Thread regarding Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. layoffs

No one was ever told they had to move up, only that they were grandfathered in, at their current position. What I can say, is that if you weren't part of the good old boy group, you weren't promoted, no matter how good of a job u did or how many sales you made. But it's only the beginning, they won't survive. They will keep letting long time managers go, replacing them with hourly associates. They are going to lay more people off and close more stores, and then go out of business.

The company does not give to f---s about their employees in general. Point blank. What they did was humane.

Nobody was told what was going to happen. Sad company couldn't give heads up to associates! We lost single mom who just won custody of her two children because she had a "stable" job. What kind of company does that and what does it mean for the rest of us still here??

Operating, merchandising and training at store level takes skill, work ethics and dedication to get the job done. To say these people were stagninant because they weren't sitting on a telephone or writing emails is rediculous. To say these people should strive for that job is wrong. The value in their place in working stores was huge. I walked 18,000 steps a day on average and balanced numerous tasks at a time. No task I couldn't do. I chose to not sit in a chair. My entire store is upset. You can't see the heart but it pumps the blood that keeps you alive. To not see it's value is foolish. They would like us to reapply in 6 months though. So they can have us cheap.

I had been with company for 13 years and when they did away with hiring as Dept Managers I was told that my position would not change as I was Grandfathered in. I was never told I would need to move up or move down. I am of an age that I do not want to move up, I just wanted to do my best. Why does everyone think that you need to move up? We can't run a business with just Store Managers or Senior Managers...what is wrong with just staying in middle management??? I know they targeted my age group and pay grade. Too bad the Company doesn't see that the never ending layers of district & regional staff are not needed as they do Not add support to the stores. NOT AT ALL!! and that's where we need good people....at the store level!

In the market I was in, they made it very clear that while the position itself was going away, they would be moving those people to other places in the stores. And they did move managers around the district ALL THE TIME. I worked in 6 stores over 15 years and even 2 of those stores twice. Managers were not really given a choice as to the transfer. When they started the slow decent into what we have now, they put a happy face on it and told the department managers they would always find a place for them.

I was told Inwad getting

Promoted a year ago. Now I was laid off yesterday 18 years . It will be a blessing/

Yeah, So Cal market here.

We were told a year ago that the dpt. mng. positions were being eliminated going forward, but that if we chose to stay in our positions at this time it was OK. I had fished around several time's about transferring to a unit closer to my home (1 1/2 to 2 hour round trip commute). Never got much of a bite, was told by "upper's" to discuss it with my store manager. I did and they let me know they would help me if a position could be found. No urgency on my part as "if we chose to stay in our position's at this time it was OK". So of course than 8/3 happened.

I was hired on, 15+ years ago, as a department manager, was flipped to receiving as there was then a need in my store, seemed to do well at it. ALWAY's availed myself to doing as much extra stuff so as to make myself as valuable as I could. Carts off the lot, no problem,do the monday to friday janitorial work, no problem. Sweep and mop sales floor in the AM, no problem, work closing on black friday sunday night, no problem.

In my review's, mainly fine to great, last 3 year's "do you see yourself as a senior manager?", reply YES! I was a 10 year's restaurant manager so no problem. Did I want to be a SM, maybe no, ASM yes I am a good high level subordinate.

So were there some stagnate manager's? Yes. Did that "block" some up and comer's, maybe.

BUT make no mistake, this was a lesson in Econ. 101. Make your business more profitable by cutting out labor hour's or labor$. The labor hour's for my A volume was to the bone, no help as sales are sliding off. So......, start with anyone over 20$ and lose their position. Next 18$ and up, than...?

Its sad but maybe a blessing..

Everybody, stay positive and use the skill's we were hired with and for to find new opportunities!!

I was teminated with the global group yesterday. Your comments on being valued are off the mark. I had been with BBB for almost 3 years. I was asked several times to move into a senior position and move to a new area. When I excepted and started to negoiate the cost of living to the area it was denied, so no new position. New rent would have cost me more the $700 more per month, and could not afford to move, and my quality of life would have suffered greatly if some kind of increase would not have happened. Instead my DM made me a traveling manager. I went to stores who were short staffed. Open and closed the store. Did program resets and reset the seasonal guides. Went to 3 remodels as a supervisor and set those stores for the Harmon dept. Also was a supervisor for a team for 2 years during inventory. Since I was a new be on the totem pole of salaries I wasn't the highest paid department manager like the tenured employees who were let go. Also I am a woman. In my district the ages that were terminated are 30,37,45,53,57 and the ones who kept there job ages are, 33,34,40,52.

We were never told that we were going to be let go. All that was said that a dept manager would not be replaced-if anyone would leave. It is sad that people that had years with the company were let go like trash". We don't need you anymore we can hire someone with cheaper pay. But they will never get the quality of service. There were positions that could have been offered to some. But not even that was offered. Oh but they clearing said you can come back and apply if you want, why not just slap me. It is obvious that the company does not care about it's associates only about themselves.

I worked for the company 15 years no such message was giving to me I have done above and beyond what the company has asked. I'm even leaving with personal reference from several district staff memeber store managers. So if this is a true statement it was not told to wveryone

I knew many department managers that were skipped over when an upper management position became available. Instead they would hire from outside. Which is funny, since the first few sections of the handbook boasts about how they promote from within. This company has no respect for its employees at all!

The initial plan was attrition. Butnif you read these posts, there are hundreds of people 10-20 years. Doesn't sound like there is opportunity for attrition if these folks just stay in the same place and refuse to move. It created a roadblock for many markets and making it impossible to promote and run the stores. If there was 900 people let go then that's almost one stagnant manager per store holding a position and holding others back. You have to make yourself valuable if you want to be valued.

In the California market we were told yes that the Dept managers position was being desolved. But we were promised that the people who were in those positions had nothing to worry about, the company was going to eliminate them thru attrition not by terminating.

We were not told that. We were told they will always find a place for us.

My husband was let go yesterday after 18 years with the company. And no, he was not given any warning that it was coming!