Companies today

Just aren't worth a hoot :soapbox::soapbox::soapbox::soapbox:

Yes I'm getting on my soapbox so be warned now.

The wife just came home from work with lousy news. Seems they have now lost their attendance bonus, yeah it was only $75 a quarter but thats not the point. Last year the profit sharing went out the window That was $3000

Oh they still have it but now they get it quarterly, BUT they have all this criteria they have to meet, in the end she got around $600 for the year.

It used to be at the Christmas party every one got something! One of the office ladies went shopping, when you walked in the door at the party all the employees got a raffle ticket. The human resource director pulled the first raffle ticket, you picked your present off the table and you pulled the next ticket. Presents ranged from cordless power tools to tv's and other big gifts.

Now what do they get, they buy a few presents the best being a $200 gift certificate to the mall. The worst being a certificate for a day off, about 15 gifts total. So 15 people get something every one else gets, well you know.

Then they have the nerve to tell them a "a Happy employee is a productive employee" Needless to say there aren't any happy employees.

In the 6 years the wife has been there they have changed the insurance 5 times, each time the coverage gets worse and the price goes up.

They keep telling them that the profits are slim, but a little research shows profit margins getting larger every quarter for the last 4 years, yet they keep telling them how tight money is. Yet they spent 1.8 million putting a new line to assemble windows last year, never mind that it has yet to work right

I guess as long as the money keeps rolling in to Tokyo they don't care

Ok I'll get off my :soapbox: now.

I'm real sorry to hear that Robert, that just sucks.

Just so you know, things are bad around here too, used to be most company employees got two bonuses a year, anywhere from 3 to 6 months salary depending. This has now become a thing of the past, most people will be lucky to see one month salary bonus twice a year, and the same thing is happening with health care over here too, always worse, and the big companies are not real happy when someone actually uses the health care....

Add to that, they have cut middle management to the bone, and say they need a warm body to fill a seat in Osaka, and you live in Tokyo, instead of hiring someone in Osaka, you have to go, live in a really crappy dorm for one to two years, you get to come home to see your wife and kids (on the company dime) twice a year. Lots and lots of guys here have just given up on the large corporations and quit, they then start their own companies, or work for much smaller ones, the pay and the face may not be as great, but they are much less stressed and tend to be happier.

Don't have a solution for your wife, but just wanted to let you know it happens here too.

Rob what can I say? Hmmm Nice soap box did you make that yourself? I mean look at the fine detail and Wow are those dovetail joints? I can honestly say I have never seen a soap box built with such thought and care.

Humble Cheers Drew

I have to reply to this...

Several years ago my wife, with her MBA and CFP and brokerage and insurance licenses spent the better part of a year completely unemployed... and the next year working at a stop'n'rob AND a bowling alley snack bar in her 'spare time' before she managed to get back into an 'appropriate' job.

She didn't have any profit sharing, no bonus plan, not even an option for insurance that we couldn't have paid for anyway... but at that point she was real glad to have ANY job.

We're doing okay now... but we've been on the other side, too. Plenty of folks out there that would kill to go to work for [fill in Japanese/Korean employer of choice].

I also have to reply, It is a sad state of affairs when companies used to CARE about their employees.

I have a friend who owns a cabinet making company & also teaches high school shop class. He had a guy go into the hosp for some major surgery & since it wasn't work related he wouldn't get any pay at all but his savings. Well my friend gave him his normal pay until he got back to work he didn't lose his house cause he had steady income coming in. You can imagine the LOYALTY his employees feel towards him. some stay late to finish projects & don't even put in for OT.

On my job we have a monopoly no one else can do it by law. (I'm a Mailman)
In the last 5 yrs we had a 3 Billion profit but we can't even have a X-Mas breakfast cause it cost them to much time. I had a screaming match with a boss on the street cause he thought I was taking a extra break. Another time I went to Dunkin Donuts to use the bathroom & saw 2 bosses sitting having coffee & 2 hrs later went back to get a drink & bathroom break again the same 2 bosses were still sitting there so of course I had to bust their cookies.

Most people don't believe me but when we get inspected we have a boss walking behind us all day counting how many steps we take. I got inspected & at the end of the day the boss told me at the beginning of the day I had a 102 pace count (steps per minute) & at the end of the day I was down to
95 pace count & was I on purpose slowing down to increase how long it takes me to do my route. Well I gave him holy heck at the top of my voice & every other word out of my mouth was the "F" Bomb I told him I have been working 10-12 hrs a day 6 days a week for 4 yrs & I had my regular day off (Friday) only 4 times in 4 yrs. If you don't believe me ask your own mail carrier about having a boss count their steps when they get inspected. I do love my job when I'm out on the street talking to my customers but when I'm in the office I'm a real A Hole (it's called survival) to the bosses.

I don't know where all of the companies are totally for the bottom line & the BIG bonuses for the high management comes from in some ways the old days were a lot better kids had respect & people taught morals to their kids now I just don't have a warm fuzzy feeling the way the world is going.

Dang now I got to go & put my 2 typing fingers on ice their sore from all this typing.

Wow, I had no idea so many people made handplanes!

The sad reality is, eventually the tide will change and bad employee relations will end up costing you on the bottom line. It's like that in the small town where I work. Just yesterday the boss held up 5 applications from people who are tired of making well known, heirloom quality tools and want to build boats. Attrition is normal in any occupation, but when you so many people leaving one place, you cannot help but wonder what funny things are going on. The Secretary chimed in on this and said her Daughter was going to apply there but told her not to because of the influx of workers to our boatbuilding company. This is not the reputation you want your company to have.

One of the fabricators said it best however. He was looking for a new handplane to make some plastic tanks one day and was asking my opinion on the subject. I told him a nearby tool company made nice handplanes, but he shook his head.

"I don't do business with companies that don't treat their workers fairly." As I said, employee relations can hurt your bottom line.

Maybe that is the reason the company I now work for treats their workers so well. I am fortunate. I not only get treated well, I personally think they treat their workers too well, with workers taking advantage of them. Still we work so closely with the boat owners, that we have to be treated well. From bonuses, to the parties for every launching, and enough shirts to fill a closet...we get it all. Not to mention never being yelled at or belittled...we are treated good. I've been asked many times by these billionaire boat owners how we're treated and how we like the job. They must like the answer because all the boats were are building are by repeat customers. For some this makes the 4th 5-10 million dollar yacht they have had built. Good employee relations pays!!

I understand what you are saying Robert.....


...but around these parts (Depressed Economy Michigan) people are just Thankful to have a job.

Yep, corporate greed is alive and well in America today. And that's all any issue seems to boil down to today. It's all about the money... always!

not normal but struck a nerve!!!!!

company's can pay for there mistakes.... someone metioned that a company that doesnt treat there employeees well can pay for it in the end well on that note i had a similar situation this week i amoneof thoe who stay and finish a project, to make a deadine and not charge for the time.. i have done this many times,, well this week i was instructed to set some type and my fat fingers hit the wrong key a A instead of a E in the title of superintendent.. well it was sent out to be proofed by the customer and they ok'd it the phone call was recorderd in writing that it was ok to run we did that and the customer complained it was wrong and i got charged for the mistake monetaryly...and some what ridiculed for not being abloe to spell well the morale has just dropped considerbally i never miss aday andam never late unless its and extreme emergency than i call in. been here 24yrs well today i was late and dont give a hoot... the favors are over and the morale is gone.. sorry fo rthe rant but like steve said here in mi in our area the companys are using these tactics to become dictators or tyrants to often.... the old song "hey ollie" will happen one day at the establishment!!!!! now back to the previously scheduled programming!!!!1

I think things will get a bit worse before they get better.

I think Circuit City (electronics retailer) is a good example for what I think we will see more of in the near future as companies cut deeper. Circuit City fired 3400 "over paid" employees (experienced sales associates) in March '07. This fall and winter, sales were terrible and they posted poor earnings. Why? According to market analysts, they didn't have the staff with enough experience and knowledge to help customers make a final decision to purchase. The customers went to competitors where help was available.

The company I used to work for constantly "benchmarked" other companies to see how they stacked up on salaries, benefits etc. There were some pretty large adjustments (not in the employees favor) over a few years. When asked about it, the HR guy said we were now at the appropriate levels of compensation for a company our size. When pushed, he said we were "average". My comment to my boss was "So they expect above average employees and performance for averagepay?" He just gave me a knowing smile and said "That's what they are hoping for."

Robert, I hope things work out for your wife. If she enjoys her job, that really helps ease the sting, but if she doesn't, it's like salt in the wound.

Wes

Stu, I know its going on all over. I'm just wound up.

Drew, thank you, hand cut dovetails too. I put a lot of work in my soapboxes since I don't get on them too often.

Kirk, we have been on both sides of the street also. It's just irritating that the wife works her tail off to doing a good job then they stick a rusty knife in her back and twist it.

Billy I agree but really frosts me is the money is going overseas, the parent company is in Tokyo.

Larry, I feel for you brother. be a cold day in the deep south when they would get away with taking my money in that situation. Check your state law's I had a trucking company try to take money out of my check once for washing a truck after I quit. Here in Ohio they can't take anything out of your check without your express written consent. I would be checking into that.

Wes, I don't know if she enjoys it anymore. She likes the people she works with, and local management really isn't that bad considering their hands are tied by what corporate tells them. It just seems like anymore they are always tripping over a dollar to pickup a nickel.

That's what corporate America is all about.......and of course, the CEOs get multi-million dollar release plans in the event they are let go.......


19 months and counting.

I guess I'm lucky to work for Great people. When I started with this company there were 6 employees (Electrician) now there are around 40. I started in 1990 with 2 of my brothers the owner and 2 others. We do commercial work such as ground up Krogers' Home Depo's,B.P stations,Resteraunts. Anyways I broke my back working at Paul Brown Stadium (Bengals) Injury date was 11-26-04 My company really stepped up. They paid me 100% salery,for 2 1/2 yrs. my 401,my insurance,basically a 40 hr. check the same as if I was on the job. This was a work comp. claim so they could have had me receive 66% salery. Instead they showed thier loyalty back to me by doing everything they can to be sure I was not stressed and receive the best care possible. The constuction field is cut throat as many of you know. Everyone I talk to like work comp, Dr's, Lawyers say it is unheard of to have a company back you the way they have backed me.
Well after 2 1/2 yrs we finally had surgery,and the co. has had no choice but to put me on Work Comp salery at 66% which really isnt much different since it is tax free. I do loose them adding to 401 and have to pay my insurance premuims. (switch to wife's policy)
I am very fortunate to work for people who really do care about thier employees. I think if you give your all to a co. they should do the same, butt as I said it is cut-throat out there.

I'm really luck to work for a company that still believes in taking care of its employees.

Health care can turn into a political discussion, but costs are skyrocketing for everyone. Our company's premium went up 10% in one year. We switched providers which brought it down but our family deductible also went up which probably is part of the offset. You can blame the employer, the doctors, the drug companies, lawyers, whoever you want, but part of the problem is that we demand more an more care all the time. 30 years ago we didn't have cures and fixes for 1/2 the things we do today (that's not a statistic, but you know what I mean.) That costs money--a lot of money. We make the insurance companies out to be bad guys when they won't pay for that expensive stuff so they do. But where do you think that money is going to come from--yep, your premium will be going up next year.

Matt Meiser said:

I'm really luck to work for a company that still believes in taking care of its employees.

Health care can turn into a political discussion, but costs are skyrocketing for everyone. Our company's premium went up 10% in one year. We switched providers which brought it down but our family deductible also went up which probably is part of the offset. You can blame the employer, the doctors, the drug companies, lawyers, whoever you want, but part of the problem is that we demand more an more care all the time. 30 years ago we didn't have cures and fixes for 1/2 the things we do today (that's not a statistic, but you know what I mean.) That costs money--a lot of money. We make the insurance companies out to be bad guys when they won't pay for that expensive stuff so they do. But where do you think that money is going to come from--yep, your premium will be going up next year.

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Matt I applaud you for sticking up for the insurance companies, but there is another side to this equation that you aren't taking into account. Insurance is a investment versus risk kind of thing. At the same time its a pay some now, so we don't have to pay till later kind of thing.

Did you know insurance companies are the biggest investors on Wall Street and the other exchanges? They take that premium money, invest it and then make a killing on the profit. It would be one thing if they used the profit to help off set the cost of health insurance costs, but they don't. Sure if you invest in mutual funds and company 401k's that have stock in these insurance companies you get a bit of that money back, but not nearly the money we spend for insurance premium increases.

And where do these increases come from? Well from each states insurance board. Of course they are handed a list of the premiums the insurance company receives, then they are handed what was paid out. On paper it looks like the insurance company is losing money and needs the increase in premiums to off set the cost of insurance claims. The truth is, they are not losing money. The increase in premiums allows them to invest more in Wall Street and make even more money.

I have no problems with a company making a profit...via investment or through premiums, but stop playing the shell game with our money, our premiums and our health.

My chiropractor's office just had a 4 month battle with a major insurance company that accused them of fraud. They were cleared of the charges, but it took the all powerful National Teacher's Union to threaten to sue the Insurance Company for breach of contract. (It was all over whether massage therapy was covered under insurance.) A few years ago the International Association of Machinists threaten to do the same to the insurance company the Local Chapter had insurance through. The long and short of it is this...massage therapy is covered as long as you belong to the teachers union, the machinists union, or the nurses union. Its a pretty sad day when some one with some clout has to stand up for you to get the heath care you deserve.

So no, I don't feel one might sorry for the insurance companies.

In one of my unsuccessful bouts with graduate school I worked for a welding shop. Not a real welding shop, but one that made furniture. They figured that painting "Quality First" in big red letters on the wall would help morale. The running joke was that quality was the first thing to go when they fell behind schedule. Only took a couple more year for them to go under.

Next shop I worked for tried a lot harder, in better pay and helping out employees who were in bad spots. There were still no benefits, and there were definite limits on how much the owner would do for you, but I did at least respect his right to define those limits and make a living himself. That shop is still in business, still doing well in their small way, and even though I eventually quit, I'm still friends with the owner and visit whenever I'm in town. Even if he never went to some of the incredible lengths related by others here, even just friendly attitude helps a lot.

As to Travis's plane maker, I don't think anyone but the locals could know the real story, so I'll try not to form much of an opinion on it. I've seen companies get too big for their market or their abilities to produce efficiently in that market, perhaps that's the case here. Its a shame when it happens, sometime they do extract their digit and make a good comeback though. Lets just hope the owner is able to observe the cause and effect nature of reality

Travis Johnson said:

Matt I applaud you for sticking up for the insurance companies, but there is another side to this equation that you aren't taking into account.

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Not taking sides here, but I think you missed Matt's point. Even not taking expensive technological improvements into account, it would have been totally unheard of for a medical insurer to cover massage therapy or even chiropractic 30 years ago. Society's expectations have changed, and will continue to change. More services provided will always require more income (regardless of source) to maintain the same profit margin. I don't feel sorry for them if they don't meet their margins, but then I don't expect them to feel sorry for me when I get sick. Its a warped and deeply stupid system for health care and bound to cause conflict.

Ken said it first, stole my thunder.
But...whatcha bellyachin about?
All you have to do to beat the system is get hired a CEO of a major corporation, run it near into the ground with incompetence, get fired with a $100 million going away bonus.
My take is that the companies are now being run FOR the executives instead of the investors. It was once a matter of top management being employees subject to an investor dominated Board of Directors. No more. BoD members are cronies chosen by the President and CEO. Employees below top tier management are simply cost items on the bean counters tally sheet.

John Downey said:

Not taking sides here, but I think you missed Matt's point. Even not taking expensive technological improvements into account, it would have been totally unheard of for a medical insurer to cover massage therapy or even chiropractic 30 years ago. Society's expectations have changed, and will continue to change. More services provided will always require more income (regardless of source) to maintain the same profit margin. I don't feel sorry for them if they don't meet their margins, but then I don't expect them to feel sorry for me when I get sick. Its a warped and deeply stupid system for health care and bound to cause conflict.

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I kind of agree,and yet I also don't agree. If you tally up my heath care costs for the last four years I have been going to a Chiropractor and Massage Therapy, I bet you will find the cost is LESS then it was 4 years ago.

I really don't get sick much any more. Even with this shoulder injury from snowmobiling, the little bit of money they have paid for the Chiropractor is chump change compared to what it would be if I went to an emergency room, or even my Primary Care Physician. Granted it might mean the Chiropractor cannot do any more for me,and other medical options must be taken, but I'm not sitting at home popping expensive Oxy Codone or Vicatin pills either.

Of course this is me, and through years of seeing "alternative medicine" I have changed my heath by eating better, drinking better, and just generally balancing everything. Just the fact that I don't take medicines unless absolutely necessary means I save them a ton of money on prescriptions too.

Personally,I think Chiropractic care saves them money in the long run.I think they have documentation that says that too. I just don't see them offering it if it didn't. The Massage therapy..yeah that might be a bit more of a gray area.

Travis Johnson said:

I kind of agree,and yet I also don't agree. If you tally up my heath care costs for the last four years I have been going to a Chiropractor and Massage Therapy, I bet you will find the cost is LESS then it was 4 years ago.

I really don't get sick much any more. Even with this shoulder injury from snowmobiling, the little bit of money they have paid for the Chiropractor is chump change compared to what it would be if I went to an emergency room, or even my Primary Care Physician. Granted it might mean the Chiropractor cannot do any more for me,and other medical options must be taken, but I'm not sitting at home popping expensive Oxy Codone or Vicatin pills either.

Of course this is me, and through years of seeing "alternative medicine" I have changed my heath by eating better, drinking better, and just generally balancing everything. Just the fact that I don't take medicines unless absolutely necessary means I save them a ton of money on prescriptions too.

Personally,I think Chiropractic care saves them money in the long run.I think they have documentation that says that too. I just don't see them offering it if it didn't. The Massage therapy..yeah that might be a bit more of a gray area.

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No Travis you staying off your sled saves them lots of money