The Swamp

On the bright side I had never heard of this company before Wednesday so I might be able to finance my retirement by shorting their stock.

Laugh it to the bank as long as you can. I doubt you were too worried about culture working remotely from Mexico. Let them strip it for parts. Get your dough while they do it. Not much else you can do.

yay capitalism

That is the classic Private Equity buyout model. Buy for cheap. Strip expenses to the bone to boost short-term profits. Sell for improved multiple/price based on improved profitability.

sancarlos wrote: ↑Fri Jan 22, 2021 2:48 pm That is the classic Private Equity buyout model. Buy for cheap. Strip expenses to the bone to boost short-term profits. Sell for improved multiple/price based on improved profitability.

It's hard to see how that works for a public company though, especially one buying software companies. This company already loses $2.50/share and seems to shed customers from every purchase that they make. Just seems like a Ponzi scheme waiting to collapse. Don't get me wrong, I'm gonna suck the teat dry as long as I can, but from the sounds of it, I'll have a job until the end of April and will then be let go with three months severance.

Not super excited about having to learn another 100 new TLAs, you guys.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:27 am Not super excited about having to learn another 100 new TLAs, you guys.

I had to look it up, does TLA mean three letter abbreviation? If so, that was an ironic twist.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:31 am

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:27 am Not super excited about having to learn another 100 new TLAs, you guys.

I had to look it up, does TLA mean three letter abbreviation? If so, that was an ironic twist.

Three Letter Acronym, but yeah. It's a meta joke! The software industry is infested with them. The military too.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:36 amThree Letter Acronym, but yeah. It's a meta joke! The software industry is infested with them. The military too.

My boss is a Microsoft administrator and former Marine. The only way he can speak is by using acronyms.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:27 am Not super excited about having to learn another 100 new TLAs, you guys.

So if you gotta learn these TLAs does that mean YJISFN?

(Your Job Is Safe For Now)

BSF21 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:47 am

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:27 am Not super excited about having to learn another 100 new TLAs, you guys.

So if you gotta learn these TLAs does that mean YJISFN?

(Your Job Is Safe For Now)

No one knows nothing. My department has been assured we're all going to get at least 90-day transition offers by the end of the week. That will take me through the end of April. At that point, I expect to be laid off.

try working in an airline-related field :P
YYZ
YOW
ORD
etc

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:36 am

The Sybian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:31 am

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:27 am Not super excited about having to learn another 100 new TLAs, you guys.

I had to look it up, does TLA mean three letter abbreviation? If so, that was an ironic twist.

Three Letter Acronym, but yeah. It's a meta joke! The software industry is infested with them. The military too.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:48 am

BSF21 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:47 am

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 10:27 am Not super excited about having to learn another 100 new TLAs, you guys.

So if you gotta learn these TLAs does that mean YJISFN?

(Your Job Is Safe For Now)

No one knows nothing. My department has been assured we're all going to get at least 90-day transition offers by the end of the week. That will take me through the end of April. At that point, I expect to be laid off.

I've been in the same job for over 7 years, and I still don't know half the acronyms. We are in large part a SaaS provider, though I don't need to understand any aspects of that half of the business, so I'm not even counting all those acronyms. Our Customer Experience side of the house has gone through so many reorgs lately, I stopped following all of the job title changes and new positions created. We are in the middle of an enormous reorganization, and I can't comprehend who does what anymore. I look at the charts, and I'm 2 or 3 title changes behind, so now that an HCBP is called something else, I don't know what that title means or what it was previously called. My job title changed, and I can't remember the full title correctly because there are so many words, and it's meaningless. I'm sticking with my old job title for as long as possible. The new one is going to make no sense to anyone looking at my resume if I look to leave, so I'd really prefer to use the title that makes sense and let's anyone outside my company know what I do. I was early to a conference call, and someone else on the call asked what team I'm now on and asked if it's a change in my role. My manager was on the line, and I was completely stumped, because 3 months into this, I still don't really know. It's a complete shit show, and such a shame because I really loved everything about my role and was proud of the service my company provides, but it's rocky as hell getting through this transition, and I am hearing some horrendous complaints (from clients and colleagues) that I've just never heard before. We've already lost a lot of really good employees because of this, but my guess is they are looking to reduce costs, and expected the attrition.

Just had my weekly call with my boss, who of course has been working with the transition team and welp, sounds like I might be done as soon as Friday.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:21 pm Just had my weekly call with my boss, who of course has been working with the transition team and welp, sounds like I might be done as soon as Friday.

Bummer, man. I hope they do you right with a nice severance package.

I am so very sorry, brian. Fuck those guys.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:21 pm Just had my weekly call with my boss, who of course has been working with the transition team and welp, sounds like I might be done as soon as Friday.

That blows...

Sorry, Brian. That's shit.

Might still be too soon to worry. I got invited to a transition meeting next week so that’s a start (though also means nothing).

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:54 pm Might still be too soon to worry. I got invited to a transition meeting next week so that’s a start (though also means nothing).

Transition to training your replacement. Happened to me years ago.

Sorry brian.

duff wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:51 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:54 pm Might still be too soon to worry. I got invited to a transition meeting next week so that’s a start (though also means nothing).

Transition to training your replacement. Happened to me years ago.

Oh yeah that’s the best case scenario at this point probably but it at least kicks the can down the road until May. We were planning on coming back to the States in May for a few weeks to get vaccinated so if I get laid off May 1 I can live with that

Good luck, Brian.

Damn Brian, really fucking hate to read this. Hope it goes better than you expect.

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:55 pm

duff wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:51 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:54 pm Might still be too soon to worry. I got invited to a transition meeting next week so that’s a start (though also means nothing).

Transition to training your replacement. Happened to me years ago.

Oh yeah that’s the best case scenario at this point probably but it at least kicks the can down the road until May. We were planning on coming back to the States in May for a few weeks to get vaccinated so if I get laid off May 1 I can live with that

Stay the fuck away from my vaccines, quitter.

#realmurician

duff wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:51 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:54 pm Might still be too soon to worry. I got invited to a transition meeting next week so that’s a start (though also means nothing).

Transition to training your replacement. Happened to me years ago.

Me too!

(That fucking job. This was a massive, global corporation... Rhymes with Exploit... I got hired to do PR for a guy in the DC office, kind of outside of the normal Marketing Department. Well, as people pick their head up and realize I've been kind of snuck in outside normal procedure, shit hits the fan. I'm flown up to NY to meet my "new" boss, who of course is never going to be OK with me. I was a PR professional suddenly being asked to do all this marketing stuff I hadn't ever done. Plus, it was all about international tax stuff, like Transfer Pricing and other complicated shit.

So many other mini dramas at that place. I last 2 years. I got trips to Boca Raton, San Francisco (turned it into a Napa vacation with my gf/wife), Chicago and multiples to NYC. Learned some important lessons, I guess. Did NOT learn much about international tax laws.)

Locals call those "multiples" of New York boroughs (bor·oughs).

Nonlinear FC wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:02 am

duff wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 7:51 pm

brian wrote: ↑Tue Jan 26, 2021 6:54 pm Might still be too soon to worry. I got invited to a transition meeting next week so that’s a start (though also means nothing).

Transition to training your replacement. Happened to me years ago.

Me too!

(That fucking job. This was a massive, global corporation... Rhymes with Exploit... I got hired to do PR for a guy in the DC office, kind of outside of the normal Marketing Department. Well, as people pick their head up and realize I've been kind of snuck in outside normal procedure, shit hits the fan. I'm flown up to NY to meet my "new" boss, who of course is never going to be OK with me. I was a PR professional suddenly being asked to do all this marketing stuff I hadn't ever done. Plus, it was all about international tax stuff, like Transfer Pricing and other complicated shit.

So many other mini dramas at that place. I last 2 years. I got trips to Boca Raton, San Francisco (turned it into a Napa vacation with my gf/wife), Chicago and multiples to NYC. Learned some important lessons, I guess. Did NOT learn much about international tax laws.)

Many years ago I did a document review for that company. Basically, I had to search through partners' email archives and hard drives looking for any evidence of potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Sitting in a room with 30 or 40 lawyers when I hit the porn cache of one of the partners. Instinctively, I jumped up and tried to quickly switch screens, then I realized it's not my problem, and drew a crowd to join in the fun. Found another partner who liked to email completely inappropriate sexual and racial jokes to friends and colleagues from his work email. And also followed the adventures of a Mormon partner's son on his mission trip to some remote South American village. I felt somewhat guilty reading those emails, but doc review is insanely boring, and the kid was a great writer and went into detail on life in the village and his travels. And if you don't want some lawyer reading your emails, do receive them on your business address or from your company issued computer.

Rhymes with Exploit

Flooshmoit?

Sexadroit?

tennbengal wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:35 am Flooshmoit?

Sexadroit?

Exploit Douche is a great band name.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:32 amAnd if you don't want some lawyer reading your emails, do receive them on your business address or from your company issued computer.

Hypothetical question: Do you only read their outgoing stuff or everything that's incoming to the work address as well?

Sabo wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:37 am

tennbengal wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:35 am Flooshmoit?

Sexadroit?

Exploit Douche is a great band name.

What's crazy is that that's the first time I've ever even thought to find something that rhymes with the place.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:47 am

The Sybian wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 10:32 amAnd if you don't want some lawyer reading your emails, do receive them on your business address or from your company issued computer.

Hypothetical question: Do you only read their outgoing stuff or everything that's incoming to the work address as well?

For that project, incoming and outgoing. Fortunately, I have very little doc review experience so I don't know what the norm is. A company could access all emails you open on their computer, if that's your concern.

Nope, no concerns for me. We have a friend (lawyer!) who will use his personal email for like fantasy and pools and shit and it just seems dumb.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 5:43 pm Nope, no concerns for me. We have a friend (lawyer!) who will use his personal email for like fantasy and pools and shit and it just seems dumb.

I used to be super cautious, probably from starting my career in government where we had some insane ethics restrictions. Depends on your company. I used to keep two computers up, one for work one for everything else but at some point I got lazy and use my work computer for most things. Our policies are super stringent and allow for them to look at anything and everything. We even have to use proprietary apps on our cell phones and the company has the right to go into our cell phones, which disturbs a lot of people. We can choose to use a second phone, or get a stipend to use our own, and I'm not using two phones.

I hated nothing more than having two cell phones for a while.

mister d wrote: ↑Wed Jan 27, 2021 6:04 pm I hated nothing more than having two cell phones for a while.

That sounds awful.

Let me preface this by saying this is really the best-case scenario in more ways than one, but they're keeping me on until May 31st and then I get a lump sum of a quarter of my yearly salary (which means I can start unemployment right away afterwards if I can figure out how to get unemployment while I'm living in another country), so no complaints.

brian wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:49 pm Let me preface this by saying this is really the best-case scenario in more ways than one, but they're keeping me on until May 31st and then I get a lump sum of a quarter of my yearly salary (which means I can start unemployment right away afterwards if I can figure out how to get unemployment while I'm living in another country), so no complaints.

If you can find a good job fairly soon after leaving this one you’ll be in the chips!

sancarlos wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:56 pm

brian wrote: ↑Fri Jan 29, 2021 2:49 pm Let me preface this by saying this is really the best-case scenario in more ways than one, but they're keeping me on until May 31st and then I get a lump sum of a quarter of my yearly salary (which means I can start unemployment right away afterwards if I can figure out how to get unemployment while I'm living in another country), so no complaints.

If you can find a good job fairly soon after leaving this one you’ll be in the tortilla chips!

FIFY