Thread regarding Open Text Corp. layoffs

The layoff process is the only place we have invested R&D. We have this perfected.

When I was laid off my manager didn't even know until after. It was the VP and HR rep that did the "honors".

Decades ago when direct managers did the layoffs, they selected "the new guy" or those that they didn't personally like, and not top performers/friends. Having the VP do it takes care of those issues and makes it completely impersonal.

@n1 I found it. Thanks for letting me know.

@mn It is posted on the intranet. 1 week of base pay per each continuous year of service. 2 weeks of base pay for each additional year of continuous service beyond 5 years. The maximum is 12 weeks of base pay (2 weeks notice pay plus 10 weeks of severance.) If you have been with the company for more than 10 years, you get sc--wed on severance pay.

What is the severance for U.S. employees? I've heard 1 week for each year of service and also heard more than that.

What I’ve seen in the past is that HR would give you the speech and will ask you to quit with 2 weeks of severance rather than being terminated under ROE. Always say that I need to think about it and seek lawyer advice. ;)

Make sure you also have all your personal files off your work laptop and corporate cell phone if you have one.

@bm
Great Advice.
I would add to that:
1) Make sure you have your user id's and passwords to all benefits. (Ie: Espp and RSU
Medical, legal etc) saved on your personal laptop or phone.
I had someone impacted call me at home to give him external vendor numbers, websites, support numbers because all that information was on his work devices.
OT will cut you off within 10 minutes of notice of termination.

2) Have emails of someone in Payroll.
When I was impacted my paychecks thru my entire severance period had errors, inaccuracies etc. Thankfully I had the email of a friend in Payroll.
OT will only allow you to 'open a ticket'..I only had to do that one time on an urgent question..It took weeks to get an answer.
The team was very nice though.

Meetings are usually scheduled the night before with either your manager or their manager, and are made to look innocuous. Those who are doing the notifying know the week before and are given the script they will deliver. See that meeting request early that morning, and you are probably impacted. Those who have been through this before tend to use the time before the meeting to say their goodbyes and prep themselves. Make sure you have external access to the payroll system; you will need it for taxes, etc. When you get on the call, and there is an unknown HR person included, it is game over. The Teams link was shared with them, they are not on the original invite. HR will always be on the call. After your manager delivers the message of restructuring and your termination, HR takes over and tells you about what happens next. Then you put OpenText behind you.

@bd
Agree totally.
Sometimes your manager is also being let go that day, which is one reason they may be out of the loop.
That was the situation when 1/2 of my team was let go..I wasn't in that round but impacted 18 months later.

@bd so it's only VP and up that's in the loop ?

Managers and directors may not be in the loop at all for who will be laid off, if you get questions about projects and personal, just connect the dots.

If you have a meeting with HR, you are cooked.

It depends on structure.

My dept usually has a call with your manager, the director (not always VP level) and HR. Sometimes just the director in case a manager needs to escort you out.

In those bystander experiences not only did the manager know, they told most of their team aside from the person in question.

If people's 3/23 is accurate, either Monday or late Friday evening. Anything later than that and it impacts end of quarter and will impact numbers.