Major Shaw layoffs in the near future?

[White Out 403]

An email came out today offering Shaw employees a Voluntary Severance Package. I have a copy that was sent to me but I'm reluctant to post it due to privacy issues and possible CP being in hot water issues. Mods?

Anywho, it reads like they're about to majorly shake up their business blaming consumers for not wanting their legacy products, and, not wanting to speak to them in traditional ways.

[photon]

Yeah if it's an internal private communication probably best not to post it directly. If a news outlet has reporting on it though linking to the news report would be fine.

[ah123]

Heard about potential layoffs through the grapevine. My source opined that Shaw was getting ready to put itself up for sale

[Fire]

How good was the severance package?

[neo45]

Sometimes this is just a way to get old people to leave


Not even joking. If the package is one month salary per year of service as is common this might just be an attempt to make the company younger.

[kermitology]

I've got a bunch of friends at Shaw. Sounds like 6 months + 1 month per year of service as voluntary severance. If you don't take it, you may or may not stick around and they'll enter involuntary layoffs which won't be as generous.

Main objective seems to reduce headcount and operating expenses as they react to shifting customer demand (internet only, streaming, on demand) away from cable subscriptions.

[White Out 403]

That's a much better package than I would expected.

[Lubicon]

That's a very sweet package for anyone who volunteers, if accurate.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by kermitology

I've got a bunch of friends at Shaw. Sounds like 6 months + 1 month per year of service as voluntary severance. If you don't take it, you may or may not stick around and they'll enter involuntary layoffs which won't be as generous.

Main objective seems to reduce headcount and operating expenses as they react to shifting customer demand (internet only, streaming, on demand) away from cable subscriptions.

If I was a longer term employee, I'm taking that package and fist pumping out the door.

[neo45]

I’m young and I would consider that package

[81MC]

...that's quite the package.

[activeStick]

Middle management? Installers?

[lazypucker]

Think about it:

If you joined Shaw as an installer or customer rep when you were 20 years old, you now work for 20 years. At age 40 you get a package of about 2 years' salary. But you will be heavily taxed, plus you have another 20-25 years to go before retirement. That's not a golden goose egg at all! It's not like you can go find another phone/internet/cable installer / service rep job just like that tomorrow....

Maybe if you are 55 and have like 30 years of service it might be worthwhile to take an early retirement package...

[GordonBlue]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

Think about it:

If you joined Shaw as an installer or customer rep when you were 20 years old, you now work for 20 years. At age 40 you get a package of about 2 years' salary. But you will be heavily taxed, plus you have another 20-25 years to go before retirement. That's not a golden goose egg at all! It's not like you can go find another phone/internet/cable installer / service rep job just like that tomorrow....

Maybe if you are 55 and have like 30 years of service it might be worthwhile to take an early retirement package...

or you can look at it as a very generous offer considering how many people were laid off in the province in the last two years who got nothing.

I doubt too many of the 40 year olds are looking at this, but for an older employee it really is a golden goose egg.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by lazypucker

Think about it:

If you joined Shaw as an installer or customer rep when you were 20 years old, you now work for 20 years. At age 40 you get a package of about 2 years' salary. But you will be heavily taxed, plus you have another 20-25 years to go before retirement. That's not a golden goose egg at all! It's not like you can go find another phone/internet/cable installer / service rep job just like that tomorrow....

Maybe if you are 55 and have like 30 years of service it might be worthwhile to take an early retirement package...

Using your example of the 40 year-old, on what planet would pay for two years and two months - without lifting a finger - not be the sweetest deal I can imagine. If my company went belly up tomorrow, I would get $0.

[wooohooo]

I knew a few Shaw installers and man do they make a good salary, good benefits and have a sweet schedule. Sucks if it's for them as they really like their job.

[Hack&Lube]

They are still an ISP with a huge monopoly over most of the infrastructure. A lot of the other telcos piggyback off their network.

They're probably reacting to the eventual death of the cable TV industry.

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by Resurrection

Anywho, it reads like they're about to majorly shake up their business blaming consumers for not wanting their legacy products, and, not wanting to speak to them in traditional ways.

You mean they're unhappy that I only take their home phone for package deals and have exactly 0 minutes of calls done on it over the years? Strange...

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

or you can look at it as a very generous offer considering how many people were laid off in the province in the last two years who got nothing.

I doubt too many of the 40 year olds are looking at this, but for an older employee it really is a golden goose egg.

Why should I look at it that way? Shaw is a very profitable company. They want to milk and squeeze every last drop from their employees so that family can have more ivory back scratchers. Who cares if other people were laid off with no severance; those companies haven't remained as profitable as Shaw have they?

Maybe we should start thanking our lucky stars we don't live in Liberia too while we're at it?

[Erick Estrada]

Who knew that people would resort to cutting the cord when they just continued to raise their prices year after year?