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For Many Workers, Fear of Layoff is Big Motivator
Yahoo ^ | 06/07/2009 | Yahoo

Posted on 06/07/2009 10:19:22 AM PDT by Dallas59

Her job description says Madeline Adams is a social worker. But lately she's begun volunteering for tasks she never had before at the St. Louis marriage counseling agency where she works: planning events, ordering supplies, stocking shelves. She estimates she's put in hundreds of hours of unpaid overtime work.

Adams isn't gunning for a promotion. She just wants to keep her job.

Bosses around the country these days are discovering it's not too much ask for a little extra help around the office. Anything but.

More employees seem to be showing up early, forgoing vacation time, taking on extra projects — and doing it all with a smile (whether real or otherwise).

It's hard to say just how widespread the phenomenon is. But Labor Department figures show workers have sharply boosted their productivity over the past year as layoffs mounted. Workers' output-per-hour jumped 2.7 percent during 2008 — nearly double the increase during 2007 and triple the increase in 2006.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: kissingarse; layoffs; suckups; workplace
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1 posted on 06/07/2009 10:19:22 AM PDT by Dallas59
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To: Dallas59

Well, I’ve been doing that throughout my career — taking on extra tasks, volunteering for things, working odd hours when no one else wants to, etc., etc. (in other words, tying to make myself as needed as possible) — AND IT WORKS! DUH!


2 posted on 06/07/2009 10:21:46 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: GOP_Lady

Without pay?


3 posted on 06/07/2009 10:22:25 AM PDT by Dallas59 ("You know the one with the big ears? He might be yours, but he ain't my president.")
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To: Dallas59

The first people to get laid off are the DEAD WEIGHTS.


4 posted on 06/07/2009 10:22:26 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: Dallas59

No, that is ILLEGAL.


5 posted on 06/07/2009 10:23:08 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: Dallas59
In fact, I'm at work right now. My weekend days are Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I'm saving the firm O/T that they would otherwise pay, and they show me their appreciation in return.
6 posted on 06/07/2009 10:24:17 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: GOP_Lady

That is not true. I was recently laid off. I was promoted 3 levels in 2 years and had the highest performace rating given by my company. Others who were poor performers kept their jobs.


7 posted on 06/07/2009 10:24:55 AM PDT by ShandaLear (Cronyism, Protectionism, Socialism, Obamunism)
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To: ShandaLear

In most instances, yes, but not in all.

This is a different type of recession. It’s not just downsizing just to downsize.


8 posted on 06/07/2009 10:27:16 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: ShandaLear

I lost mine to Mexican Temporaries, the majority of which live in one room cinder block houses and work for $1.50 hour.


9 posted on 06/07/2009 10:28:33 AM PDT by Dallas59 ("You know the one with the big ears? He might be yours, but he ain't my president.")
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To: ShandaLear

political?


10 posted on 06/07/2009 10:28:49 AM PDT by chuck_the_tv_out (click my name)
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To: ShandaLear
The best to you, ShandaLear in your job search.

I've been there and done that.

11 posted on 06/07/2009 10:29:20 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: GOP_Lady

you shouldn’t on the freepers now....


12 posted on 06/07/2009 10:39:15 AM PDT by traumer
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To: traumer
I'm at lunch standing outside my building on my iPhone. :-)
13 posted on 06/07/2009 10:40:56 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: ShandaLear

I agree with you. Our financial company is laying off people from other departments and hasn’t yet touch my department. I do know that our company is transferring many of it’s task over to the Mid West because it is cheaper. So right now they are picking people out like hair strands. There is no criteria. I know of one that worked 25 years and was laid off and another person who got laid off and was upset because she told me she was the hard worker in her department but they didn’t lay off the poor performers.

I wish you the best of luck in your job search. Now I’m trying to save my money as much as I can before my department gets the can to kick.

Now I feel comfortable saying this:

IT’S OBAMA’S FAULT!! =)


14 posted on 06/07/2009 10:46:31 AM PDT by Patriot Babe
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To: GOP_Lady

I worked for MSFT for 10 years. My husband who was also a high-performer and recently promoted was also laid off from MSFT. Most of the lay-offs seemed to have no rhyme or reason or business strategy behind them.

No one should ever assume lay-offs have anything to do with dead-weight. If MSFT based lay-offs on that, the company would be half its size.


15 posted on 06/07/2009 10:50:04 AM PDT by ShandaLear (Cronyism, Protectionism, Socialism, Obamunism)
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To: Patriot Babe

LOL! A couple weeks ago a friend was making some sarcastic remarks about GWB and the recession. I responded by saying, “Yeah? Well I had a job all 8 years Bush was in office.” Needless to say the subject changed immediately.


16 posted on 06/07/2009 10:52:47 AM PDT by ShandaLear (Cronyism, Protectionism, Socialism, Obamunism)
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To: ShandaLear
I've seen many a lay-off, one most recently at my firm here. Most, but not all, were the underperformers.
17 posted on 06/07/2009 10:53:03 AM PDT by GOP_Lady
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To: GOP_Lady

Unfortunately that is not how the MSFT lay-offs went. There were people who had nearly 20 years at the company who were taken out. Like I said, it made no sense at all. No one can figure out what these lay-offs were based on. It has destroyed the morale accross the company because no one can rely on performance for any kind of security.


18 posted on 06/07/2009 10:55:57 AM PDT by ShandaLear (Cronyism, Protectionism, Socialism, Obamunism)
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To: ShandaLear

True. The brown nosers in my group were the ones that stayed while the hard workers (the leave me alone, introverts who shut up and just do their jobs) are the ones that were let go. Disheartening. Too much office politics.

On their final day 2 weeks ago, that group paid for drinks at a strip club which I was invited and we had a blast. They knew there was a chance of being let go and one of the said, it was a releive to finally get the axe instead of waiting for it everyday.

The lesson of the day is: if you get along with your supervisor who is the final decision maker, regardless of your performance, you will stay.


19 posted on 06/07/2009 10:57:29 AM PDT by max americana
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To: max americana

That is so true. One of things that happened to me is that I had a new manager who had no idea what my job was. She was put in charge of the business support team without any experience in leading such a team. I knew lay-offs were coming and saw the writing on the wall with her. Funny thing is that now she knows exactly what I did and has managed to make everyone angry at her because she is making so many mistakes with the projects that used to be mine.


20 posted on 06/07/2009 11:01:07 AM PDT by ShandaLear (Cronyism, Protectionism, Socialism, Obamunism)
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