That's the only way to go, there is enough space for everyone, there is space for fair wages, there is space for healthcare, and there is space for corporate to make money. Everyone should be happy. Treating employees like shit, customers as kind of... — read more
Melville House Publishing
As listed: Who will cushion the nearly six hundred full time booksellers who’ve just been let go? Are they, as anonymous commenters are attesting on thelayoff.com, being forced to sign away their right to unemployment insurance? Is this a move to... — read more
Mary Lee is A Good Person
Mary Lee is merely trying to put herself in our shoes: those of us who can't afford: drycleaning, to buy an iron or pay a hair dresser.
Salaried employees and aca from a corporate perspective.
I left follett a while back and glad I did. The problem with the situation is companies are starting REALIZE the less people THEY have to pay out on salaries and insurance the better for their bottom line. I the company let go experienced salaried... — read more
Follett began trimming full time staff long ago. This has nothing to do with ACA.
When was the last time you were allowed to bring on a full time hourly associate (who wasn't replacing a full time hourly associate)? The company, itself, said they were enforcing and 8:2 part time/full time ratio. They are using Walmart and Circuit... — read more
Obamacare
I was also laid off--in the long run it probably will be a good thing. If they laid off FT people and then encouraged them to apply for PT jobs it's probably partially a result of the Obamacare government regulations that are forcing companies to... — read more
Layoff article
http://www.mhpbooks.com/how-to-lay-off-600-booksellers-with-a-delicious-dollop-of-horseshit/
@474 - Google search is mother of all tracking
You've probably searched for something regarding layoffs, if you used google, yahoo or bing you've got a cookie that will track you. Just delete your history and cookies and you'd be fine
What's the best office product you grabbed on the way out?
I will never long for staplers or stickies again, so I have that going for me.
Obummer
Anybody else regretting they voted for Obama in '08?
I saw the same thing
But it isn't this site that is setting the cookie - doubleclick grabs your history when you go to a bigger site, and you're tagged as a guy needing a job :)
Weird
Saw a banner ad, telling me I could get a great job in retail, got suspicious, and realized I was getting targeted off this site! That happen to anybody else?
470 makes good points
Additionally, even though I think the "leaders" of the company are laughable at best with their strategy and tactics, I think it's a bad idea to post things here that potentially reach into their personal lives. That's not going to help and it could... — read more
No one is intentionally that dumb
Why would you point to a year old story, unless you were trying to make us look dub to reporters? Or can you not read a byline?
Values
We should not be treated like this. We have given this company our sweet, blood, and tears and they are treating us like this. How the handle the layoffs was disgusting and we no regard to another ones feelings. What happened to the core concept of... — read more
Regarding the Facebook for Mary Lee.
If you go on that page you should either be logged out of your personal facebook or be on a dummy account. The Facebook algorithms tend to suggest friends to the person who visits their page so it could be a sucker play to find out who is looking her... — read more
Facebook!
Hey everybody! Mary Lee has a Facebook page! https://www.facebook.com/mary.l.schneider.5
This says 100 in mchenry
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20121003/EMPLOYMENT/121009876?template=mobile&X-IgnoreUserAgent=1
To ASM
I'm so sorry. 4 weeks isn't worth signing for.Good luck to you. I hope you get your 20 weeks.
In response to Anonymous Team Lead
I know of a great attorney who negotiated a severance package and some other verbiage after I was terminated from a major publisher. What state are you located in? If in Illinois let me know.
Surprised?
No. Left them a few years back during what felt like the beginning of rough times. Cronyism at its worst, misplaced faith in fixed margins, an overall pessimistic top-down decision making structure were the early indicators. Now, they're in a tight... — read more
severance pay
1 week for each year with company for severance pay
Question about severance pay.
I was a salaried ASM who was let go on Friday. I worked for the same bookstore for over 20 years. Our university outsourced us about 3 years ago to Follett. I was taken on by Follett with my years of seniority that I had while at the university. I... — read more
@455 Yes, many stores will open up PT1 positions next week
But of course, many associates cannot live on less than 20 hours a week and no benefits so I can't see those former full timers staying long, sad to say....
Is this true?
Tom Kline, a spokesperson for the 980-strong chain, told The Bookseller that the 570 people who had lost their full-time positions last week would be able to reapply for part-time jobs and added that he hoped the “majority of people would do so".
Regarding the message from Bob Scholl
Living the Follett values??? You’ve got to be kidding. Let’s see...disregard for the service and loyalty of long term employees, lack of respect in the manner in which staff has been suddenly laid off and failure to be honest with workers about the... — read more
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/follett-makes-570-redundant.html
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/follett-makes-570-redundant.html
More bad press about Follett from the media, with a shout out to this website and the comments posted here.
This morning's newsletter: http://www.shelf-awareness.com/issue.html?issue=2127#m22195
A Message from Bob Scholl
To: All Associates From:Bob Scholl, Sr. Vice President, Retail Operations Subject:A Message from Bob Scholl Date:11/08/2013 Earlier today, managers across many of our stores took a series of difficult actions tied to an important Follett initiative... — read more
Shelf Awareness
Another reference to our posts here http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ar/theshelf/2013-11-13/follett_lays_off_10_of_college_store_staff.html
FromPW2
Follett just declared itself the Circuit City of booksellers. Same strategy: Fire anyone with institutional knowledge and loyalty to the company in order to bank their pay and benefits; bring in low-paid, part-time, retail migrants, expect to profit... — read more
FromPW
Follett can spin this any way they want, but when it comes down to numbers, they are cutting full time staff to save on higher salaries and benefit packages, not to "better serve the customer." Many college stores across the country are struggling to... — read more
PW has a comments section underneath their story about the layoffs -- which is now missing that last paragraph that 427 quoted!
PW has a comments section underneath their story about the layoffs! But it's now missing the last paragraph that 427 quoted. I guess Follett threw their weight around there too and twisted some arms. I wonder if people can post comments in the... — read more
The best decision I made....18 years ago
The best decision I made 18 years ago was to leave Follett College Store's after a brief 5 years working for them. The, then Regional manager, was impossible to work for and created such unrealisitic goals for the store to achieve that I knew then... — read more
Sweatshop
When I quit follett and luckily got a new job within a month I was surprised that I was not expected to work 10 hour days, 6 days a week as with Follett. I told a friend that apparently I had been working in a sweatshop and had not realized it. There... — read more
with Glad to Go!
Turns out I was lucky to be an early layoff victim. I spent 6 stressful unemployed months but ultimately found a job that is superior in every way. I sincerely wish the same good fortune for all of you. Believe me, if I could do it, you can too.
Like Button
Not sure if you noticed, there is a little ¶ icon to the right of each post, if you click that icon a single post opens up - there is a like button for facebook over there, it singles out the post, I used it a few times...
WE HAVE A VOICE
We just got featured here (PW) - so, people DO READ THIS and WE DO HAVE A VOICE. As for the comment posted by the HR person below, I think the dialogue is fairly civil and I see no libelous stuff on this board... Anyhow, here it goes straight from... — read more