Thread regarding Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) layoffs

If you change groups, the algorithm that suggests to management who to lay off (developed by lawyers) will show that you are not vital to the new group because you are a newbie. (That's the same algorithm that lays off a few young folks to avoid making the age discrimination numbers look too bad.)

Yes, if you teach others your job skills, you're good... Ethically! But you'll often still get laid off, and the wolves in sheep clothing won't. The wolves out-number the sheep at HPE, after many-many years of "bell curve reviews" being used to force the layoffs. So newbie-hires, and newbies-to-the-work-group (those moving from one group to another), beware!

For those HPE employees, for whom it is NOT a realistic option to find a non-HPE job that pays half-decent, in your city, if pulling up stakes and moving your family is not an option… BEWARE of the idea of moving within HPE! Even if your group looks to be a big fat target for the next ever-looming layoffs, and some other group looks like less of a target… Look before you leap! You just might be hopping from the frying pan into the fire!

The reason why I say this, is as follows: Layoffs compounded with “forced distribution reviews” (meaning, make your co-workers look BAD so that you can look GOOD) means that many-many groups (most groups?) are heavily populated by those who are talented at making you look bad, so that they can look good. Newbies beware! They’ll steal credit for your work, and constantly remind the boss HOW much harder it is, what THEY are doing, than what YOU are doing. Etc. …

Also beware the “circular logic loop” which is targeted at newbies. All it takes, is seniority in the group, and enough buzzwords to make yourself look plausible. Simply insist that “newbie” must triple-prove any new work that “newbie” does, because after all, he/she IS a newbie, and is kinda slow, therefor not to be totally trusted. Not like me; I’ve been around a while, so I can merely single-prove or half-prove my work, and go on. … Now newbie, having to ALWAYS triple-prove newbie’s work, will CONTINUE to be slow! So newbie NEVER gets any real credibility, for always being slow, so… Will always continue to need to triple-prove his/her work! And therefore be slow; continue to N + 1 till newbie needs to be laid off and replaced, and then you can do it to the next newbie!

Who ever said " you MUST make others look bad, to make yourself look good" is a total a---hole. If your good at what you do and don't make others look bad in the process, you teach, mentor others. Then my friend your good! If you need to make others look bad so you look good, you are not very good at all.

"you MUST make others look bad, to make yourself look good. People with poor ethics have learned this lesson VERY well at HP and now HPE"

Yup witnessed this first hand, especially back in the days when peers contributed to performance reviews. If you weren't in the clique, you would get savaged. I saw some good people get hammered by this.

I noticed my british colleagues always seemed to be getting recognized for even what I considered trivial things... like, doing their job.. while others who seemed to bend over backwards we're mostly overlooked... but if you find yourself in this situation the best thing to do is to leave if you can or learn as much as you can and move on when you can... moonlight, go to school, start a business of your own... but don't wait for them to do the right thing.. they never will.

We can only control what we can control. Obviously, there is no way we can litigate whether the OP is right, or that it is more him than others. But i have the same questions as one other posters:

Why would you endure that much suffering without doing something; either file complaints, call a meeting, or find a new job.

It took me a lot less than this kind of sh--, assuming that it is true, to move on and find a new job. I just saw the company going the wrong direction and left. That was 4+ years ago before the split.

Mr Rogers Prodige, AKA @Uq5QnQP-1kgx , you are excessively optimistic from my experience. (I am not the OP here).

I bent over backwards to accommodate some some j-e-r-k-s in my group, lead engineers... (Others were much nicer)... And named them on my patents (even though they did not contribute to the patent) to signal to them that "I am trying to play nice with you", all to no avail. Under "bell curve" reviews, and clueless managers who can't figure out what is going on, you MUST make others look bad, to make yourself look good. People with poor ethics have learned this lesson VERY well at HP and now HPE...

This is a little over the top "perspective." Everyone was not undermining you. It sounds like you are kind of a loner who is polite, quiet, doesn't confront people at the moment of infraction. Probably not too many jobs at this point. Is this your first "real job?" What country are you in? Why would you endure that much suffering without doing something; either file complaints, call a meeting, or find a new job.

It was in your head. Change the way you look at life, into something positive, and it will happen.

It's the shy kid, avoiding the group of people because he doesn't think they will accept him. But from the other people's perspective, it is the kid who avoids them who comes across as aloof and "not very nice...not wanting friends..." call it what you want. It is the bizarre circle of Western Society where a shy person is a self fulfilling prophecy of unhappiness. When you see a group of people talking, just go stand with them. There! You're in. It works in every aspect of life.

Dude, was this in America ? What location was this ?

It may not be all of them, the people in the several departments you've working for over the years, who are the problem. It might just be you.