被高盛集團(Goldman Sachs)這樣的知名投行裁員是一回事,但如果本以為只是例行開會,結果卻突然被裁,就是另外一種說法了。
1月11日,高盛裁員3,200人,約占員工總數的6.5%。裁員本身并不令人意外,因為在2022年12月,首席執行官蘇德巍(David Solomon)就警告稱,預計“1月上半月將縮減員工人數”,原因是“貨幣緊縮環境下經濟活動放緩”。
但據《紐約郵報》(New York Post)1月13日報道,知情人士透露不少員工被裁得實在意外,原本他們以為只是例行開會,到場后才知道已經被裁員。
報道稱,被裁員工收到高盛的紐約總部虛假的會議邀請,有些甚至安排在早上7點半。但等他們抵達會議室時得知的只是被裁通知,頂頭上司經理就在一旁看著。
據《紐約郵報》報道,高盛內部把1月11日稱為“大衛爆破日”(David’s Demolition Day)。
《財富》雜志向高盛詢問《紐約郵報》的報道時,該公司的全球傳播主管托尼·弗拉托回答道:
“我們知道,對離職同事來說,這是艱難的時刻。感謝所有員工的貢獻,我們也在為離職員工的轉型提供支持。當下的重點是在充滿挑戰的宏觀經濟環境中適當地調整公司的規模,迎接今后的機會。”
近來,關于裁員的禮節愈發受到重視,尤其是在科技行業。美國的總體失業率雖然較低,但近幾個月來,科技行業的勞動力數量卻大幅減少。
今年1月初,賽富時(Salesforce)的首席執行官馬克·貝尼奧夫遭到抨擊,因為之前一天剛宣布大規模裁員,全體會議上又回避相關問題。貝尼奧夫創立賽富時的時候曾經強調源于夏威夷的“Ohana”觀念,意思是家庭紐帶,鼓勵人們對彼此負責,如今有員工懷疑這還是不是公司文化的核心。
2022年11月,埃隆·馬斯克因為混亂地收購推特(Twitter)后又暴力裁員而廣受批評。據《財富》雜志報道,一些員工在發現無法登錄公司的電子郵件或通訊系統后才知道工作沒有了。其他人得知被裁的方式則是下班后的一封(未署名的)電子郵件。
人力專家毫不留情地評論相關亂象。“我在人力資源行業工作了十多年,見識過很多不同規模和類型的公司如何處理裁員問題。”一位人力資源從業者發布推文寫道。“我個人認為,馬斯克治下的推特正在經歷可怕的一切,不管從法律、道德還是人道角度來看。令人憤怒而且心碎。”
另一方面,2022年8月,一位首席執行官曾經在領英(LinkedIn)上發布一張淚眼婆娑的自拍,貼文中表示對解雇員工很內疚。而批評者稱此舉無非是公關噱頭,指責他只是為了博取同情。(財富中文網)
譯者:夏林
被高盛集團(Goldman Sachs)這樣的知名投行裁員是一回事,但如果本以為只是例行開會,結果卻突然被裁,就是另外一種說法了。
1月11日,高盛裁員3,200人,約占員工總數的6.5%。裁員本身并不令人意外,因為在2022年12月,首席執行官蘇德巍(David Solomon)就警告稱,預計“1月上半月將縮減員工人數”,原因是“貨幣緊縮環境下經濟活動放緩”。
但據《紐約郵報》(New York Post)1月13日報道,知情人士透露不少員工被裁得實在意外,原本他們以為只是例行開會,到場后才知道已經被裁員。
報道稱,被裁員工收到高盛的紐約總部虛假的會議邀請,有些甚至安排在早上7點半。但等他們抵達會議室時得知的只是被裁通知,頂頭上司經理就在一旁看著。
據《紐約郵報》報道,高盛內部把1月11日稱為“大衛爆破日”(David’s Demolition Day)。
《財富》雜志向高盛詢問《紐約郵報》的報道時,該公司的全球傳播主管托尼·弗拉托回答道:
“我們知道,對離職同事來說,這是艱難的時刻。感謝所有員工的貢獻,我們也在為離職員工的轉型提供支持。當下的重點是在充滿挑戰的宏觀經濟環境中適當地調整公司的規模,迎接今后的機會。”
近來,關于裁員的禮節愈發受到重視,尤其是在科技行業。美國的總體失業率雖然較低,但近幾個月來,科技行業的勞動力數量卻大幅減少。
今年1月初,賽富時(Salesforce)的首席執行官馬克·貝尼奧夫遭到抨擊,因為之前一天剛宣布大規模裁員,全體會議上又回避相關問題。貝尼奧夫創立賽富時的時候曾經強調源于夏威夷的“Ohana”觀念,意思是家庭紐帶,鼓勵人們對彼此負責,如今有員工懷疑這還是不是公司文化的核心。
2022年11月,埃隆·馬斯克因為混亂地收購推特(Twitter)后又暴力裁員而廣受批評。據《財富》雜志報道,一些員工在發現無法登錄公司的電子郵件或通訊系統后才知道工作沒有了。其他人得知被裁的方式則是下班后的一封(未署名的)電子郵件。
人力專家毫不留情地評論相關亂象。“我在人力資源行業工作了十多年,見識過很多不同規模和類型的公司如何處理裁員問題。”一位人力資源從業者發布推文寫道。“我個人認為,馬斯克治下的推特正在經歷可怕的一切,不管從法律、道德還是人道角度來看。令人憤怒而且心碎。”
另一方面,2022年8月,一位首席執行官曾經在領英(LinkedIn)上發布一張淚眼婆娑的自拍,貼文中表示對解雇員工很內疚。而批評者稱此舉無非是公關噱頭,指責他只是為了博取同情。(財富中文網)
譯者:夏林
It’s one thing to get laid off from a prestigious bank like Goldman Sachs. It’s another to have that happen after showing up for what you thought was a routine meeting.
On January 11, Goldman eliminated 3,200 jobs, or roughly 6.5% of its workforce. That came as no surprise as CEO David Solomon had already warned staff in December 2022 he anticipated that “headcount reduction will take place in the first half of January, citing “tightening monetary conditions that are slowing down economic activity.”
But getting fired did apparently surprise some employees who showed up for what they thought was a routine meeting, according to insiders who spoke to the New York Post, as the paper reported on January 13.
Those employees had reportedly been emailed calendar invites for fake meetings, some as early as 7:30 a.m., at the bank’s New York headquarters. But when they showed up, they told they were being laid off, with their manager looking on.
Wednesday was internally dubbed “David’s Demolition Day,” according to the Post.
When Fortune asked Goldman Sachs about the Post report, Global Head of Communications Tony Fratto replied:
“We know this is a difficult time for people leaving the firm. We’re grateful for all our people’s contributions, and we’re providing support to ease their transitions. Our focus now is to appropriately size the firm for the opportunities ahead of us in a challenging macroeconomic environment.”
Etiquette surrounding layoffs has come to the fore of late, especially in the tech sector, which has seen dramatic workforce reductions in recent months, even as overall the U.S. unemployment rate remains low.
At Salesforce earlier January, CEO Marc Benioff came under fire for dodging questions during an all-hands meeting about mass layoffs announced only the day before. One employee questioned whether the Hawaiian concept of “Ohana”—the idea of family bonds that encourage people to be responsible for each other—should still be core to the company’s culture, as Benioff made it at Salesforce’s founding.
Elon Musk was heavily criticized in November 2022 over the way layoffs were conducted at Twitter after his chaotic takeover. As Fortune reported, some employees found out their jobs were being eliminated after they couldn’t log on to their company email or messaging system. Others learned their fate via an (unsigned) email sent after the workday.
HR professionals did not mince words when weighing in on the tactics. “I have worked in HR for over a decade and seen many different sizes and types of companies handle layoffs,” one tweeted. “From where I’m sitting, Musk’s Twitter is going about theirs terribly—legally, ethically, and humanely speaking. Infuriating and heartbreaking.”
On the other hand, one CEO received widespread criticism in August 2022 after attaching a teary-eyed selfie to a LinkedIn post in which he described the guilt he felt over firing staff. Detractors called it a PR stunt and accused him of fishing for sympathy.