Downsizing

In my group discussion we talked about downsizing and temporary workers.  We had a really good discussion and one boy brought up a really good question.  He asked something to the effect of "if you have to downsize your company to simply save money who do you get rid of... the 50 year old employee that has been working with you for a while he is also close to retirement, or the new younger guy who you just hired.  We talked about letting go the older guy but having to deal with age lawsuits.  We talked about hiring the new guy but he wouldn't save you as much money as if you let go the older guy.  Downsizing is a difficult thing and always will be.  However it might make it easier to base it on performance.  The choice of employees should be based on redistribution of the work, not how long the employee has been with the company. Sometimes the employee you just hired has a skill far more valuable than one with seniority.  Basing a layoff on skill could be more beneficial and the company will probably be dealt with less legal issues.  Downsizing is never a pleasant thing and should be done with caution.  This question, on who to let go, really made me think.  There are benefits and consequences of letting go either guy but a decision must be made.  No matter which guy you let go, you just have to be prepared to face whatever comes next.  You must show reason for why you chose whom you did and you must have good reasoning.  After downsizing you must also make sure the remaining employees stay motivated and continue to work hard.  If you do things right you can reduce, and maybe even eliminate, the negative affects of downsizing in your organization.  It is important to stay productive after downsizing.  Downsizing can be a beneficial thing for your company but it can also have negative effects.  It is important to think things through and make sure to weigh the odds.  This discussion we had really helped me to see how in depth downsizing decisions can be.  I never really thought about the effects, whether negative or positive, it can have on a company. 

I liked watching the clip of The Office in class this week.  It helped bring what we were talking about to life and also helped bring some laughter to class.  The Office seems to always relate to the items we are discussing in class. I love The Office.