is starting to drive me nuts.

[scbubba]

You are in our prayers as you look for a job. Hope you are well.

[Solanine]

Really sucks to hear that. Out sourcing is a major problem. The area of Britain I came from was a huge manufacturing belt.
A combination of stubbornness form trade unionists and a lack of foresight by the govt of the time lead to industry collapsing and whole communities falling apart.
Thatcher decided rather than to operate on the affected limb she would just amputate. And now we have one hell of a trade deficit and have a culture of benefit "slackers".

@Reaper Outsourcing isn't just a government caused problem. Its about frame of mind.
The worrying thing about free market economies is that companies will always see the cost of things like labour, health and safety etc, rather than seeing the value of them.
I assume you all heard about the collapse in a Bangladeshi factory? One thousand people dead, because of poor health and safety.
The problem with trusting individuals with big decisions is that greed will always lead to decisions being made to benefit the maker in the short term.
Take the financial crisis for example.
A mixture of poor to non existent regulation and lack of long term planning lead to a triple dip recession in the UK, the Eurozone falling to pieces and huge unemployment in the US and the ROTW.

[Duffusmonkey]

That really sucks.

One of the few things about my job that I like is that we make trucks from local vendors on american chassis and almost nothing is outsourced yet...

[Robzombie]

Well, it's official. I've been out of work for 2 weeks and just received my first severance check. I stayed all the way to the end of my stay. And for the last two weeks have not been able to find a thing... But if worse comes to worse I'll sign up with a staffing agency, that how I found my last job. But sitting at home when I'm not looking is starting to drive me nuts.

Best of luck. In 2008 I was laid off, without severance but 6 weeks notice. I was out of work for 9 months after that but eventually got something that paid less than half for what I normally do, but it was a start and now I'm better off then when I was laid off before. Things were lean but we didn't lose our home or vehicles and eventally got back on our feet. Things always get better LD, even when things suck.

[Lilydragon]

Thanks everyone, you guys are great. :)

[Lilydragon]

Well, I've been out of work for nearly a month and half (next Friday it will be), and I found a job!! I'll be a temp for the medical distribution company across the hall from the medical distribution company that laid me off... Gotta love it. :)

[YetAnotherBloodyCheek]

Well, I've been out of work for nearly a month and half (next Friday it will be), and I found a job!! I'll be a temp for the medical distribution company across the hall from the medical distribution company that laid me off... Gotta love it. :)

That is such good news. Congrats!

[scbubba]

Well, I've been out of work for nearly a month and half (next Friday it will be), and I found a job!! I'll be a temp for the medical distribution company across the hall from the medical distribution company that laid me off... Gotta love it. :)

Good news!

Congrats on getting some work! Maybe it can become a temp to permanent position.

[Lilydragon]

Good news!

Congrats on getting some work! Maybe it can become a temp to permanent position.

It is a temp to hire job, so I'm not too worried. I'll essentially be doing the same thing I was doing before. Thank you guys for all the support. Once again you guys are great!