It is likely to see layoffs before the end of next month. The company needs to reset before the new fiscal year starts in April. Nobody should feel safe. This all comes down to math and people do not matter in that equation. If you get severance, it will not be much. So if you are not already looking at an exit strategy you may want to set some time aside and start making a plan. This is not meant to be a scare tactic. Just trying to help people see things through a clearer lens. Stuff like this happens everywhere and not just at Follett. But the loyal long time employees of Follett are probably more likely to say "couldn't happen to me". It can. It does. It will. Plan.
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It started today. You were right. Word is VP's have been instructed to start in the field next month. If you're not a Store Manager and are a full-time store employee, start looking now.
February 2nd and no layoffs yet, 24 more days and we're in the clear! Oops I mean 27, damn leap year!!
It's very likely the RMS Follett will be buried half way into an iceburg before her command staff are clued in that something may be wrong. At that point, the only people you can expect to have a life boat...are the idiots that ran us into the ice to begin with.
YO! Human Resources in its extreme most EFFECTIVE state would operate within the leadership circle of trust, with empathy for every employee at every level--all petty politicking aside. There'd be a true PARTNERSHIP with Legal and all teams to act in the collective best interests of individuals and the company. But some organizations simply don't RESPECT that goal. At Follett today HR isn't utilized to reach its full potential, but instead allowed to exist more as a means to an end, catering to the survival instincts of misaligned leaders. DON’T HATE THE PLAYER, HATE THE GAME. If I'm an HR Lover, um yeah well then guilty as charged--they’ve helped pull me over a lot of rough terrain through the years. THE TRUTH is that no single person or group is entirely to blame, nor is anybody entirely blameless. Follett CAN turn this bloated yacht around, but everybody has to WORK TOGETHER to make that happen. The current state can't continue. Really, it can’t folks--not without some potentially dire consequences. Only genuine and committed LEADERSHIP can engage and affect that change in direction, but we all need to have some faith in the process or it will most certainly FAIL. To fail hurts all, indiscriminately.
YO! Human Resources in its extreme most EFFECTIVE state would operate within the leadership circle of trust, with empathy for every employee at every level--all petty politicking aside. There'd be a true PARTNERSHIP with Legal and all Shared Services teams to act in the collective best interests of individuals and the company. But some organizations simply don't RESPECT that goal. At Follett today HR isn't utilized to reach its full potential, but instead allowed to exist more as a means to an end, catering to the survival instincts of misaligned leaders. DON’T HATE THE PLAYER, HATE THE GAME. If I'm an HR Lover, um yeah well then guilty as charged--they’ve helped pull me over a lot of rough terrain through the years. THE TRUTH is that no single person or group is entirely to blame, nor is anybody entirely blameless. Follett CAN turn this bloated yacht around, but everybody has to WORK TOGETHER to make that happen. The current state can't continue. Really, it can’t folks--not without some potentially dire consequences. Only genuine and committed LEADERSHIP can engage and affect that change in direction, but we all need to have some faith in the process or it will most certainly FAIL. To fail hurts all, indiscriminately. So just a friendly suggestion, but STOP hatin' and START speaking up--just maybe in a more constructive way than because you think "haters gonna hate" is a cool and sustainable life motto. YEEZY! Any reference to one of the greatest rappers of all time aside, this situation is serious but fixable--and I can’t just keep repeating myself if nobody wants to listen. THANKS, by the way, for reading this far, and I’m not writing all this expecting you to 100% agree. Differences of opinion--if well-intentioned and non-malicious--are key to reinvigorating and growing any long-term successful enterprise. Okay, I’m jumping off my soapbox here in a second. But FEEL FREE to go ahead and attack if you just want to prove my point and be a complete and utter bitter-lipped jackalope. That is, by the way, the most DESTRUCTIVE species of jackalope. Resolve instead to make at least a half-assed attempt to be KIND to each other for F sake, because THAT moves the needle significantly more than incessant bitching over social media. Otherwise the human WILL leave HR at Follett--and then we are ALL really up the proverbial crap creek sans paddle. Peace Out Playas, and DON’T BE A PLAYA HATER!
HR aides in the madness. When they can't force you out, they allow you to be terminated illegally. The company's attorneys are shady and big liars too! If you are gone, be glad you are! Their job is to protect the company, period!
Dear HR lover, your HR is criminal. They conspire to emotionally abuse employees so they will quit their jobs. I understand that HR is there to keep the unwashed masses away from the bosses. I get, too, that HR is paper pushers that document things in such a way that the company isn't responsible for anything. However, HR turned its collective head away from employees being driven out of jobs they were very good at doing. They tacitly agreed that it's OK to force people from their jobs in ways that may be criminal. HR betrayed its broader team. HR Sucks as much as any other part of Follett. Don't stay if you can't be human. Leave.
The numbers are really bad and getting worse by the day. If there's any fix for Follett is years from now and the company may never recover. The shame rightfully sits with the leaders but they'll get paid no matter what. Greed and stupidity ruin another once great American company!
It is fair to assess Follett's legacy on the last three years. The good years are all behind Follett. Just look at the numbers, and the people that are left. The good ones were laid off or found new jobs on their own.
I think there's at least one who gets what HR should do for people (but I have a pretty strong bias for handsome bearded guys). I trust my supervisor, and I remember a different Follett before everybody moved into the ivory tower off Wolf Road. Stick around if you still care about Follett and believe 2-3 years doesn't define a legacy for a company that's been in business since before our grandparents or great grandparents were alive. If you don't then do what you need to do, but PLEASE don't hang around just to be miserable and piss on my rainbow. If the company decides it no longer requires my services at some future point in time, I want to go out remembering all the good things Follett has done for me and my family.
Remember HR is not on your side. Not all of them understand their own rules. They weasel around never giving a true answer because they just have a backbone to deal with situations people bring to their attention. When I was there and brought up issues, they just turn their heads and look the other way. Good news though, employment lawyers are your friends ladies and gentlemen.
HR is a waste of space. Especially GW and a few others. He had no idea or his own HR policies and his stupidity gave me a better package I think. Get out while you can!
GW from HR made another slip up.
I am glad I am no longer with the company. They cut so many workers that were knowledgable, yet offered to return as regular associates, and from being a mananger to being a sales associate.
Some stores
Doubtful retail stores will be touched befoer summer. they'll 'reorg' HO/FHEG/FSS first and then hope the skeleton crew left behind can lead and support with fewer resources. When people star resigning (which is already happening) retention bonuses might keep some better corp players around for 6 mos to a year, but it won't be easy or the $ worth the abuse. MLS has to be smiling that she got out when she did. I'm sure she had a sweet golden parachute, and the execs on floor 9 prob get the same deal. The rest of us are just pawns on the chess board. But with fewer pawns in place the royal pieces are remarkably vulnerable. RG needs to figure out how to win this game and fast. Tough order when he's barely 8 mos in the CEO role.
Stores are thread bare sooo easy to give hassle free shopping, price comparison & any other directives sent to the stores
Will regular college stores be affected?
2 managerial heads were already cut at FSS on Friday
HO FHEG Team, FSS, NEBO and CNS. Projects over budget or past deadlines and areas were heads can be cut.
Ok, so you've made the blanket statement, now give us some specifics. Are they focusing on certain groups of employees? At the home office level, stores? Doesn't help much when you don't give details.
Truth
This is based on???