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Uncomfortable work conversations

Coloradomrg

Coloradomrg

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Get a call today... "If we let Mr. xyz go, how would that affect your current deliverable schedule?"

I work with this person a lot. Like... 80%+ of my projects are completed with this person. I like this person, but working with him is rough at times. I don't envy those who have to make this choice, and I'm glad I wasn't asked to help make it. I'm in a management role, but not officially in charge of any decisions like this.

I have to work with this person until this decision gets finalized, and not let anything on to him. Have meetings and projects scheduled with him over the next couple of months already. UGH.

Anyone else had this type of call? Hopefully I'm not seeing the tip of an iceberg... but I do fear that a bit.
 
Coloradomrg said:
Get a call today... "If we let Mr. xyz go, how would that affect your current deliverable schedule?"

I work with this person a lot. Like... 80%+ of my projects are completed with this person. I like this person, but working with him is rough at times. I don't envy those who have to make this choice, and I'm glad I wasn't asked to help make it. I'm in a management role, but not officially in charge of any decisions like this.

I have to work with this person until this decision gets finalized, and not let anything on to him. Have meetings and projects scheduled with him over the next couple of months already. UGH.

Anyone else had this type of call? Hopefully I'm not seeing the tip of an iceberg... but I do fear that a bit.
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Oh definitely; I have these occasionally and it’s never easy. Feel for you - very tough
 
If you are not this person's direct supervisor, I find it odd that they would have put you in that awkward position. I may be naïve, but HR should not be sowing the seeds of gossip like that. IMO the supervisors in charge have a responsibility to be aware of consequences of their decisions and to make those decisions without sowing doubt amongst the team.

EDIT: Rephrasing, either the person needs to be let go, or they don't. The decision doesn't depend on your deliverables. If the employee is good, keep them. If not, let them go and deal with what is next. Convenience is a bad excuse.
 
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As a observation ,,, if people think it’s tough working with someone “ being let go “ try walking in the shoes of the person who’s being let go … ask them how they feel ?
 
Coloradomrg said:
Anyone else had this type of call?
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As the Senior Systems & Network Admin. at my old employer: More than a few times. I was given a heads up sometimes as much as a day in advance. So there I'd be, spending perhaps a goodly portion of a workday or more, interacting with people I knew were the "walking dead."

Not fun :(

The worst time ever, though, was one time the were doing a mass lay-off due to a business down-turn. HR hit a major timing snafu, failed to notify us promptly, and we'd already suspended several network accounts when they called and said "Hold on. Don't suspend those accounts yet!" Too late, and it couldn't be reversed.

Called my co-admin in the other building, told him what happened. "What should I do?" he asked. "Hide! Literally hide!" Which is what I went and did.

Forever after, when somebody's network account inexplicably became inaccessible (nearly always user error) and the SysAdmins couldn't be located right away, people started panicking.
 
We had a contractual change , where we were all redundant , 220 people . The preferred new contractor had application interview process , 25 % of existing files staff weren’t successful . This was 3 weeks prior to natural end of contract . The feeling amongst the staff was horrible . And also others were being appointed to hierarchal roles in new structure , and was not public knowledge …
 
GraniteRoost said:
If you are not this person's direct supervisor, I find it odd that they would have put you in that awkward position. I may be naïve, but HR should not be sowing the seeds of gossip like that. IMO the supervisors in charge have a responsibility to be aware of consequences of their decisions and to make those decisions without sowing doubt amongst the team.

EDIT: Rephrasing, either the person needs to be let go, or they don't. The decision doesn't depend on your deliverables. If the employee is good, keep them. If not, let them go and deal with what is next. Convenience is a bad excuse.
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Due to the nature of our business, staff planning and relationships are important. This person probably does need to be let go, but their department head is making sure it's not going to negatively impact current projects prior to making the decision final. They'll have to plan this person's replacement on any projects not complete before they are let go.
 
Hitsnmisses said:
As a observation ,,, if people think it’s tough working with someone “ being let go “ try walking in the shoes of the person who’s being let go … ask them how they feel ?
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I'm with you - my stomach has been doing some flip flops thinking about him and his overall life situation.
 
that's a rough spot... been here a couple of times. I hate it because they ask if their assessment I scorrect or not and then you either stick your neck out for them or you lose a team member which right now is very challenging...

a lot of fear and frankly I'd rather be notified mass messages
 
I have never had anyone ask me about getting rid of my employees before me suggesting they are not the right fit. I did the proper performance management with plenty of notice and opportunity. If there were layoffs then those decisions were made based on certain criteria and no low-mid level manager were asked. They were just told who was gone.
 
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I've been in this situation a time or two, and in all situations I was absolutely behind the company's decision as keeping the person only made my job more difficult. But at the same time they're still a human being, and need an income to survive so it's a horrible situation for you to be in. Hopefully they don't drag things out which makes your daily routine that much more uncomfortable.

On one hand you could be thankful that you at least got a heads up that your workload would be sharply increasing, but at the same time you're now in a no-win situation every time you see this person. You know things that cannot be shared. I don't envy you, but I do feel for you.
 
Ummm I had to tell a client the service we are providing them is going up 1.9 million a year when just three weeks ago they told me they were struggling with cash and had to short pay a few invoices.
 
At least you have a conscience and seem pretty objective about the situation. I’ve had similar experiences. No easy way through it really. The worst I’ve witnessed was an unannounced layoff where senior officials showed up at certain company offices one morning and told certain employees to gather their stuff and turn in their keys- on the spot. And were escorted out…. Talk about cold-hearted.
 
There is no more uncomfortable conversation at work than having to tell a direct report about their body odor issue. I've had to do that a couple times.



Been in your situation a few times as well. In the past two companies, I worked for I was the manager who shut off the lights for good at the businesses. Never fun laying off a large group of people.
 
As a senior lead, I was always consulted with these types of decisions, but not being an L code, I just worked behind the scenes. I great place to be IMO without much stress.
 
I would imagine also , that if male , would not fundamentally share what age of wellness they are in or any other issues in there life too .
 
echico said:
I have never had anyone ask me about getting rid of my employees before me suggesting they are not the right fit. I did the proper performance management with plenty of notice and opportunity. If there were layoffs then those decisions were made based on certain criteria and no low-mid level manager were asked. They were just told who was gone.
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The guy in question is on the same level as me - we work together a ton. I don't do what he does, and he doesn't do what I do but we do share some responsibilities and similar roles within the project management side.

This was more of a heads up, and a notice that we'll need to plan for it - and an indication that the planning has started. Nothing about this particular call had to do with performance evaluations or being a fit. We've had those conversations in the past...
 
I've had a few like that over the years, usually about co-workers both in and out of my dept. The cringiest was about someone I used to work years ago with who came over to the newer company I was with at the time, I did not recommend them for the position but considered them a good friend. One of the principals pulled me aside to talk about their work habits as well as their communications style, both of which were not the greatest. Since they weren't in my department I tried to push things off and say I didn't work with them directly (which was true) so I couldn't really answer. I figured they were on thin ice but I didn't say anything to not make things worse, a few weeks later we had a big meeting and the principal was like "Oh by the way you may have noticed this person isn't here, they are no longer an employee and the less said about it the better". Queue the non-stop messages from the now once again former co-worker about lawsuits and illegal firing and etc etc etc.
 
Hitsnmisses said:
I would imagine also , that if male , would not fundamentally share what age of wellness they are in or any other issues in there life too .
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Has nothing to do with this particular decision... it's all recent work ethic (output, quality, etc.), along with a generally not great attitude the last couple years.
 
I have been in that spot before, with being told x, y and z are being let go the end of the week, and in the spot where i was told, pick 3 and let me know who.......not fun either way
 
Duffer Seamus said:
As the Senior Systems & Network Admin. at my old employer: More than a few times. I was given a heads up sometimes as much as a day in advance. So there I'd be, spending perhaps a goodly portion of a workday or more, interacting with people I knew were the "walking dead."

Not fun :(

The worst time ever, though, was one time the were doing a mass lay-off due to a business down-turn. HR hit a major timing snafu, failed to notify us promptly, and we'd already suspended several network accounts when they called and said "Hold on. Don't suspend those accounts yet!" Too late, and it couldn't be reversed.

Called my co-admin in the other building, told him what happened. "What should I do?" he asked. "Hide! Literally hide!" Which is what I went and did.

Forever after, when somebody's network account inexplicably became inaccessible (nearly always user error) and the SysAdmins couldn't be located right away, people started panicking.
Click to expand...
I've been in this role/situation. I've had situations where I've had to remotely lock users out of their computers while they were in a meeting being told. Not a fun role. Awkward when you know and have to act like you know nothing.
 
No but I did have a younger woman that was hired by a former manager against all of our recommendations as she sucked on contract. Manager left, I took over coming from another team, she was drinking in the bathrooms. She would disappear and caused a lot of issues. Opened an HR case, had multiple.meetings, and was an very uncomfortable situation. HR would not let me fire her, she finally left.
 
Another was the team I was managing was being offshored. Had to keep going having the team train their replacements telling them they were taking busy work and then had to move them out but I did find 2 of the 3 new positions. Felt awful.
 
The most rank conversations I’ve ever heard or been a part of have happened at a nurses station. I’ve had to make the call on people being terminated based on job performance while working with them. It’s never easy. Remember: it’s not personal.
 
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