I heard people who were laid off will get a chance to pick up their stuff on Friday, which makes me wonder - are people really walked out on the spot when they are told they are being laid off?
I'm new to PepsiCo, so I am yet to see somebody I know laid off (I guess there's still time for that this month,) and it's hard for me to believe any company would treat its employees like that.
Why wouldn't people be given a chance to pick up their stuff right away?
As I read through this email, it brought back anxious, yet resilient memories of when I was let go from PepsiCo last February.
Here is what I learned and hope that in sharing, it provides a ray of optimism during what I personally knew to be a difficult time for all on this site:
Acceptance begins when you embrace your situation through a different lens and mindset. Life is all about experiences and so at the time, I thought of the worst personal tragedy, I’d experienced up until that time. When I compared it to being laid off, it truly paled in comparison. That was the first step in saying to myself, “I’ve got this and have overcome worse to get me here and where I’d like to go”.
Reconnect with your professional, alumni network and most importantly, surround yourself with those that have believed in you throughout your journey, family and friends.
Take some time to self-reflect on who you are, what you still want out of your career, but most importantly - what skills, experiences and “DESIRE in the tank” do you still bring to where / what you want to do?
Once you’ve answered this for yourself...TAKE ACTION. We are fortunate to live in an age where social media truly makes the world a smaller place... leverage it.
Lastly, stay positive, focused and yet humble. I’ve found these traits to be the most valuable during such times. Presently, I am in one of the best professional settings and role I’ve ever been in due much in part to what I just shared.
Good luck, Godspeed and ever onwards!
I had an unattractive HR hag do the dirty work. They had security, but no worry cause of the guy got winded going a down a flight of stairs escorting me out. Guy looked like he polished off a 12 pack a night. You know Pepsi where only losers remain.
Anyway I was ready and packed. I too was told what a wonderful employee I had been but that my position was being eliminated. In fact it wasn't cause my direct boss recently hired someone to replace me a few months before. One of his old friends! What do you know, a crooked schmuck at Pepsi never!
I was given a packet and then escorted out while my direct boss couldn't even look me in the eye cause he was a coward.
The silver lining? Best thing that happened to me to get out of that career hospice.
This week I was summoned to a conference room where one of my senior leaders told me what a great employee I had been over the years. Next, the HR Rep gave me my package. Shortly after that, I was escorted directly to the exit like a leper.
I was tipped off last year that I was getting it, so I was ready, My cube was empty and when I got the email and the voicemail from the HR guy who I couldn' t understand because he was either foreign or drunk, I went to the "meeting" with my car keys and coat and was more than ready to leave the world of PepsiCo. I got my package, walked out the door of the confernce room and SURPRISE, my escort was waiting, a fat old blithering HR dinosaur that was cursing HR all the way to the door escorted me out. I am glad to be gone from that sweatshop.
I was asked to meet my manager on Saturday, because he told me it would be terrible for morale of the employees that worked for me to see me carrying my office contents out. I told him that was too much to ask of me.
I was "invited" to take the rest of the day off after my job was outsourced. But they did not escort me off the premises. Perhaps they did this because they needed me back "as a contractor" to train the company my job was outsourced to. So I was in and out for a couple of months after that, and I charged them an exorbitant amount for my services after a few weeks of "complimentary" training. Figured they could well afford it.
In any event I was very happy to leave …. and was even happier to get a decent package.
Trust me … there is Life after Pepsi … and for me it has been far happier.
I was let go Feb 14 (Valentine’s Day) last year. After they gave me the news, security escorted me back to my desk and allowed me to get my bag and coat. I was instructed to leave everything behind and told I’d be able to come back in a few days (Friday) to clean out my desk. I didn’t get to say goodbye to anyone and was escorted to the front door like a criminal. I felt like yesterday’s trash being dumped out on the curb. It was absolutely humiliating.
Normally, a person has to leave immediately, and is allowed to return to pick up personal possessions on the closed day/half day. This avoids all sorts of potentially embarrassing incidents, plus allows the employee to avoid the "walk of shame" in front of their still employed co-workers.
Yep, about the same time last year the same thing happened: people were told mid week and escorted out by security. They weren't even told by their managers then (because sometimes the managers were let go too), it was either HR or HR and their senior director (usually just HR). Then the building was closed early in Parkwood and FLNA HQ to let people come get their stuff. Others couldn't even say goodbye to their friends because if you wanted to stay you were required to get HR and Manager approval.
Plano Frito-Lay closed at noon. Parkwood in Plano, Tex. closed at 2:00pm to facilitate layoffs. Wake up newbie. Pepsi-co does this every year. My whole team, about 20 people were let go Wednesday.
They had a representative get my things for me before leaving the other building. I then came back that Friday for the rest of my things. If you were not let go right away meaning that gave a date for your last work day, you were able to go back because you are still employed. Last Valentines was my last day. That’s the F’d up Pepsi way
The helpdesk was told their last day is in 4 weeks. Nobody was escorted out
Yes , that is their method. Never saw my boss again...just snatched up and gone.
What about your coat? Do they let you go back for that at least? Or do they tell you to bring it when you're called to the room? Or do they just send you out into the freezing cold, coatless?
yes , Pepsico does this , no opportunity to still say bye to colleagues , just a letter , and they escort you to the exit
I would be overjoyed if layed off.
With this lay-off you were able to go back to your desk and pick up your belongings if you wanted ~ some employees are extremely distraught and are unable to do so. This is why the the company provides another day.
They will tell you it's for safety and security reasons and I can actually understand that. If it prevents one major incident, then it was well worth it. However, every person I've ever known who has been let go has said "I wish I had a chance to say goodbye". I'm not sure how they would do it, but it would be nice if everyone had an opportunity to go see some people for what may be the last time.