I’d rather quit than have this company lay me off. It is in my interest to keep this job for a while longer and I'm becoming anxious as there is more and more rumor that there could be cuts early next year. I don’t know how accurate that is, but I wonder if anyone here is convinced that hard work spared him or her from becoming layoff target before?
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Agreed that a company like Pembina is the reason why Unions exist. Some of the stuff that happens here would never ever be supported nor tolerated at our (non-union) peer firms. Pembina is a company that has a fear-based culture and flies under the radar within industry with a secretive nature.... drinks its own kool-aid, and gets away with all this questionable stuff. Throw in a largely passive staff who look the other way and don't question things, and it's a toxic environment.
A union would never happen but its fun to talk about it as the company monitors this site. In my opinion, if Pembina ever got wind that staff were engaging a union to represent current non-union staff, ppl would immediately investigate and identify those internal people and issue for-cause termination(s) to set an example and ensure everyone else falls in line. Cue a thinly veiled threatening e-mail to all staff from management. Problem solved. The middle managers and my HR rep would be like junkyard dogs on a moldy bone.
I am not a union supporter myself but we sure could use one - the way they treat us is the reason for their creation. Imagine what the atmosphere would be like on the 39th floor if we did. Wonder how we get started on installing one here?
I posted here the other day about my departure from Pembina after accepting another opportunity, and believing we parted on good terms. Putting in the two weeks notice doing everything required of me to maintain the relationship, only to have my reputation burned from within. Someone from Pembina even reached out to my new new team that I was an issue.
Knowing what I know now, I should have packed my stuff on a Friday morning and submitted my resignation notice to HR and my Managers on the Friday afternoon. No win scenario with you leaving, so let them pick up the pieces with no warning while you move on. Everyone on my new team knows very little about Pembina nor care what they thought of me. Oil and gas' motto is 'What have you done for me lately and what can you do for me in the future'.
Note: I would never do that to a company who treated me right. Pembina, however, double middle fingers up to them.
Funny about the union talk. My colleagues and I routinely joke about how Pembina needs a union, and none of us are union people. I guess the Corunna terminal in Ontario has one. I mean, you can only unapologetically grind your staff and run so absurdly lean for so long until things and people start to break.
Myself and some of my colleagues all have feelers out there (and headhunters working for us) with new opportunities. Collectively, we quietly lined up our internal references so not worried about that, either. All of us have agreed to not put in our two weeks notice and will resign on the spot. We have worked together for so long and have eachothers backs. No one is worried about what may potentially be said about us internally or externally, and frankly, if anyone asked, they will hear the truth about Pembina from our perspective and how toxic and regressive it is. Not scared of big brother.
This is a company that prides itself on having 500 less employees than the equivalent sized company. That means crushing work loads for those who actually get things done.
Never was a big union fan during my career, but if there was one company who needs a union to speak up for the employees, it's Pembina.
I left Pembina pre-covid for a better opportunity, and some feedback I give to anyone leaving there is to watch who you use as reference(s) and trust going forward. After I resigned and spent my final two weeks cross training, documenting processes, tying up loose ends, I was told I left in good standing and was valued, only then to hear that my name was slung through the mud internally and within industry in the trailing weeks. Then a few months later, I hear how much they struggled without me. I also know that this reaction from them is not limited to me. There is some Stockholm syndrome with Pembina staff, and a resentment to anyone who has the courage (or audacity) to move on. It's disheartening initially but then you realize that Pembina isn't life and there are very few players/movers and shakers within in our industry working for Pembina.
Seemingly no funds for new technology, system upgrades, support staff, but always a million to spend on company parties, flying in field people for BS team building/meetings just to suck at the exec teet. That made me bitter. Give me the tools to do the job.
- Willingness to put your career at Pembina ahead of family and personal endeavors.
I work with a guy who lives far outside of Calgary and works downtown. He had to rent a nearly AirBnB and hotel room as the 13-15 hour workdays were too much with a 2 hour commute home. Management obviously loved him for it and exploited him for it. He saw his wife and kids on weekends. Was promoted to Sr. Mgr and now rents a condo two blocks from head office, and has his sights set on VP. Which will probably happen as MD, et.al, love him.
I work my regular hours and refuse to not go home every night and miss my sons hockey and soccer games, or my daughters ballet/art classes. Life is too short to dedicate your life to a soulless and shifty corporation like PPL.
Where are all the p-m p-m cheerleader apologists that used to post here defending Pembina? Laid off during the last summer round? They were quite vocal about how much they loved their jobs, the hours, and the company. Miss hearing your guys' spin jobs.
In my experience, and opinion, Pembina rewards staff who A) suck up to management and convey complete loyalty B) don't question anything and puts their head down doing the job without rocking the boat or C) are related or are friends with someone in high places. Keeping the nepotism and cronyism culture alive in 2021. In essence, they want sycophants, doormat worker bees, and or familiar/untouchable DNA on payroll. Take your pick.
BTW, according to this site, all severance packages provided were lowball and insulting. If you could swing things on your own without EI, go for it. Just make sure you give them the middle finger on the way out. Pembina is a trash company and I love how the onion is starting to be peeled back, and it stinks!
I completely agree with all the posters below. The two items that struck me the most are about the folks that have been let go (and are leaving on their own) are in most cases the ones who were doing the bulk of the work (and this has been going on for over a year now), and there being no chance for people in technical positions. This is one messed up company. Instead of making positive steps forward, management at all levels are full-on, pedal to the metal in reverse with their heads up their a$$s. Your hard work will do nothing other than run you into the ground - please don't stay long enough that the job affects your health. That sneaks up on one quickly.
You have to schmooze with the management team and brag about all the good stuff that you have done and if you are at the bottom of the food chain (I.e. like a technical person), good luck with that. You get no chance to do that and if your boss does not vouch for you, then you are out of luck. Or if the general manager sits in the corner office and has no interaction with the rest of the team, then you are screwed as well.
That is wishful thinking, in my honest humble opinion. I know a handful of people who were let go last around and I would say these were in the group who were in the 20% doing the 80% of the work. Management changes all the time, you will be lucky if your immediate supervisor/manager knows what value you have contributed in the past or what potential value you bring to the company, let alone the general manager or VP deciding who is going to be laid off.
I'm convinced that management has no idea who you are and what you do.
Best try not to worry over things outside your control and instead focus your anxious energy on a plan b.
I feel your pain as there's never any certainty, and there's more pressure to pick up the pieces after having no transition or handover from the last round.