47 said:
One topic that would be of great interest, as well as therapeutic, would be for all people who have left LLNL voluntarily and involuntarily since LLNS, to tell their story (in a 100-200 words)and leaving out info that could identify who they are.
I'll volunteer mine as a starter:
A 200 series employee
Over 50 years old
Over 20 years service
LLNL only employer
Held many different positions including supervision and management
Managed multi-million $ projects
Always had above average reviews
Gave my all to LLNL as a dedicated employee. Loyalty used to be a value
Reason left: ISP
Why involuntary separated: My speculation, as no one has told me that my SKA's weren't adequate for the future LLNS, is wrong place at wrong time in wrong 'work unit'
Feeling about it all: I've grieved it and am now looking for a company that has hired the best and brightest into management!
14 comments:
I was a 285 who joined Comp out of college with ~ 8 years of service.
Started looking at options during the transition, and got some decent offers. Was exempted from layoffs / VSSOP, but quit anyway, shortly after the VSSOP. For me, the longer I stayed at the lab, the more dull my skills became.
There are some extremely smart and dedicated people at livermore, but there is also a fair percentage of dead weight pulling large salaries.
To those unfairly laid off, there are plenty of good jobs out here. To the dead weight laid off, I'm sorry, the honeymoon is over.
I was not a 200 series employee, but don't want to list what I was because then it could be obvious to some who I am.
I am in my early 30s and had 4 years of service
As soon as the layoffs were first announced I went looking elsewhere. I learned I was exempt from the layoffs/VSSOP, but it was becoming to depressing to work there, I knew I would be better compensated somewhere else and I just don't see LLNS doing much for the next few years. I am young enough that to stay there would have stagnated my career. I was gone by the end of 2007. I would like to return someday as I believe in LLNL, I just can't work there in it's current state.
Scooby, I hate to be picky, but there are 2 off post comments in this section. Isn't that a main reason for moderation?
6/12 5:41
6/12 10:17
285 with 8 years service. I was in charge of quite a bit and I don't think those who layed me off realized it.
There is no college grad they will find that has the skills and experience I have, so it is their loss.
Dear Pick, June 13 6:10PM
I deleted both off topic comments. I am not 100 infallible.
285 in Comp, 24 years. Never was management, hate all the politics and lack of morals that come with that.
Saved a number of people's butts over the years from the bunglers with big ideas. Never got stellar ranking, but a number of peer rewards - which meant a lot more to me.
Warned people of the coming doom, they chose to enjoy the band playing as Titanic went down instead.
I left early and don't regret it a bit. I took my SKA with me, ULM deserves "scorched earth".
It is very clear that Comp laid off a number of people without knowing what they did or whom they supported. If there ever was management that deserved to be laid off, it is the Division Leaders and higher in Comp.
PS: I was not laid off.
A 300 series employee
Over 50 years old
Over 25 years of service
LLNL was my third employer
Regularly took point in the trenches
Regularly had above average reviews
Gave and gave and gave until I realized the rug was being pulled out from under me. Why did I purchase items from local electronic stores for the project? Why did I volunteer my off-hours for the project? Why did I raise a flag when, in my opinion, good money was being thrown down the drain? FINALLY we get a response from management -- we’re too expensive and we had to cut somewhere.
Reasons Left: Change of contractor, management, funding & pension system
Why Voluntarily Separated: Degradation of employer/employee relationship
Feeling about it all: NBC’s Tim Russert passed away yesterday. One of the comments made was individuals can’t keep running at full speed for months on end and not have it take a physical toll. I no longer have the long hours, my weight is down, my blood pressure is down, and life goes on. I really do miss contributing to the team and our clients but I trust my employer will resolve the void.
“Old School” is out the window, welcome to the challenges of a new age.
Hey June 13th 9:33PM
what I would like to know is what deputy xxxxx, assistant xxxxx and associate xxxx do. Example: deputy division leader.
In my opinion, these positions were created to offload some work down the chain under the old system. Now that we are supposed to be running more efficiently, are deputies, assistants and associates still needed?
June 14, 2008 2:47 PM,
In my neck of the woods those positions generally are one of many hats that the people in question wear. Also remember that the higher levels of management often have to interface frequently with external entities. Cutting into their ability to do that could have a substantial impact on funding and coordination efforts. We do not exist in a vacuum.
The lab has been over sighted and regulated to within an inch of its life and all that overhead requires a lot of management and administrative involvement.
Contributed anonymously:
Let's talk about what is like after the layoffs. Those who lost several close co-workers need to grieve, but little compassion is shown by management or others who didn't lose co-workers. Those who did not lose people in their area behave with a sense of superiority, even those people who were EBA or interally supported before and now after the layoffs. The senselessness of choices of who to layoff and the secrecy around how decisions were made has created a general sense of anxiety. The trust we had that we would be valued for our performance is gone. It is only how much you have played up to the managers now.
I believe that after October 1 we are going to see a reshuffling of management. There will be further downsizing at the expense of managers who can't find a place for themselves. Anyone who was "interally supported before and now after the layoffs" will also be at risk.
"Reshuffling" managers to fradulently have them direct charge projects they do not work on is already happening. Here is the picture- they fired our "support staff", then they paid the technically incompetent managers to clean out the offices of the useful, less expensive (by factors of 2 or more) RIF'ed employees. Now, they are having the expensive useless managers direct charge us, while said managers are not being required to have any work to show for it. Can anyone do the cost/benefit analysis here? How could they have done the lab downsizing so wrong? Does anyone REALLY believe they will ever fire any managers? Do they even have a mechanism to do so?
I was at the lab for 27 years and left during the VSSOP period in March. I was the PI of a WFO project with a budget of $1.4M over three years. I turned the project over to my colleagues because I was burned out especially with regard to overhead costs. I am under 50 y.o. Currently, my husband and two others from the lab have secured $7.0M in funding for a startup company. There really is life after LLNL and it is GREAT!
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