Has anybody received their personal items yet? Is ConocoPhillips going to steal from soon-to-be former employees, or are supervisors, managers and HR even lazier that I thought?
I start a new job on Monday, and would have liked to have received my reference books and calculator...but I guess that 3 weeks is not enough time for them to pilfer what they want, I am glad that I have an inventory, pictures and serial numbers!
I didn't get all my stuff. Food mostly and some decorative items ( coffee cups, etc) collected from my time at COP. Nothing too expensive and did receive the important stuff within about 2 weeks. It just irks me that everything wasn't returned!
I am still waiting, and getting closer to taking your advise on attorney and theft report. Why does it take more than 3 weeks to box and ship my books, tools and pictures?
I lost many personal things that are of value and also irreplaceable. No effort in COP to repair; UPS is characteristically useless. Am shocked and livid over my rough treatment by COP.
I was laid off from COP 6 years ago. I worked in an international office. My supervisor and I did not get along. I had no respect for someone always trying to pick up the local women, even though he had a beautiful wife. I also witnessed him drinking beer in the company car, and even trying to get the driver to let his drunk ass drive. But they laid me off, how ironic. In any case, I am so glad because financially speaking, it was a gold mine for me..... Thanks jerk boss. So glad I do not work for COP, and would not go back if they doubled my salary. I am so much happier with my current company...
In response to the question, yes laid off employees are hired back both as employees and as contractors. The employees laid off are often associated with weak supervisors and the weak supervisors are often next on the chopping block. The relationships built during the tenure at the company remain beyond the layoff. LinkedIn is an excellent tool to continue the relationships. Individuals are often rehired into better fit roles otherwise not an opportunity due to the weak supervisor. The industry is cyclical and the hiring / firing is cyclical. The severance and unemployment benefits create a safety net of sorts to better manage the cyclical nature of the business. Unfortunately the industry continues to be dominated by management that spend money like drunken sailors on shore leave when the price of oil is high and so the economics of the industry are extreme (feast or famine).
Are laid off employees ever hired back if the economy improves or are we bad seed? The knee jerk reaction by the ELT of being laid off for no fault of mine makes me angry and frustrated and hopeless.
My boxes never came.
My office neighbor had about 200 pounds of food in his desk when the supervisor came to clean it out. Most of it was expired. Cans, soups, mixes. It was filling every drawer. I had seen it lots of time and knew it was there but figured he just wanted to never be hungry. I can't imagine that stuff getting shipped to his house, but that's what they did. All boxed up and sent to him.
Skip COBRA and go straight to retiree insurance if you qualify. It is a much cheaper deal. You have 30 days ONLY to sign up beginning the month after employee insurance ends. The people laid off in April are insured through April 30. You can sign up for retiree insurance May 1 or 2 on line or by phone. Your deductible contributions are still in place, and I believe they will pay retroactively to the first of May. EAP told me it isn't advertised, but along with retiree insurance, you can pay $2.00/mo for EAP. Good luck.
The co-workers boxed up the stuff and shipped via mail room. Positive relationships with the noted individuals so the item were quickly packed and shipped. Coordinating with the employee would be of benefit to better identify personal items (and non-personal items). HR told me no when I asked to go collect the personal items. http://hr.conocophillips.com/contacts/Pages/benefits-contacts.aspx is the better resource for COBRA and other benefits. Hewitt manages the benefits including COBRA. Existing dental and prescription benefits justified continuing via COBRA. No need to wait for the paperwork. Elect to continue COBRA online and pay online.
Good luck getting your stuff back. I watched a Project Manager laughing with a Supervisor who was pilfering personal stuff (COP awards/momentos, books and personal items) from the office of a terminated employee the week after the layoffs. The PM was responsible for returning the stuff, but his new team is obviously more important than his integrity!
My resume is updated and circulating! Life is too short to work for or with a bunch of unethical thieves who will claim awards and property that they did not earn!
I should have brought about fifty boxes of books from home the week before the layoff just to give the grave robbers something to go through. I haven't received any of the papers they said they were going to send for Cobra or other benefits either.
I have not received mine either. Based upon past layoffs, I am expecting that some things will be taken by my former colleagues if my office was not secured.
My attorney said that if I do not receive my belongings by my April 26 termination date then we will file a police report for grand theft of my personal property. I agree that two and a half weeks is more than enough time to pack and ship belongings, especially since this was their decision to not allow us to retrieve our property.
The "new" ConocoPhillips makes 26 years of loyalty and service now seem like a bad idea. At least Mulva had ethics, and come business sense!
WOW! Good luck.