The entire Client Services department (including the New York and LA offices on video) was called into a meeting room and given the news that the Planner position was being eliminated. We were given the option to apply for a few positions, but there were not enough jobs to cover the amount of planners being eliminated. The department had been in limbo for months, but we had always been told the Planner position was just going to be reorganized, not eliminated. So when we were called into a mandatory, urgent meeting (which was only put on our calendars that morning), you could imagine the feeling of shock and betrayal that was felt by not only the Planners and Specialists, but the Managers as well. Due to the way this was handled, I had already determined that this company did not value or respect me enough for me to want to stay. I set up a meeting with HR in order to discuss the severance package and the interaction I had was the straw that broke the camel's back, to say the least.
During my one-on-one meeting with HR, I was met with no sympathy, and frankly no emotion at all. I understand CBSi is a large company and this was simply a business decision, but for someone in human resources, I would think they could muster up some empathy for someone who was just told their position was eliminated. She let me know that the severance was going to be one paycheck (two-weeks). Having already had a rough day, I got emotional as I was worried about having enough buffer time to find a new job. The woman in HR told me "This is a business decision, I am not losing sleep over this. If I were losing sleep, I would speak up and say something, but I'm not." And this came from someone who works for a company that tries to preach a culture of a friendly work-environment.
Additional:
- Very low pay.
- The sales team treated client services like we were their servants.