rickps: (Pee and Poo)
[personal profile] rickps
This morning's pile of work Emails included a surprise announcement that the long standing Houston office (formerly the company's home office pre-decentralization a couple of years ago) would be relocated to Chicago and Indianapolis.  The stated reason for the move is to have a central location for the executive officers of the various corporate divisions in Chicago and to site my division's administrative minions in the lower cost of living Indy location (which is also home to one of the company's major contracts).  I gather that nearly everyone in the Houston office was caught off guard by this pronouncement.

While this change won't impact me much at all, I can't help wondering how earthquake shattered the Houstonites must feel right now.  Many, the announcement stated, will be offered a relocation package.  Others, who are slated for layoff, will be given a severance package and assistance in locating new employment.  I don't believe that this is a nefarious plot to reduce staff and cut costs.  It's just a corporate realignment.

But how would you feel if your employer pulled the rug out from under you?  Although I've relocated many times for work related reasons, they've always been moves I've chosen.  Would I be willing to leave a life in Houston (which I consider a sweaty armpit of a city) and shift me and mine to a place on a map I probably never have been?  Is a job all that important? 

It's got me thinking what would happen if this shoe were on my foot instead...

Date: 2007-06-21 09:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] notdefined.livejournal.com
Been there done that! I tried to not take it personally, to look at it as just the normal cost of doing business in this world. I still had to give up my job because relocating was impossible at the time. C'est la vie.

Date: 2007-06-21 09:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] billeyler.livejournal.com
I was there early in my career, but probably not to the degree the Houstonians are.

I worked as assistant controller for a growing warehouse grocery store. The original owner sold the company to Furr's Supermarkets, which at that time had its central offices in Lubbock Tx (and was owned by a German conglomerate of all things!).

I opted NOT to take a relocation package to move to Lubbock!

(patting self on back).

Date: 2007-06-22 07:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] bigjohnsf.livejournal.com
I haven't heard the greatest things about Indianapolis. Not a good place for racial minorities, for instance.

Several years ago, United Airlines, proposed to move their Maintenance Operations Center from San Francisco to Indianapolis. They built a huge state-of-the-art facility. They were never able to reach their target staffing level there.

The engineers and mechanics would move there at company expense, with dreams of affordable housing, and end up moving back to SFO at their own expense. Eventually, they had to close facility due to lack of interest.

Moving people's jobs from Houston to Indianapolis sounds like a staff reduction to me.

Profile

rickps: (Default)
rickps

November 2013

S M T W T F S
     12
3456789
10111213141516
1718 1920212223
24252627282930

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Jul. 6th, 2025 07:44 am
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios