Almost Like a Service Pack

  • Comments posted to this topic are about the item Almost Like a Service Pack

  • Interesting article...

    .

  • Hi

    I found your topic very interesting, being a dba myself, i got layed off beginning of March and will stay at my current job untill the 5th of April. I started in January.

    We are 5 dba's at a small company, and they decided to let someone go. I have not asked for, or claiming any severance pay but with the current economy being what it is, its difficult to find jobs out there, i basically have less than 2 weeks, and have found nothing so far. Hopefully i'll get lucky before then.

    cheers

    Ruan

  • I thought that it was interesting that Microsoft, a company that is creating the leading edge of software technology in North America, can't hire competent financial staff. 😛

    I told the story to the HR/Payroll person at the small company that I work for and she suggested that maybe some of the payroll were on the layoff list and wanted to cause a little trouble. I told her that not everyone is as vindictive as she is. :hehe:

    Even though it is not a pay week, I probably shouldn't joke with her like that though. :unsure:

    Mia

    I have come to the conclusion that the top man has one principle responsibility: to provide an atmosphere in which creative mavericks can do useful work.
    -- David M. Ogilvy

  • Your right Steve, "I'd hope that many more would stop for a minute and realize", but we do not live in a stop and think/realize world. Just look at the mess around us here in the US.

    <><
    Livin' down on the cube farm. Left, left, then a right.

  • I don't believe this is the first layoff at Microsoft. A friend was laid off from their graphics department in the 1990's.

  • mark.hammond (3/24/2009)


    I don't believe this is the first layoff at Microsoft. A friend was laid off from their graphics department in the 1990's.

    It's their first mass layoff, per what I've read.

    Also, I've read that what happened is some rows in a spreadsheet got out of synch and thus some people got other people's severance pay. For some, they got more, others got less. Could happen to anyone.

    - Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
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    "Nobody knows the age of the human race, but everyone agrees it's old enough to know better." - Anon

  • The last place of entertainment that I left ripped a huge chunk out of my last check to reimburse themselves for employment-related expenses that they paid for that I didn't know had strings attached. [expletives deleted] If it hadn't been for the generous signing bonus from the current employer, there might've been some brief cash flow problems @ Fort Reed.

    I'm still frosted about it (three years later), but I haven't figured out how to get their Excel rows disordered... yet. Fortunately, they seem to be planning to go out of business soon, so mismanagement may save me the trouble.

    Internally, everybody breathed a sigh of relief when HR forced finance to backpedal on the overpayments. That was the best outcome of a bad situation. Agreed, a little QA would've helped... Which is why I sort of feel bad for the situation relating to the AIG retention "bonuses" -- even though the mainstream media conspiracy wants us to hate everyone @ AIG past, present and future.

  • Definitely an interesting article Steve ... alot in a little to 'chew on' from both an ethical and a personal morals and values point of view.

    However MS just plain blew it - it seems that they 'ate their own dogfood' in trying to do too much with too little for too long - inevitably causing a blunder within their own processes and a minor PR foible.

    RegardsRudy KomacsarSenior Database Administrator"Ave Caesar! - Morituri te salutamus."

  • mhaskins (3/24/2009)


    I thought that it was interesting that Microsoft, a company that is creating the leading edge of software technology in North America, can't hire competent financial staff. 😛

    You have NO idea, tip of the iceberg. LMAO!! :Whistling:

  • Interesting that the problem was caused by an error in a spreadsheet. If only they had used a well designed database with some checks and balances, they might have avoided the situation.

    Does your company use spreadsheets for mission critical data? Most of us do, and they are time bombs waiting to happen.

  • I've mentioned previously that I'm on a countdown to being laid off (made redundant) which had nothing to do with the economic collapse; it just happened to be announced last August. Fortunately, my current company has a good package in place, but I'm still not looking forward to it.

    We don't negotiate this when we get hired. Management decides what they feel is necessary to pay people when they're let go.

    Perhaps we should all negotiate an exit package when we start, since this seems to be what top executives do, so that, for example, when a Chairman bails out of a failing bank he still gets a massive "Golden Parachute" in the form of a bonus/pension which must be paid "because it's in the contract" and hence it would be illegal not to!

    Derek

  • I fully agree with Steve on his article that the bad publicity may cost more than the quick fix. However, depending on the cost and the company budget, smaller companies may not be able to ignore the funds and may need to go after the funds. Another point well made is the "Good Will." This is a very valuable asset for possible future transactions.

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