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Wednesday, April 20, 2011
RIF?
Contributed by thief:
In one of the George Miller threads somebody mentioned a potential RIF. Anybody hear anything?
28 comments:
Anonymous
said...
Right now Comp and Engineering are still working hard to hire more people. Probably the same for the other technical disciplines.
The 2011 budget cuts recently enacted will not affect NNSA. The 2012 budget, now being debated, is another story. Given the political heat, do not expect a continuing resolution, but a real budget passed before Sept 30, 2011. The cuts to all government programs will be beyond drastic. Oct. 1, 2011 (the beginning of FY 2012) will be a game changer for DOE and NNSA.
I wonder how much could be saved if the Dept of Homeland security was completely shut down. The DHS just doesn't line up with the American way of life. It is more in line with communist or fasict 3rd world countries. US funds would be better spent by adding their full allocated budget to DOE programs.
It makes no sense for the US to pay for DHS vans to go around scanning people, cars and homes with radiation just to "see what is underneath", while at the same time, cutting back on science and education.
DHS runs the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Immigration, etc. It also funds plenty of science at the DOE laboratories. You'll have to be a little more specific.
Fortunately for us in GS we have the PD's. They hired more recently to help haul in all that money they raised. Oh wait, they haven't raised any money. Let me rephrase, they hired more PD's to haul in all that overhead money that bleeds our projects.
While I (and I assume many others) appreciate your "cleaning up" the posts that are profane or very off-topic, I think you do you blog posters a disservice by not making the reasons for other deletions clear. Some of your recent deletions seem a tad heavy-handed given the lack of profanity or direct personal attack (ridicule or sarcasm is not seen by you as attack, I hope). Was not the reason for unmonitored posting supposed to be free exchange of ideas (I hope it wasn't just inability or laziness on your part)? If you have simply taken to deleting posts you just don't like, that has already been tried, with the result that the LANL blog shut down soon after. Apparently you still feel some personal responsibility, no matter how misguided, for this blog. You must realize that many readers see the posts and even respond to them before you delete them. Given that, one wonders what you are trying to accomplish? Just asking for something besides silent, after the fact censorship.
What happened to all the fun posts? Sure some of it was a bit wacky but it was kind of hilarious. I guess it it did not have all that much to do with LLNL.
We need some new posts, what is going on with the Directors search?
No RIFs until sometime after Oct 1st. You'll probably see activity preparing for RIFs by early November of this year. Layoffs under the new LLC for-profit regime fill be quick and ruthless. Pink slips will be given to employees before mid-December.
The huge federal cuts planned for the budget in FY2012 will have a negative effect on NNSA's facilities. Money will be supplied to keep the newly planned mega-billion dollar LANL and Y-12 facilities on life support for construction at some future date but layoffs (particularly for high cost scientific staff) are almost an assured event for FY2012.
Get ready for the next fiscal year. It's gonna get mighty ugly at the NNSA labs. By late this summer, you'll likely see people scramble to attempt and keep their jobs as the hard reality of the FY2012 budget becomes clear to almost everyone who works for NNSA as a contractor.
I would think that neither party in Congress wants to go home for elections with no budget passed. It may be the first time in years that a budget is passed and signed before Oct. 1. If so, you can expect "pink slips" as early as the week after the budget is passed, if it appears Obama will sign it. No waiting for continuing funds, no uncertainty. If this scenario occurs, there will be no, repeat no, funds to carry over anyone who has no funding after Oct.1. Other agencies included.
Layoffs under the new LLC for-profit regime [w]ill be quick...
Yes, so unlike if UC was still solely in control. With UC's mammoth cash reserves they would not only keep all scientists, but in fact open a refuge and hire scientists displaced from other, lesser labs. Truly then the shining laboratory on the hill.
In view of pink slips forthcoming for Christmas it looks like Bret Knapp's stock as a potential Lab Director just went up. UC will be needing a cut throat grinch who will enjoy doing this deed. I actually hope Bret gets the job. It will eventually "run in the ground". Did anyone one look at a before and after of Anastasio? He looks like a train hit him. Was it really worth the extra cash flow?
In GS it seems we are already having problems with money and we haven't even made it to 2012 yet. If 2012 is worse it looks like things will be really bad. We got that PD office that does nothing yet is made bigger and bigger, meanwhile the money for projects is getting smaller and smaller. I am not optimistic so I am making plans just in case of a RIF. I can't see how a RIF can be avoided unless all the budget cuts just don't touch us at all, which is difficult to see happening.
I believe there will be RIFs unfortunately i think most of the people with hispanic surnames will get the pink slips. I have found in the years i have worked at lANL that I have been overlooked for jobs i have applied for, and found that the organization had hired white males. I have also noticed that those folks particular the Bechtal employees have had better opportunities such as training and jobs, thus leaving the rest of us peons to be bottom feeders if that. I thought working at LANl was a good thing - thinking people were less prejudice but now i find that regardless of one's educational status and know how - that doesn't matter. so off to the unemployment line i go...
I get from your post that you are Hispanic and feel you have been passed over for jobs at LANL for that reason. First, you must know that over the years, many weapon design and engineering jobs at LANL have gone to Hispanics. Many of the names are virtually legendary in the weapons community. The Hispanic population in the lower ranks of technical work is also high. If you compare yourself to those successful Hispanics, what do you come up with? You claim "white males" are preferred but plenty of white females have also been hired in high level jobs. I suggest you seriously consider your actual qualifications, your desire to work as a team with all members, and not least, you ability to make yourself clearly understood in English in detailed technical discussions and meetings. I suspect your "victim" attitude has as much to do with your lack of success as anything else.
Don't have a horse in this race, but the author of this post made a number of speculations, followed by an inaccurate conclusion.
What is the name of this form of logical fallacy? It is not character assassination. Nor is it inappropriate generalization. Nor is it slander. Perhaps it is false attribution.
False attribution: an advocate appeals to an irrelevant, unqualified, unidentified, biased or fabricated source in support of an argument.
The Lab has been having trouble bringing in real talent and has slowed down bringing in even medoicre employees. Unless the F12 budgets for NNSA and other key programs are really in the tank, layoffs are not going to happen in the near future.
In a way, that is unfortunate. The Lab has a shortage of good scientists and engineers, does not have enough support workers even to replace burned out lights, but has a hugh bureaucracy paralleling the nonsense that exists in LSO.
If LLNL is to survive as a significant Lab, it needs to trim the fat and reduce all indirect budgets by at least 50%. Cutting those budgets will result in layoffs of people we don't need.
28 comments:
Right now Comp and Engineering are still working hard to hire more people. Probably the same for the other technical disciplines.
Stuff can always change. Such is life.
The 2011 budget cuts recently enacted will not affect NNSA. The 2012 budget, now being debated, is another story. Given the political heat, do not expect a continuing resolution, but a real budget passed before Sept 30, 2011. The cuts to all government programs will be beyond drastic. Oct. 1, 2011 (the beginning of FY 2012) will be a game changer for DOE and NNSA.
I wonder how much could be saved if the Dept of Homeland security was completely shut down. The DHS just doesn't line up with the American way of life. It is more in line with communist or fasict 3rd world countries. US funds would be better spent by adding their full allocated budget to DOE programs.
It makes no sense for the US to pay for DHS vans to go around scanning people, cars and homes with radiation just to "see what is underneath", while at the same time, cutting back on science and education.
DHS runs the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Immigration, etc. It also funds plenty of science at the DOE laboratories. You'll have to be a little more specific.
Fortunately for us in GS we have the PD's. They hired more recently to help haul in all that money they raised. Oh wait, they haven't raised any money. Let me rephrase, they hired more PD's to haul in all that overhead money that bleeds our projects.
Scooby,
While I (and I assume many others) appreciate your "cleaning up" the posts that are profane or very off-topic, I think you do you blog posters a disservice by not making the reasons for other deletions clear. Some of your recent deletions seem a tad heavy-handed given the lack of profanity or direct personal attack (ridicule or sarcasm is not seen by you as attack, I hope). Was not the reason for unmonitored posting supposed to be free exchange of ideas (I hope it wasn't just inability or laziness on your part)? If you have simply taken to deleting posts you just don't like, that has already been tried, with the result that the LANL blog shut down soon after. Apparently you still feel some personal responsibility, no matter how misguided, for this blog. You must realize that many readers see the posts and even respond to them before you delete them. Given that, one wonders what you are trying to accomplish? Just asking for something besides silent, after the fact censorship.
Scooby,
What happened to all the fun posts? Sure some of it was a bit wacky but it was kind of hilarious. I guess it it did not have all that much to do with LLNL.
We need some new posts, what is going on with the Directors search?
Sorry Younger, but director search update for LANL is to name Wallace. This will leave LLNL for McMilian.
The reason for deletions was mainly for being off topic. Sure there is no filtering up front but I do deletions after the fact.
Sure there is no filtering up front but I do deletions after the fact.
April 26, 2011 1:53 PM
Why??? What is the point?
Because ( I repeat): getting off topic. It is not something I invented.Basic BLOG rule!
No RIFs until sometime after Oct 1st. You'll probably see activity preparing for RIFs by early November of this year. Layoffs under the new LLC for-profit regime fill be quick and ruthless. Pink slips will be given to employees before mid-December.
The huge federal cuts planned for the budget in FY2012 will have a negative effect on NNSA's facilities. Money will be supplied to keep the newly planned mega-billion dollar LANL and Y-12 facilities on life support for construction at some future date but layoffs (particularly for high cost scientific staff) are almost an assured event for FY2012.
Get ready for the next fiscal year. It's gonna get mighty ugly at the NNSA labs. By late this summer, you'll likely see people scramble to attempt and keep their jobs as the hard reality of the FY2012 budget becomes clear to almost everyone who works for NNSA as a contractor.
Pink slips will be given to employees before mid-December.
Let me be the first to wish everyone at LLNL and LANL a Merry Christmas.
I would think that neither party in Congress wants to go home for elections with no budget passed. It may be the first time in years that a budget is passed and signed before Oct. 1. If so, you can expect "pink slips" as early as the week after the budget is passed, if it appears Obama will sign it. No waiting for continuing funds, no uncertainty. If this scenario occurs, there will be no, repeat no, funds to carry over anyone who has no funding after Oct.1. Other agencies included.
Layoffs under the new LLC for-profit regime [w]ill be quick...
Yes, so unlike if UC was still solely in control. With UC's mammoth cash reserves they would not only keep all scientists, but in fact open a refuge and hire scientists displaced from other, lesser labs. Truly then the shining laboratory on the hill.
In view of pink slips forthcoming for Christmas it looks like Bret Knapp's stock as a potential Lab Director just went up. UC will be needing a cut throat grinch who will enjoy doing this deed. I actually hope Bret gets the job. It will eventually "run in the ground". Did anyone one look at a before and after of Anastasio? He looks like a train hit him. Was it really worth the extra cash flow?
In GS it seems we are already having problems with money and we haven't even made it to 2012 yet. If 2012 is worse it looks like things will be really bad. We got that PD office that does nothing yet is made bigger and bigger, meanwhile the money for projects is getting smaller and smaller. I am not optimistic so I am making plans just in case of a RIF. I can't see how a RIF can be avoided unless all the budget cuts just don't touch us at all, which is difficult to see happening.
"In view of pink slips forthcoming for Christmas..."
April 30, 2011 7:29 AM
Uh-uh. Try Labor Day.
I believe there will be RIFs unfortunately i think most of the people with hispanic surnames will get the pink slips. I have found in the years i have worked at lANL that I have been overlooked for jobs i have applied for, and found that the organization had hired white males. I have also noticed that those folks particular the Bechtal employees have had better opportunities such as training and jobs, thus leaving the rest of us peons to be bottom feeders if that. I thought working at LANl was a good thing - thinking people were less prejudice but now i find that regardless of one's educational status and know how - that doesn't matter. so off to the unemployment line i go...
So no Younger for LANL and LLNL?
Too many upcoming retirements of key personnel; will need to hire. Good opportunity to apply.
"because ( I repeat): getting off topic. It is not something I invented.Basic BLOG rule!
April 27, 2011 1:11 PM"
But at least the posts where somewhat fun and had some connection to the topic. I guess if it made the right wing look bad you got rid of it.
Now all we have is Knapp is bad!!
April 30, 2011 12:43 PM
I get from your post that you are Hispanic and feel you have been passed over for jobs at LANL for that reason. First, you must know that over the years, many weapon design and engineering jobs at LANL have gone to Hispanics. Many of the names are virtually legendary in the weapons community. The Hispanic population in the lower ranks of technical work is also high. If you compare yourself to those successful Hispanics, what do you come up with? You claim "white males" are preferred but plenty of white females have also been hired in high level jobs. I suggest you seriously consider your actual qualifications, your desire to work as a team with all members, and not least, you ability to make yourself clearly understood in English in detailed technical discussions and meetings. I suspect your "victim" attitude has as much to do with your lack of success as anything else.
April 30, 2011 10:08 PM
Don't have a horse in this race, but the author of this post made a number of speculations, followed by an inaccurate conclusion.
What is the name of this form of logical fallacy? It is not character assassination. Nor is it inappropriate generalization. Nor is it slander. Perhaps it is false attribution.
False attribution: an advocate appeals to an irrelevant, unqualified, unidentified, biased or fabricated source in support of an argument.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fallacies
"..and found that the organization had hired white males.."
Too damn many of these guys around, taking all the good spots. Damn the merit system.
...submitting termination papers later this week for the end of the month, any solid humint on any upcoming separation incentive?
The Lab has been having trouble bringing in real talent and has slowed down bringing in even medoicre employees. Unless the F12 budgets for NNSA and other key programs are really in the tank, layoffs are not going to happen in the near future.
In a way, that is unfortunate. The Lab has a shortage of good scientists and engineers, does not have enough support workers even to replace burned out lights, but has a hugh bureaucracy paralleling the nonsense that exists in LSO.
If LLNL is to survive as a significant Lab, it needs to trim the fat and reduce all indirect budgets by at least 50%. Cutting those budgets will result in layoffs of people we don't need.
If LLNL is to survive as a significant Lab...
May 21, 2011 6:30 PM
It won't. No plutonium, no NNSA work. Simple. LLNL management knew this when it agreed to divest.
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