Mattel gets away with all sorts of illegal crap during layoffs, age discrimination and more. Position eliminated, my ass Yet everyone just accepts it because they feel afraid and alone sitting there when HR "works their magic" (Can anyone share a time when HR helped them? I didn't think so.) Well there is no end to the layoffs, and anyone who isn't proactively planning their post-Mattel career is in complete denial. We need to band together NOW and get a high profile lawyer ready to fight for all the people whose "positions have been eliminated". With that, we empower ourselves and stand as a strong united group that Mattel fears and respects. Without that, we are powerless individuals that fall divided, plinked off one by one in HR's shooting gallery.
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to the person with the SOLUTION: that's more of a DELUSION. get over it. you're hired by mattel, not your family. if you can't hold a job that's on you as a failed provider. shut your mouth, sign your papers and move on. they have a right to fire you at any time without cause. those were the terms when you signed up. deal with it.
50? try anyone over 40 is deemed "out of touch" if there not in a position requiring analytics.
if you're in creative and over 40 and haven't made it to management your a-- is as good as gone.
Let's be real, the magic layoff age is fifty. Once you're over fifty, amazing how reorganizations happen and you're on your way out the door. Note you can't get your layoff package unless you agree to sign a whole bunch of bull sh-t that you won't sue for age discrimination, etc.. HERE IS A SOLUTION: YOU signed it, but your spouse, families or partner DID NOT AGREE OR SIGN. Why don't all the spouses or partners or families) get together and do a class action suit against Mattel on behalf of their wronged family members for age discrimination? I'm certain there are attorneys out there rubbing their hands together at the thought of this. JUST REMEMBER DOCUMENTATION! Document, document, document. The more families involved in a class action suit about age discrimination against Mattel the better.
From NY Times article on Laid-Off Americans
http://nyti.ms/1UsFEII
If you are being discriminated against, work in a hostile enviroment, observe innapriopriate behavior by management you should document everything. If and when you are let go, do not sign the severance agreement until you have consulted with an employment attourney. Google search discrimination and Mattel to find firms that have gone up against Mattel and won. Do not threaten HR or share you are seeking counsel. Be prepared to provide the attourney with a detailed timeline of your experience so they can quickly decide if they will take your case on a contingency basis. If they are, chances are you have a good case. You will not spend years in trial. Mattel does not want these types of cases going public and they almost always opt for mediation and settlement. Do not be scared of the corporate machine. HR is well aware of leadership antics and protection of certain individuals that have dirt on people. They know and feel for the employees but shrug their shoulders and do their jobs. So please get your ducks in a row beforehand and prepare should you be harassed or discriminated against. Do not be afraid to stand up for yourself and get what you can to protect your families. Many respectable firms know Mattel intimately, their reputation for treatment of employees and will fight for you. Good luck to you all in the next round. Be smart and prepare now.
Our conservative supreme Court made it much harder to sue companies when they sided with Walmart ... I think Mattel has the loop hole that they " leave it to management to decide who to let go "
Thus de centralizing the decision making
I could possibly sue My manager personally as he seems to have let go of a disproportionate number of women and I may
Signing your severance dose not mean you can't sue if the company break the law it's only done to limit legal cost cause even if you sue and loose it cost more to go to court in the first place and pay lawyers so they do it to intimidate
I wonder what happens if you collect all your severance and sue anyway ?
Agree 100%. Also it isn't technically illegal if a company replaces more expensive workers with cheaper workers - the decision to let go just can't be based only on being over 40 or on your ethnicity or gender/sexual orientation, etc. Suing also means you give up what little severance you are getting to be involved in a lawsuit for months/years with little chance of succeeding and where you likely won't get much in the slight chance you win and might even be paying a lot for nothing. Better to cut your losses and not look back. Sure the situation isn't fair and it's frustrating that Mattel doesn't appreciate its workers and their contributions,, but you'll be happier focusing on moving on and finding a better situation.
Yes they get away with it. It happened to me. But remember you are a at will employee, and if you start legal action you will get no severance pay. You will wait around for years as your lawyer tangles with Mattels team of lawyers. Remember the MGA lawsuit. If you win you'll probably get as much as your severance was going to be. The Lawyers will get the biggest cut.
I really don't think you'll win that much, lose your anger, better to move on, to a better place.
agreed. when you sign the severance package you give up all legal recourse. it's their last chance at giving it to you dry is the rump.
I would first read up on the main reasons companies provide severance. (hint: It's largely quid pro quo, not good will).
No they do worry about anyone who's older being let go. They assess the risk based on their age and personality (whether they are the type to fight back). Believe me they talk it through with legal first.
Mattel is a "hire at will" company so could 10/15 people band together under one attorney and file a class action lawsuit? An interesting concept that I may just look into. Perhaps one law firm just might just be interested if enough people band together as a Band of Brothers fighting for justice & correct what's wrong there.
It is a just cause which could gain traction going forward in a perfect world as we helicopter out before doing the deep dive. MattHell speak :)
When you sign your papers upon starting your employment at mattel it clearly states that they can terminate you without cause for any reason whatsoever. you sign that your class action suit ain't worth a damn. If they think they'll have a problem, they'll spend a year prior drumming up issues in performance reviews or made up infractions by unnamed sources and try to get you to sign off on those as well. it's not worth the effort. steal what you can, start looking for other work. Mattel is a lost cause. Has been since Stockton took over and it's been downhill from there. The quicker you let the anger go the more enjoyable this site becomes. Just bash the ones that are left that are screwing everyone else. They read this crap and it upsets them greatly.
Mattel is just asking for an age discrimination lawsuit. The way they get rid of the old and bring in the new all the time. They say the position is "eliminated" and then turn it into a lower level spot and get in someone younger. You can do this once or twice and it seems okay. at will employment. it's a new position not the old one that the old person left. But Mattel does it again and again. They are making a clear pattern of getting rid of older employees. But they call it "early retirement" give a good package and then people don't say anything or don't try to sue. It's only a matter of time though.
Mattel gets away with all sorts of illegal crap during layoffs, age discrimination and more. Position eliminated, my assYet everyone just accepts it because they feel afraid and alone sitting there when HR "works their magic" (Can anyone share a time when HR helped them? I didn't think so.) Well there is no end to the layoffs, and anyone who isn't proactively planning their post-Mattel career is in complete denial. We need to band together NOW and get a high profile lawyer ready to fight for all the people whose "positions have been eliminated". With that, we empower ourselves and stand as a strong united group that Mattel fears and respects. Without that, we are powerless individuals that fall divided, plinked off one by one in HR's shooting gallery.
6 hours ago by Anonymous | Post ID: @Hpqw1