Alexus Harris
ENGL 1102
Prof. Dale
4/25/2014
Downsizing Working America
Layoffs are widely considered to be negative life events associated with depression along with economic decline and numerous amounts of other health issues. Many studies have shown that there is a direct link between physical and mental illnesses that have occurred in former workers and layoffs. Even though there has been proof of these effects and layoffs there is still the fact that there is no way to avoid laying off workers. This issue affects hundreds of people in America a year though there has yet to be any advances towards preventing this issue.
Many psychologists believe that laying off workers can have serious consequences, such as mental and physical ailments of employees. However, other researchers say that laying off workers has never really been proven to cause depression or any other mental/ physical problems. There is also another argument that states that there is no way to avoid the act of laying off people; that it is just the way our system is set up. I believe that though the layoffs can not be avoided there could be better ways to let a worker go. I think that our system has to be improved in order for us to function properly. While some researchers say that layoffs have no serious effects they can’t avoid the changes that occur in a person after being laid off. Trying to avoid laying off people is pretty much impossible and I am not saying that it is the solution to our problems. However, reducing the damage done by laying off people is the goal. But I do think that attempting to cushion the blow to make it less detrimental to a person and their well-being would be in tact would be beneficial to all.
Downsizing has become an acce...
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...are of its employees. Based on the extensive evidence that huge layoffs most often provide only short-term gains and may do long term damage, should emphasize the need for caution when considering downsizing.
While it is an obvious fact that layoffs are almost impossible to avoid it has been stated that there are ways to avoid mass layoffs and the harmful effects that they can have on a worker’s well-being and their family. Layoffs have been proven to affect an employee’s mental stability and cause numerous amounts of health- related issues. It has also been proven that there is a way for corporations to decrease the amount of workers they layoff or fire by benefiting the workers a little more and the business a little less. While these efforts will not end layoffs and the detrimental effects it can have, it can help to “cushion the blow” or be less devastating.
Today, many health care organizations have been forced to reduce their workforce due to the downturn of the economy. Marshall and Broas (2009) state that whenever health care organizations conduct a reduction in force (RIF); there is the potential for legal risk. However, with proper planning and implementing, employers can minimize the risk of litigation (Marshall & Broas, 2009; Segal, 2001). Hence, before carrying out a 10% reduction in workforce, there are a number of steps that need to be taken to ensure it is successful.
Downsizing, restructuring, rightsizing, even a term as obscure as census readjustment has been used to describe the plague that has been affecting corporate America for years and has left many of its hardest working employees without work. In the 1980’s, twenty-five percent of middle management was eliminated in the United States (Greenberg/Baron 582). In the 1990’s, one million managers of American corporations with salaries over $40,000 also lost their jobs (Greenberg/Baron 582). In total, Fortune 500 companies have eliminated 4.4 million positions since 1979 (Greenberg/Baron 627). Although this downsizing of companies can have many reasons behind it and cannot be avoided at times, there are simple measures a company can take to make the process easier on the laid-off employees and those who survive with the company.
In the Sundance Writer, the story, How to Land the Job You Want gives an example of what should happen if someone gets laid off and/or loses a job. “Louis Albert, 39, lost his job as an electrical engineer when his firm made extensive cutbacks. He spent two months answering classified ads and visiting employment agencies—with zero results” (Mayleas 366). Eventually, he
Most companies are just out there to make money and not care for the welfare of their employees. It may be difficult to see this as business has always been portrayed as a stimulator of the economy and always on the lookout for its employees. However, this is only because the companies that abide by such practices are given as examples and not the ones that do poorly. We oftentimes complain about the little petty things in life when we should be worried about the people who are suffering in our world. The saying always goes; you never know what you have till it’s gone. Unfortunately, this saying corresponds particularly well this
Without understand the negative impacts of turnover, a company may be placing itself in a position that will ultimately lead to their demise. We are going to solve our problems and set our company on the path to success, a success that is not only reflected in our bottom line but also our employees’ morale.
Throughout the 1970s, the ability of any one person to work hard enough to transcend social stratification in the United States became difficult due to various domestic challenges. The reality Americans begun to see during the ‘70s was bleak, this being contributed in great part to ecopolitical events. In the year 1974, a recession begun that has continued to affect the United States economy to this very day. Harold Meyerson, a writer and journalist for the Washington Post and The American Prospect in the article “The 40-Year Slump” notes “The middle-income jobs of the nation’s postwar boom years have disproportionately vanished. Low-wage jobs have disproportionately burgeoned. Employment has become less secure. Benefits have been cut. The dictionary definition of “layoff” has changed, from denoting a temporary severance from one’s job to denoting a permanent severance” (1). It is important to consider this point because it really lays the foundation of the 1970’s; one of little hope, and one shaken by what became known as the 1973-1975 Recession. This recession affected practically every person living in the U.S, and changed the perception of the workplace. Through low-economic growth and high inflation, the economic term “stagflation” came about, and negatively influenced the success of countless Americans. Alejandro Reuss, co-editor for the magazine Dollars & Sense in the article “That ‘70s Crises” asserts "The economy seemed trapped in the new nightmare of “stagflation,” so called because it combined low economic growth and high unemployment (“stagnation”) with high rates of inflation” (1). This is a valuable point to consider, as this term is still used to this day, and has affected all aspects of life for many Americans. Mic...
Over time, this dull pain can erode the self-confidence and passion of even the strongest people, which in turn, affects their spouses and children and friends in subtle but profound ways… Though it may be difficult to quantify, the dissatisfaction of employees has a direct impact on productivity, turnover, and morale, all of which eventually hit a company’s bottom line hard,” (p. ix –
Walkout; what is a Walkout? According to the website Dictionary.com, it defines the term walkout as “the act of leaving or being absent from a meeting, especially as an expression of protest”. Some people may say it is an act of retaliation, and others may say it is standing up for what you believe in. A walkout it is not only an act of leaving, it is a form of expression. People who are involved in a walkout bring attention or raise awareness for a certain issue that is taking place. That’s what happened in 1968. A group of East Los Angeles students walked out, in order to have their goals met by the L.A.U.S.D School District, which was, a better education for the Latino community.
However, this move is not always a wise one because when an enterprise has fewer workers it would reduce its productivity which would mean more financial problems. Besides it strains the workforce. If these corporations continue incurring losses they eventually close down and as a result, the workforce loses jobs. This is what has been going on since December 2007. Unemployment is one of the biggest problems that governments have to deal with. (compston 2002).
Employees of nonunion organizations may not have the same opportunities and job security as those of unionized organizations. These employees may be classified as at-will workers in which the employer or employee can terminate employment at any time. Al...
In every work place you will find employees who are happy with what they do and employees who are just there to complain and collect a paycheck. My topic for this discussion will cover job dissatisfaction.
When laid off work the first thing we often ask ourselves is “Was it my fault?”, “What could I have done differently?” We often blame ourselves and believe that maybe there was something different we could have done. That kind of thinking does not show “sociological imagination.” Sociological Imagination allows us to question “things” or issues which are common and familiar to us and to find its deeper meaning, such as unemployment, crime and even drug use. Utilizing “sociological imagination” is a way of thinking, we are able to find reasoning and uncover why many things in society are the way they are. The “sociological imagination” doesn’t attempt to understand the individual and his or her problems alone, but focuses on issues and problems as it affects the greater society, which in turn can affect the individual.
It’s hard to live a normal healthy life without a job and money. There are a variety of reasons why people are unemployed. Being unemployed can cause one to experience financial, emotional, and personal problems.
Today, the possibility of loosing your job looms on the horizon for many of us. Up until a few months ago I was among the millions of people that is unemployed. Dealing with the loss of job is very similar to the emotions one feels when they experience loss through a divorce or death of a loved one. Unemployment carries an array of emotions ranging from stress, fear, anxiety, and depression. Unemployment contributes to low self-esteem and to family instability, decreased family relations, and in some cases family violence. Lessons can emerge from those who cope well with unemployment, but the immediate goal is to survive emotionally and financially until you have a clear direction for you and your family. In my research paper I will explore not just the individual directly, but the economical and psychological affects unemployment have on the family as a whole.
Focus on the Remaining Employees: Managers must make sure the remaining employees are reassured that the situation is not negative. Prepare emails or memos for the remaining employees explaining the termination. Be honest and upfront about the reasons and consequences of terminations. If the termination is for absenteeism, then state that. If the company is experience financial problems, it is also a good idea to get that out in the open to avoid gossip and fear mongering. Implement a transition of responsibilities and assign duties to other associates.