Thread regarding Barnes & Noble layoffs

I posted a legitimate comment that was removed. I stated that BN stopped ordering supplies and bags.

They fired thousands to save money. But built a float to put in a parade in NY , this past weekend. I guess because I mentioned what kind of parade it was, it was perceived as me being against a group of people. Not true. My point was they’re projecting an image , while treating employees badly.

The fact is that BN could have saved itself by not laying off all those who got the chop on Black Monday the year before last. These people--and I knew at least a dozen--were perfectly fine working for very low wages, because they believed they had a calling, a profession. It was considered a badge of honor that they worked for BN, because they were booksellers.

For as absurdly low as they were paid, they were the backbone of the company. They were the people who could hand-sell, who could talk to fellow readers, about what to buy. They had many years in the trade, and like most in the trade, they were unpaid, overworked, and loved the business. Naturally, this was an outmoded principle. Bookselling was considered, by those in NYC, to be about the same as selling dishwashers, patio furniture, or sports apparel. Why pay a twenty-year bookseller a few bucks over the minimum wage when you could pay some goof off the street for a few cents over minimum wage to do the same thing?

So there you go. Thousands of years of bookselling experience thrown to the winds. Can Elliott Management turn things around?

Maybe. But, I don't think so.

To all those bookselling brothers and sisters out there, still holding on: you've got a few months of grace. Take advantage of that. And the best of luck to you.

Those FIRED in February 2018 had to sign & return a paper that they wouldn’t post anything negative on social media. If they did, were told they wouldn’t get their severance pay!

A company that has to tell employees not to post anything bad about them, or threatening ex-employees. Has to know they s---!

“Could be so. For me, yes.Management told staff (what little is left) to not post on here because we were given social media rules dictated by corporate and that we all initialed that we read it. We are not to be negative about company on line. They said they can easily track the posters. I know someone who immediately stopped posting.”

Because they’re AFRAID that the TRUTH is on here. Not the drink the Kool Aid c-ap they're being fed.

"Hardly anyone posting lately.

Did management get to you or you waiting for the fallout from the sale to post ?"

Could be so. For me, yes.Management told staff (what little is left) to not post on here because we were given social media rules dictated by corporate and that we all initialed that we read it. We are not to be negative about company on line. They said they can easily track the posters. I know someone who immediately stopped posting.

Hardly anyone posting lately.

Did management get to you or you waiting for the fallout from the sale to post ?

Pay people well?

Hasn’t BN shown their hand already !!??

Fired thousands of career employees ,responsible for building BN up into an industry leader.

Filled their jobs in with minimum wage part timers.

From one Time industry leader to industry JOKE !

When your goal is to just barely tread water, swimming is out of the question. The the #1 goal is to just stay off a list for some made up metric, that mindset and those that created it are not and cannot be the ones who attempt to turn things around. I can't even count the dumb ideas that come from our RM and DM anymore. If the same crew stays on, it makes better sense to unplug the patient and harvest the organs.

Fire everyone who was full time, Receiving benefits and were career employees! Hire a bunch of part timers at minimum wage to replace them . Don’t give customers bags, because that costs money. But get Pride Rainbow cakes in your cafe to give out free pieces.

Wow, BN.

Wow.

If they started paying employees more, after firing all those who were making a decent wage, I’d hate the company even more .

You are hysterical. You must be new here!

Those days of benefits and long term employees have been long gone for years now, especially for retail. They will make do with the fewest, cheapest people they can and we're working with even less than that right now. B&N only attracts students and people looking for a few extra spending bucks now and B&N likes it that way.