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Thursday, December 1, 2011
Voluntary separation?
Anonymously contributed:
Heard that Lab Benefits office is hinting that voluntary separations may be happening this spring.
Anyone else hear this?
23 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I too had heard a rumor about this - perhaps from the same source as the original poster.
A VSIP would be an anathema to the Bechtel model of running the labs. Take off the paisley jacket and the rose colored lenses, this is LLNL, run by LLNS, a Bechtel money making machine. You're living in the past with UC's kinder, gentler guidance. The layoff polices have been re-written, with NNSA's blessing, to make it cheap and easy to get you out the door. VSIP, rhymes with DODO.
At his all-hands today, Parney was asked what appeared to be a question about retirement incentive. He said no such thing is under discussion. His tone seemed to be one more of 'we are trying to get more people, not lose them.'
It's amazing how many old timers around the NNSA labs still believe rumors of a possible VSIP early retirement offer when times get tough.
Never going to happen again. I've heard several PADs say as much. You'll be lucky to get severance when they kick you out the front gate.
You now work for a for-profit Frankenstein corporate creation called an LLC. You are a disposable commodity in their eyes, especially if your "sell by" date indicates you are 50+.
This discussion has definitely taken place behind closed doors at LANS so it should be no surprise. One of the reasons our new LANS/LLNS management is paid significantly more is to keep their mouths shut. LANS has been aware of a $200M shortfall for months and is keeping all options "on the table". One thing for sure, MacMillan is turning out to be the most secretive and least communicative Director since Anastasio, both tried and true LANS boys.
His tone seemed to be one more of 'we are trying to get more people, not lose them.'
LANL has started to lose them...get rid of them actually. At least two divisions yesterday dumped most of their affiliates effective close-of-business today. Hiring is nearly frozen, purchases over $100K are nearly frozen. Lots of people are unfunded or facing de-funding.
And they're still trying to sell the fantasy that they can attract the best and brightest in science and engineering.
The decline of LANL started well before LANS. Anastasio should get some credit for turning it around. Now looks like the trend is back down. This is sad, and could have been avoided. LLNL has a new Director with a much better chance in the current environment. Remember, selections have consequences.
The problem with a voluntary separation is that they will lose the wrong people. What we really need is a separation that gets rid of the dead wood and extr managers.
Even Art would not make such a definitive assertion. The future is not certain.
Never is a long time....The policy for incentiving separations is still in the current policies and procedures manual. A VSP with incentives can be a useful tool if the situation demands.
PADs are as ephemeral morning fog. Tomorrow brings another day, another PAD, and another opinion; some fragrant, some foul.
I haven't heard anything on this. The WFO sounds like it is funded although barely. I would guess next year will be extremely difficult. That said, given the average age of lab employees there will be a fair amount of natural retirement which may compensate for reduced funding.
That said, given the average age of lab employees there will be a fair amount of natural retirement which may compensate for reduced funding. - 2:57 pm
Maybe, but maybe not. Some of the staff who are reaching retirement age bring in funds and projects to the lab. Their loss with retirement will result in a loss of funding for the labs.
Depends. Some WFO projects at LANL are "overfunded" for next year, i.e., trouble getting all the work done unless they can hire, except there is now a hiring freeze. LANL has gotten itself in serious trouble in the recent past with such shenanigans, where a one-size-fits-all hiring freeze causes funded programs to under-perform, resulting in loss of projects that could have continued to bring in substantial funding. It's called lousy management. No thought involved. The idea that talented staff in underfunded programs could be moved to funded ones is too hard to figure out for LANL's crack management team. Better to move highly-experienced weapons people to environmental cleanup. Idiots!
"It's time for the lab to get rid of all this direct funded junk. It will be much easier to manage this lab once everyone is working off the overhead charge accounts."
-- Overheard coming from the mouth of Bret Knapp during a PAD executive retreat???
"It's time for the lab to get rid of all this direct funded junk. It will be much easier to manage this lab once everyone is working off the overhead charge accounts."
-- Overheard coming from the mouth of Bret Knapp during a PAD executive retreat???
December 5, 2011 12:23 PM
Yep, sounds just like UC in the 1960's: "Just drop off the money out back and we'll eventually get around to telling you how we spent it." Worked when all the Lab did was weapons development and testing. No need to itemize accounts or justify allocations. A manager's dream.
"Yep, sounds just like UC in the 1960's: "Just drop off the money out back and we'll eventually get around to telling you how we spent it." Worked when all the Lab did was weapons development and testing. No need to itemize accounts or justify allocations. A manager's dream.
December 5, 2011 12:30 PM"
??? And the lab works great right now? Give us break
Laying off lab staff during the middle of an economic depression while the "for-profit" executive team has raised their salaries and grown management by enormous amounts.... priceless!
23 comments:
I too had heard a rumor about this - perhaps from the same source as the original poster.
A VSIP would be an anathema to the Bechtel model of running the labs. Take off the paisley jacket and the rose colored lenses, this is LLNL, run by LLNS, a Bechtel money making machine. You're living in the past with UC's kinder, gentler guidance. The layoff polices have been re-written, with NNSA's blessing, to make it cheap and easy to get you out the door. VSIP, rhymes with DODO.
At his all-hands today, Parney was asked what appeared to be a question about retirement incentive. He said no such thing is under discussion. His tone seemed to be one more of 'we are trying to get more people, not lose them.'
It's amazing how many old timers around the NNSA labs still believe rumors of a possible VSIP early retirement offer when times get tough.
Never going to happen again. I've heard several PADs say as much. You'll be lucky to get severance when they kick you out the front gate.
You now work for a for-profit Frankenstein corporate creation called an LLC. You are a disposable commodity in their eyes, especially if your "sell by" date indicates you are 50+.
This discussion has definitely taken place behind closed doors at LANS so it should be no surprise. One of the reasons our new LANS/LLNS management is paid significantly more is to keep their mouths shut. LANS has been aware of a $200M shortfall for months and is keeping all options "on the table". One thing for sure, MacMillan is turning out to be the most secretive and least communicative Director since Anastasio, both tried and true LANS boys.
For sure, MacMillian is no Anastasio. But he did buy a house on the Hill for near a million dollars.
I heard something about this but was also told it will a rather small incentive.
See what the low bid gets you? Sometimes better to pay a bit more and get real quality.
His tone seemed to be one more of 'we are trying to get more people, not lose them.'
LANL has started to lose them...get rid of them actually. At least two divisions yesterday dumped most of their affiliates effective close-of-business today. Hiring is nearly frozen, purchases over $100K are nearly frozen. Lots of people are unfunded or facing de-funding.
And they're still trying to sell the fantasy that they can attract the best and brightest in science and engineering.
Thanks Congress! Great job! Thanks LANS!
The decline of LANL started well before LANS. Anastasio should get some credit for turning it around. Now looks like the trend is back down. This is sad, and could have been avoided. LLNL has a new Director with a much better chance in the current environment. Remember, selections have consequences.
The problem with a voluntary separation is that they will lose the wrong people. What we really need is a separation that gets rid of the dead wood and extr managers.
"Never going to happen again..."
Even Art would not make such a definitive assertion. The future is not certain.
Never is a long time....The policy for incentiving separations is still in the current policies and procedures manual. A VSP with incentives can be a useful tool if the situation demands.
PADs are as ephemeral morning fog. Tomorrow brings another day, another PAD, and another opinion; some fragrant, some foul.
I haven't heard anything on this. The WFO sounds like it is funded although barely. I would guess next year will be extremely difficult. That said, given the average age of lab employees there will be a fair amount of natural retirement which may compensate for reduced funding.
That said, given the average age of lab employees there will be a fair amount of natural retirement which may compensate for reduced funding. - 2:57 pm
Maybe, but maybe not. Some of the staff who are reaching retirement age bring in funds and projects to the lab. Their loss with retirement will result in a loss of funding for the labs.
The WFO sounds like it is funded although barely.
December 4, 2011 2:57 PM
Depends. Some WFO projects at LANL are "overfunded" for next year, i.e., trouble getting all the work done unless they can hire, except there is now a hiring freeze. LANL has gotten itself in serious trouble in the recent past with such shenanigans, where a one-size-fits-all hiring freeze causes funded programs to under-perform, resulting in loss of projects that could have continued to bring in substantial funding. It's called lousy management. No thought involved. The idea that talented staff in underfunded programs could be moved to funded ones is too hard to figure out for LANL's crack management team. Better to move highly-experienced weapons people to environmental cleanup. Idiots!
"It's time for the lab to get rid of all this direct funded junk. It will be much easier to manage this lab once everyone is working off the overhead charge accounts."
-- Overheard coming from the mouth of Bret Knapp during a PAD executive retreat???
"It's time for the lab to get rid of all this direct funded junk. It will be much easier to manage this lab once everyone is working off the overhead charge accounts."
-- Overheard coming from the mouth of Bret Knapp during a PAD executive retreat???
December 5, 2011 12:23 PM
Yep, sounds just like UC in the 1960's: "Just drop off the money out back and we'll eventually get around to telling you how we spent it." Worked when all the Lab did was weapons development and testing. No need to itemize accounts or justify allocations. A manager's dream.
-- Overheard coming from the mouth of Bret Knapp during a PAD executive retreat???
December 5, 2011 12:23 PM
That does sounds like Knapp! Whatever he can't understand needs to be "junked". And that's alot of stuff for Knapp, who can't read or write.
"Yep, sounds just like UC in the 1960's: "Just drop off the money out back and we'll eventually get around to telling you how we spent it." Worked when all the Lab did was weapons development and testing. No need to itemize accounts or justify allocations. A manager's dream.
December 5, 2011 12:30 PM"
???
And the lab works great right now?
Give us break
Laying off lab staff during the middle of an economic depression while the "for-profit" executive team has raised their salaries and grown management by enormous amounts.... priceless!
LANS and LLNS 'voluntary separation' concept:
"You're free to head out the front door anytime you like. Don't let the door hit your butt on the way out, cowboy."
"You're free to head out the front door anytime you like. Don't let the door hit your butt on the way out, cowboy."
December 11, 2011 11:14 AM
Is that you Pete Nanos?
Nah, Pete and Melanie are in the closet together.
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