Redundancy and other incoherent ramblings.

[Pugwash]

Thought I'd better start a separate thread as we keep taking the others off topic

From this thread

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Originally posted by Pugwash:

I'm now on the legally required 30 day consultation period before redundancies are announced,

but my employers are stressing no decision has been made to move the work, like hell.

They want us (me and 4 other colleges) to ask for redundancy now and go by next week, but to do that we have to sign a legal document protecting them from any possible legal action.

I would not even be allowed to slag them off down the pub.

We have also heard on the grapevine that all our passwords are going to be disabled at the weekend, but that would cause a problems as we have admin rights on all the servers, also know the default Admin password for all servers, the FTP copy passwords for the jobs we run including the banks changeling them would mean editing every job that has a FTP copy in it as the passwords are contained in the job or file that resides with the individual job.

Anyone know a good virus writer. just kidding

I don't even know if I'm working Sunday at this moment in time.

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Originally posted by Cc:

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They want us (me and 4 other colleges) to ask for redundancy now and go by next week, but to do that we have to sign a legal document protecting them from any possible legal action.

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Yep, the exact same situation here in the U.S. for the company I use to work for.

Holy Crap on a Rubber Raft!

Do you get any benefit's at all?

Edit: Here in the US ,you get some benifits if you sign off, but you give up the right to sue.

Sorry,dude.Tripple bummer.Wish I could buy you an ale at your favorite pub.

S.O.A.B.

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We will still be entitled to the statutory redundancy package and unemployment benefit for six months.

Their compromise package just means that we can leave now and get paid for the rest of the consultation period, then receive the same redundancy package (pay in lieu of notice, holiday credits etc) all tax free which we would receive on redundancy.

The full story and background history goes something like this.

Around two years ago the company I worked for decided to relocate some of the financial control side of the business to another location.

The people involved were offered redundancy and a good package to stay with the company until the transfer was complete.(bonus of 3 months salary tax free)

Not one of them signed up to move and it could be seen that with all the expertise vanishing over night it would not work.

The redundancy package and bonus offer was withdrawn moral in the departments concerned crashed for some unknown reason.

After that Christmas we were all informed (credit control, purchase ledger,TSG, apps support, operations etc all I. T. and Financial departments) that the company would be looking at outsourcing all these functions and we would be transferred to which ever company won the seven year contract.

By April that year we had been transferred to the contract winner.

The nice air conditioned secure ( behind 3 locked doors with security cameras and security guards) computer suit we worked in was vacated.

Most of the servers moved to our new employers data center, we moved in to an open plan office about 3 miles away with no security, cars in the car park were broken into or stolen during the day.

What really pi**** me off is the fact we have been lied to by our new managers saying things like

"It's to early to say",

"No decision has been made",

"We will keep you fully informed while we investigate all possible changes in working practices".

That was last September when we had demanded a meeting to find out what was happening, they never did keep us informed the next meeting we had was last week seven months later.

During that time our I. T. Help desk was closed and centralized with theirs our staff took redundancy, their staff had no experience with our users and just pass the jobs onto applications support who now have to devote more and more time supporting users and not fixing, changing, supporting application (most of our apps are in house bespoke application and users are always wanting changes)

We moved from using Quetzal (sp?) to Heat for monitoring IT issues.

That was a joke all our IT staff still use Quetzal they don't like Heat it doesn't have the functionality Quetzal has, someone now has to now keep both databases in sync.

A large number of experienced staff with many years experience (including team leader) have left replace by our new employers staff transferred from other locations or temps.

We've had some good temps who have deleted files off the system before handing in there notice.

This has all helped to foster an atmosphere of uncertainty, rumors, and lack of moral but all our leader can say is "you get swings like this in a few months time everyone will be happy" well its been like this for a year now getting worse week by week.

The best thing about the shift pattern has been working nights I'm in the building alone and don't have to put up with the bad atmosphere, we all hate working the day shifts.

So all in all I'm not surprised to be made redundant we have been expecting it from day one it's only their lack of planning and inability to manage the situation that has enabled the ops team to remain in employment for so long.

The only reason I stuck with them was I could arrange my shift pattern to enable me to attend University on day release, any shifts I could not swap I booked off as holidays.

I just telephoned work to find out if I'm working Sunday no one knows so I'm taking that as a no and will stay in bed on Sunday.

From this thread

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Originally posted by Cc:

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Originally posted by Pugwash:

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This unit is a reactor system upgrade.

It provides a very high reactor power output.

It also has a very low Radine fuel consumption rate.

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You could interpret this to mean you can get more than 100 units of power out of this reactor but I have only ever seen the Karanian produce 100 units.

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Working another 24H?

Hokey Smoke ,Bullwinkle.!

(From a cartoon series popular here in the U.S . in the late 50's,early 60's),Yep ,I'm dating myself.So What.

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lol not quite 24 hours but lets say I haven't had much sleep although its not as bad as it looks as I left work 4 hours early yesterday and this morning and checked the forum when I got home then posted.

We can go home once the work is done this week since our services are no longer required.

Couldn't sleep yesterday so had been up playing.. erm.. testing.. on the MP servers in the morning /afternoon so stayed up all day testing didn't do any work on GBS though.

Six posts in one day I'm loosing it.

Think I should have waited another day and got some sleep before I posted in Area51 it might have been more coherent, it seemed to make sense when I read it last night.

[Baloogan]

...

You are scaring me...

is adult life really that hard?

[Cc]

Anything new to report?

Any hope of not 'being redundant'?

At any rate, good luck and best wishes.

(Still want to buy you an ale,or two. Maybe someday.)

[Pugwash]

I telephone the HR department at work today to clarify some points and it would seem that wether or not I sign the "Compromise Agreement" I was made redundant on the 7th which was not what I or my colleges were told.

The financial difference to not signing to me is I would loose out by around £200 but still be able to take any legal action.

They expected everyone to jump at the option and take it but they did insist I sought legal advice before signing, now I have said that I am reluctant to sign the agreement they find themselves in the position that they say they have terminated my employment without following the required legal process.

I have fired off a letter to the HR representative and depending on what they confirm in writing depends on my next move.

I'm expecting them to backtrack on what they told me over the telephone and now follow the requirements laid down by law.

Maybe I'm an optimist

If they do that and could some how for fill all the legal requirements tomorrow I would now benefit by not signing as they would have to pay me for at least one weeks extra pay.

Failing that I'm seriously thinking about taking them to the Industrial tribunal but I'll have to see what they are going to confirm in writing.

Luckily I am a member of a trade union so receive legal advice and representation from them at no cost other than the normal monthly membership fee.

[DennyMala]

Good luck and best wishes PUGWASH.

[Cc]

I would like to add to 'incoherent ramblings', but I think Denny said it all: Best Wishes.