Thread regarding Cengage layoffs

To whomever is posting as IPS:

Oh, imagine that: Cengage stalks employees concerned about losing their jobs to threaten them. It would be astounding on the cover of the NYT, right? That's good corporate citizenship!

The company is ALLOWING and ENCOURAGING the threats against employees if you are using their property to post this drama.

Sure would s— if a screenshot of this threat made it out in the media...or to Kermit's desk...

In regards to posts predicting doom because colleges are not reopening campuses this fall: instead they are moving to online. Shouldn’t that help Cengage Unlimited rather than hurt it?

If you are a Cengage employee you would be wise to refrain from commenting on this forum. Refer to your employee handbook regarding public statements about the company.

If you have recently separated from the company it's clearly spelled out in your separation agreement that any derogatory statements made about the company may cause an end to your package.

This is not the time or place to play mean in the sandbox. I would strongly advise that you find somewhere else to post "anonymously".

Several schools (some with large enrollments such as West Virginia U and Miami U) just announced that they are scaling back return to campus plans. Its going to be bad.

And as schools themselves shrink. Fewer and fewer people are attending college every year. The pie is smaller.

@6uqv+163GQoRy Save for some massive market breakthrough at Cengage that is 100% the reality going forward. The revenue pie for the big 3 publishers shrinks every year and Covid is just going to accelerate it as schools and profs look for different ways to deliver content.

@3wjf+163GQoRy I'll save you the hassle of checking the board. There is no future. It will be death by 1000 cuts and layoffs until they figure out mostly how to run a much smaller business with a few employees. Things will not get better. And when the majority of schools don't return this fall, while those who do have drastically smaller enrollments, its going to get very...very ugly. No sarcasm or Onion wanne be font here. Just being real.

Definitely don’t take my word for it. Do some research on what your profession’s average salary is in your area. Look on Glassdoor at companies outside your industry. There’s plenty of information out there to verify it. This is something you should be doing anyway. It’s no secret that Cengage pays bottom of the barrel salaries. If you have skills and experience it’s not difficult to go somewhere else and get a raise much larger than 10%. Talk to some of your ex colleagues sometime.

You left and are having so much success you're still wasting time trolling on here. Yeah, that's believable! Sounds like you got fired for being terrible at your job, haven't been able to recover, and are extremely bitter! Sad

Yes, I left publishing and just about doubled my salary in 5 years (not counting my bonus). You are leaving a massive amount of money on the table if you have transferable skills and stay in Ed publishing. And please save me the story about changing student lives in a mission based company. 2/3 of the industry are owned by private equity vultures who would sell students into slavery to make an extra dime.

The person saying “ I left the company 5 years ago for a 33% raise and I now make almost double” must not have just left the company: they must have left the publishing industry. Salaries can be compared company to company on various websites and there isn’t much difference between the various publishers. Job hopping helps for a while, but salaries for all but high level managers have always been low. One thing is right though: raises vary depending on whether you are perceived as a top contributor or not. No matter what they tell you there are people getting 5%-10% increases when most are lucky to get 1.5%. Eventually you hit a wall though and that opportunity tapers off unless you’re promoted.

People stay at Cengage for three reasons.

1. They are lazy
2. They have no confidence
3. They are in their 50's, have developed no real skills and are hanging on for dear life.

@3qga+163GQoRy A whole 10% huh? So you got a promotion and the "maximum allowed" 10% raise. They made you feel all good and special because you got a promotion during these trying times. Yeah, I went through that rodeo before. Then I looked at what people in my profession outside Cengage were getting paid and it was 30-40% above what I was making. I guarantee you are still vastly underpaid compared to the market. I left the company 5 years ago for a 33% raise and I now make almost double what I was making at my last year at Cengage. But they count on you being ignorant of that to keep you onboard. And I work for a real company in a real industry that isn't run like a clown car with reorgs and layoffs every 6 months. Oh, and we have a real bonus plan with regular payouts and not some vague promises about a puny bonus "if we hit our number." I wouldn't be beating my chest too hard over a 10% raise at Cengage. Chances are you are still getting played.

: @3wjf+163GQoRy Direct your frustration and disappointment at your dear leaders at Cengage, they’re the ones withholding information and manipulating you. Not anyone here.

Cengage management treats some employees well... for a few years. The politics in this place eventually eats everyone alive. To survive with your soul intact, you either become one person at work and another outside or you leave or you’re laid off.

@3qga+163GQoRy Hahahahahahahahaha......no. No you didn't.

Cengage employee loser here, I just got ten percent raise, an extra 10k a year. How’s unemployment treating you?

It’s sad that many people worried about losing their job come to this site hoping to get a heads up as to what is happening at Cengage only to have to scroll through what’s becoming one wannabe Onion writer’s personal ax grinding blog.

It’s all true. Just like our investor presentations are true and accurate. We take pride in total transparency, which is why we start out each call with the “Safe Harbour” disclaimer, which essentially allows us to lie through our teeth with no repercussions. It’s great!

Wait...so instead of real $ we will be given Cenmark credit to pay for s__t we don’t need? How is this a raise?

With failed merger how can they afford to pay us retroactive salary + and a raise? Something’s fishy...

Someone please contact one of your out of work business comm authors because this should be in their next book under grade A trolling while being 100% correct chapter. Whoever wrote this, kudos to you. You nailed it. Brilliant.

• appears ER is off his meds again.

Greetings,

Your full salaries have been restored and will be paid retroactively in a separate deposit on the next pay cycle. In addition, the Investors have authorized a 10% bonus on top of the retroactive pay as a small token of our appreciation. In addition, each and every employee will be receiving a 10% raise effective immediately.

All bonuses and pay raises will be paid in the form of Cenmarks. Your Cenmark balance will be visible in a new portal on Inside next week.

Because the Cenmark is such a valuable asset to the company all executives at the Director level or above have been exempted from the program so that employees will be able to reach the maximum benefit. Director level positions and above will receive a one time cash bonus.

I look forward to this year's Trailblazer ceremony. Thank you for all your hard work and together we will move Cengage forward and continue to provide quality content and savings to our customers.

Thank you, Michael! I agree that one or two bureaucrats deciding which employees are contributing is far more inspiring than receiving praise from your peers. One question I have is when do you think we will receive our full salaries again? Also, will our merit increases outpace the yearly cost of living Increase for the first time since the aughts?

Greetings,

Your manager may be working from obsolete data. Farmington Hills will soon be utilizing the vacant downstairs as a server space for the ramp up for Cengage Unlimited's market takeover.

As for the Cenmark it should be looked upon as a valuable asset and tool for Cengage employees. Previously we eliminated the BRAVO award and replaced it with the Trailblazer, which was easier to hand out to one deserving employee. The idea of individuals deciding which of their coworkers had performed above and beyond was very regressive and unfair. Offering a large reward vs several meaningless gift cards has helped motivate employees to work harder for the collective.

I’m strongly encouraging you to embrace change and get on the train! Your insults do not effect me because I’m not looking at you I am seeing through you dog.

You guys got to get a job. And a life. Time to move on.

Maaarry...its good to hear your voice. To answer your question, the leadership team and I are always looking for ways to reduce employee compensation and boost profitability. One idea we're actively exploring is a type of indentured servitude where we would pay the tuition for our employee's children at our for-profit college partners. We have one employee in a pilot program who has acquired $200,000 in debt in exchange for his son's vaping assistant certification. We're garnishing 25% of his wages while offering Cengage Unlimited at a discount to the vaping university. It's a program our private equity owners are very excited about.

Are you kidding me?

This is grade A quality stuff.

Greetings,

I am thrilled to hear that your family and friends are learning about Cengage through your personal experiences. It sounds like you are successfully applying our credo to work and life and for this I salute you!

As for your family, please be aware that the Cenmark is only available to purchase online learning materials for you, as a Cengage employee. The Cenmark Team, which is comprised of various managers, directors and handpicked employees looked into the possibility of allowing Cenmarks to be used for immediate family but at this time we feel the program is extremely generous and cannot offer this right now but we will consider it going forward.

As for your kinder it sounds like they too have embraced change and have become their own CEOs by driving for Uber. I am pleased that the Cengage Way has been passed down to them as well. Please let them know that they will be saving on average $500 a semester by enrolling in Unlimited!

The link below will be very useful to them as they plan their higher learning experience:

https://www.cengage.com/unlimited/map/

In closing I would like to outline the new Summer Hours program that I mentioned in my post above. Employees will now be required to be online from 7am until 6pm Monday through Saturday to better serve our customers.

There are some exciting boxes that need to be checked in IPS, unchecked in JIRA and notated in Magellan and your managers will be rolling this out to you in Cengage Summer Camp next week.

Get on the train! Camp will soon be in session!

Thank you Michael! This is the most glorious day going back to when we received our 6% for 9 month (I.e. 4 month) bonus checks. My friends and family are envious of the benefits and perks we receive at Cengage. My family benefits so greatly from me being home on an extended paternity leave while my older children will all be driving for Uber since I can’t afford to save for college on my meager Cengage salary. Alas, I sacrifice for the STUDENT! I know Kermit and Michael are making the same sacrifice.