Thread regarding Scientific Games Corp. layoffs

Anyone notice how it's always Wednesday or Thursday when they give you the boot? Just peruse the posts. Look at the actual days of the week they layoff.

1. Friday. Kicked in the arse for some perceived wrong.

2. Monday. They have lots of hand wringing, gesticulating, and sour face meetings.

3. Tuesday. Joking around, they're sheepishly grinning, avoiding all eye contact.

4. Wednesday. The jig is up, the cube next to you is a mess, you stare in disbelief like it's a horrible traffic accident.

5. Thursday. They come for you. What? You're surprised? Seriously mate?

6. Friday. You wake up, your teeth don't hurt, the birds are singing, your hear in your mind, "F R E E D O M !!!"

7. Saturday. You can't stop grinning. Your face hurts from grinning. Your heart isn't racing anymore.

8. Sunday. You go to church and pray for those souls still trapped in that God forsaken bog of misery.

9. Monday. You begin your job search. Life goes on. You're okay, and you're breathing. You promise yourself, 'never again'.

"Even the most interesting and talented people who have been there years making iconic products don't care anymore. So sad."

My Dear chap, there is no incentive to excel, innovate or invent when you take away the very reward for hard work: an honest pay raise. Minus this incentive, the basic human emotion of survival kicks in when the reward factor is removed from the work equation.

Worker withdrawal, isolation, and avoidance are but three rewards of lousy management.

If management decides there will be no raises, no incentives (except to be fired), and no rewards for work performed, then what they will end up with is a lifeless organization that will wither and die- no matter how much they scream 'we're dying'. Hello, no one cares friend.

What they seem to avoid admitting is that it is THEM who are at fault, not their workers. They cry out "we need to do this for the sake of the company", all the while, punishing or neglecting those who are the very ones that can pull their fat out of the fire.

When the farmer keeps beating his plow mule as he works, the mule will finally lie down and accept his fate. You can take that to the bank, eh mate?

The latest synergy for me was to be let go after spending years as first an intern and growing into my career in this industry. They said it was just good business sense to cut my position. No one cares about this company anymore who still works there. Even the most interesting and talented people who have been there years making iconic products don't care anymore. So sad. Good luck everyone. Time to fold on this company.

Jump ship, you don't own it, you're not at the helm, so save yourself by swimming to a competitor. Beat them to the layoff, quit. Go somewhere else, maybe outside your current industry.

Let's make this clear: you should ALWAYS be seeking work somewhere else. That is called the 'spare tire' strategy. There is no such thing as loyalty in any company, I don't care how many 'rah-rah' sessions your manager or HR puts on.

That's window dressing for something they are ashamed of.

I was just laid off at the end of March and got a half decent severance package. I am so happy to no longer be there as we were never appreciated the last few years. All of the talk during the buyouts of how they were buying the talent not the product was just corporate bull. They are going to fail pretty fast once the customers get a look at how they will be treated in the future. Good luck to all who remain. Now I have to catch a flight because I am on a 12 month vacation.

ld Gavin Hubbard

Went to the cupboard,

To give the poor stockholders a bone;

When he came there,

The cupboard was bare,

And so the poor stockholders had none.

He went to the baker's

To buy them some bread;

When he came back

The stockholders were dead!

He went to the undertaker's

To buy them a coffin;

When he came back

The stockholders were laughing.

He took a clean dish

to get them some tripe;

When he came back

They were smoking his pipe.

He went to the alehouse

To get them some beer;

When he came back

They sat in a chair.

He went to the tavern

For white wine and red;

When he came back

The stockholders stood on their head.

He went to the fruiterer's

To buy them some fruit;

When he came back

They were playing the flute.

He went to the tailor's

To buy him a coat;

When he came back

They were riding a goat.

He went to the hatter's

To buy them a hat;

When he came back

They were feeding her cat.

He went to the barber's

To buy them a wig

When he came back

They were dancing a jig.

He went to the cobbler's

To buy them some shoes;

When he came back

They were reading the news.

He went to the sempstress

To buy them some linen;

When he came back

They were spinning.

He went to the hosier's

To buy them some hose;

When he came back

They were dressed in his clothes.

The Sir made a curtsy,

The stockholders made a bow;

The Sir said, Your servant;

The Stockholders said, Oh wow.

The wonderful Stockholders

Was Gavin Hubbard's delight,

They could read, they could dance,

They could sing, they could write;

He gave them rich dainties

Whenever he fed,

And erected this monument

When they were dead.

What did you expect for a marginally profitable company when they swallow several turds?

Mates, have you've heard of GIGO- Garbage In Garbage Out.

When a company decides to over-extend their financial grasp and gobble up another one, (eyes were bigger than their stomach), they get the sweats, become lazy, sluggish and bloated. That means they need to vomit.

In this case, the board room is absolutely terrified the stockholders will lose patience (read big fund managers). When the stockholders decide they longer want to play, they liquidate; removing the very specie necessary to prop up operating capital (stock reserves) all because of that last turd meal. If you don't have operating capital, that affects the (investments) personal wealth of the board members, and that simply won't do!

That means someone is going to pay the freight to the Lorryman, and it's not going to be pretty. The fastest way to cook the books on corporate cash flow (stock valuation) is a layoff.

But alas, this is the very thing they should avoid because it is the talented human capital that produces the profit they seek (products) to affect a stock price increase. So the revolving door will turn faster until no one can survive entering it. Sadly, the once promised drum beat of the Phoenix wanes and is overtaken by the swan song, whistled by a chorus sung by a drowning man's last gasp.

It's like a bloke selling his rifle to the Germans because he's broke. Casual observers look at him and gasp in horror, "Are you mad?"

What a pity.

For those who are going to be layed off in the coming round, you will be okay. For some, it may take a while to recover, but you'll be the better for it. At least you won't be living in purgatory and constantly living in their lie.

"This current crop of board room 'sphincter smellers' are jockeying up to the starting gate for another race on who can cut their own wrists the deepest."

That was a great way to put it! THANK YOU!!! That's EXACTLY how my boss is. Instead of fighting for his people, he's someone who is more than willing to cut and slash just so that his incompetent ass looks better to the higher ups.

"Difficult decision for him to make...."

Wow. That was an utterly pathetic on his part; nonetheless, my favourite corporate quote of the year.

All their buzz words, methodologies, and amateur layoff gestures are nothing but worn out corporate platitudes and passé' phrases such as "...synergy...", right D? Are you afraid to use the term layoff mate?

Before SciGames bought Bally- Bally spent too much money gobbling up others. Same for SciGames swallowing WMS, etc. Now that the big bottom feeder has indigestion, what happens when the bugger has a sour belly?

It pukes, if it wants to live.

Translated: "Oh shit, our eyes were bigger than our stomach and we must expel this swallowed flesh."

That's what happens when the brain follows the amygdala just to satisfy some ancient desire to eliminate the perceived threat near you.

Rather exercise the rational deduction we all expect from sane human beings, this current crop of board room 'sphincter smellers' are jockeying up to the starting gate for another race on who can cut their own wrists the deepest.

Seriously G, you wanted to buy Bally- who was on a years long buying spree of other companies? Are you daft? You certainly get an A+ for salesmanship in convincing share holders of madman's folly!

2nd Quarter is nearly here. Have you been searching for another place to sell your wares?

If not, time to get busy. Drain their resources (meaning youself).

Once word gets out that they give no raises, no promotions, no training, any serious talent will see that for what it is, and simply move on.

Yeah,I heard when the deal closed between Bally and Sci Games that the CEO received an EXTRA 10 million dollars. Take a look around and see what the fat cats at the top of the food chain are driving. Yep, I bet it was a very difficult decision - hmmm give raises to the workers that make this company or keep the money for ourselves....

I wasn't expecting a raise only because I know they are not done cutting employees. Why would there be reviews and raises when a lot of us will not be around in January 2016? This will be an interesting ride.

At least the Vice President of Gaming in Chicago felt the need to Seppuku himself this week. Must have realized he failed the company and needed to move aside.

It was a very difficult decision for Gavin to make, though. Lol, yeah right. Not getting a yearly raise is equivalent to getting a pay cut.