Dear Everyone: You Are Responsible for Your Own Job Solvency
I read an article this morning on Borders ex-employees engaging in a class action lawsuit based on not enough notice that they were holding mass layoffs. I guess the bankruptcy, the multiple, public attempts to salvage the company, and declining book sales and store traffic was NOT enough of an indication that bad times were ahead???
I don’t want to get into a debate about the law - there is a law on the books that is the basis of the complaint, which states 60 days notice is required before conducting mass layoffs of over 33% of the workforce. I have no idea if Borders acted fairly or not, or they cut loose some excess salary while they could to help them pay debts or whatever is involved with the bankruptcy situation. That’s not the point I want to make.
What I want EVERYONE to think about is this: we are responsible for our own job solvency. We cannot rely on a company to stay in business even if we think they are big, and have lots of money and customers, and nothing bad will ever happen as long as we show up for our 9-5 (or whatever hours.) If a company you work for begins to have lots of layoffs, and you are watching your friends get fired and struggle to find work and you stay around, just waiting for your number to be up or hoping they will deign to keep you employed, that is not taking responsibility for your own welfare. If a company is in the news all the time, and is declaring bankruptcy, and you just wait around to see what really happens, that is not taking responsibility for your own welfare.
When there are obvious signs of trouble with a business, you need to have your resume sharp and being job-hunting for a more stable position long before they lay you off. Why let them even get to that point? More than ONE layoff situation after a company is acquired is a sign of trouble. Bankruptcy is a sign of trouble. Not having payroll met and not getting your check on time is a sign of trouble. If your boss asks you to borrow cash, that’s not a great sign. It’s up to YOU, not your employer, to earn your living and watch out for your own well-being and job prospects. If you’re a hard worker and are passed over for promotion while watching a slacker get promoted, get out. Find a company who will appreciate you and allow you to grow with the company. Too many people let themselves feel stuck in dead-end jobs that would be more satisfied as employees for someone else who would be more respectful, or as a business owner finding their own customers or clients. So grab a snappy outfit, get a haircut, create a tight resume that explains the benefits of hiring you, and get out and meet some new people so you can exit that dead-end job and take better care of yourself. It really IS that easy, but takes effort. And I know sometimes it doesn’t happen quickly enough. But waiting around for the ax to drop is not a good use of your time to justify not trying to find a new job.
I am self-employed, I own a business with two partners. I live in the “we’re responsible for our own job solvency” reality everyday, and it can be scary as we’re very much on the ground floor of creating our company together. But if you work for someone else, this applies to you too - a lot of people just don’t look at it that way as we want to make someone else responsible for taking care of us.
I have no idea how this latest Borders tale of woe will end - but rather than focusing on a class action suit against a bankrupt, dying company, I’d be looking for MY next opportunity and place where I could do good work, advance my career and make good money.
