Thread regarding Marathon Oil Corp. layoffs

That’s the policy in every company I worked. Chevron, Shell and Apache.

I was told the only thing I was able to say about a former employee was that they were employed by marathon from x date to y date. I thought it was a silly rule because I was speaking on my own behalf not the companies and wrote a full reference anyway. Told HR I did and they immediately started the steps that lead to me no longer managing people. From what I recall I got a formal write up, then my first ever (in like 10 years there) poor ranking, I was then told my position was being rolled into the sphere of an existing manager and I was moved back to technical professional.
I recently left MRO and while much the same HR BS happens at my new company the overall culture is tremendous. Really much like the “old” Marathon in the days of Hinchman, Bowzer, Cazalot, etc. I don’t know why when I left I thought the ranking and performance appraisal stuff would be so different at the new place, but I did nonetheless. My advice to anyone who is so unhappy that they feel the need to post the vitriolic stuff that gets posted here is to get out. You’re not doing yourself any favors being that unhappy and I guarantee your work performance is dropping because your attitude can’t be where it needs to be.

You can provide personal references, but you can’t do it on behalf of the company. Like on a company letterhead etc.. As for those A-holes that are unwilling to provide you a reference, you probably don’t want them to if that’s the way they treat people.

So..Which is it? Is it a clear directive from HR not to have any contact with people who have been laid off or not?

As a manager I have written referral letters and been a reference for past members of my team that have been let go. I have never been advised by HR or anyone else to do otherwise. It is the very least any manager should do after a layoff. If your former supervisor is giving you the cold shoulder its simply because they are an a–hole

For myself, I've kept in contact with everyone that I'd had working relationships with over the years...so, what's your point?

How many laid off co workers did you keep in touch with after previous rounds?

The last poster is full of BS.

Where else would credible references come from other than direct supervisors?!?!

I was a manager there. We are told we can get written up if we provide any references.

What I was told by HR and level, MRO doesn't want to refer someone who might be bad and open up a lawsuit.

@1yuk+18JKQ3eT So, all of a sudden, they’re no longer “people” because they don’t work for MRO anymore?

Not an unspoken rule. It's policy that managers make no comment (good or bad) regarding former employees.

I think they are just being D-cks. Or they are the type that say one thing to you when your there and don’t give a sh-t once your gone.

That’s funny, given how we’re coached to be so “personable” and such while employed by the company, and our performance reviews suffer if we’re “that person no knows anything about outside work”.

Not an unspoken rule, more like a clear directive from HR telling supervisors not to communicate with subordinates who get let go.