Thread regarding Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Co. layoffs

Its that time a year again at HMH

October is right around the corner and its layoff season again at HMH. Massive customer problems with this years back to school. Lots of customers asking for their money back. New CTO, with an attention span problem and flare for unprofessional behavior, dead set on getting rid of most of the technology staff. 80 hour work weeks. continuous stream of abuse to drive people to quitting so they don't have to pay severance pay..... and the result is?, you guessed it, October is fast approaching, massive layoffs both in technology and across the company. One cannot imagine why year after year of layoffs could have possibly resulted in such bad outcomes.


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| 4062 views | | 14 replies (last May 8) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1k3nwsms7

14 replies (most recent on top)

@k2y The CTO's glamour shot makes him look like he drives a van and hands out free candy outside schools. lol

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Post ID: @141d+1k3nwsms7

@7ay HMH is a pretty average PE zombie company: shrinking, highly leveraged, toxic work environment, high employee turnover, offshoring everyone to India for cheap labor, poor quality products, below average compensation and benefits, declining sales. CTO working his exit strategy, squeezing out the last bit of life out of the company. If you're in India and cannot find a job, and only plan to be there a year until you find something better than it's an option. If you're anywhere else you need to be looking for another job before you're forced. The end of the road is visible.

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Post ID: @kzt+1k3nwsms7

Luckily found another job. Didn't realize how truly bad HMH had become. 20% more pay and not working in a dept led by a CTO who clearly spent more time making the glamour shot on his linked in page, than learning how to treat people respectfully and professionally. Cannot be too much longer before the PE company sells HMH off for its parts and the executives get their parachutes.

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Post ID: @k2y+1k3nwsms7

What were some of the salary ranges that got cut in this round of layoffs?

What is the salary of Indian replacement workers?

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Post ID: @axk+1k3nwsms7

A bunch of loyal employees laid off followed by an outsourcing to India. Then the executive team threw in AI but everyone at HMH who was using AI said it did not have the capabilties to replace their roles, which is true... People stopped participating in HMH ERGs and the culture that bloomed just a few years ago has been completely replaced by fear.

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Post ID: @9nt+1k3nwsms7

It is not a good place to work. They have layoffs regularly.

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Post ID: @8xv+1k3nwsms7

very true

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Post ID: @87q+1k3nwsms7

After a decade at this job they decide to outsource for cheap. Employees don’t matter anymore. Jack is sinking this company into the ground

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Post ID: @7g7+1k3nwsms7

Does Private Equity give even one single fu-k about how their greedy actions cruelly disrupt lives? Sure we get severance, but losing health insurance is a ki-ler, especially for those of us with health issues. Cobra is extremely expensive.

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Post ID: @7ay+1k3nwsms7

I was one of 400ish that got let go. I was there for 12 years.

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Post ID: @69x+1k3nwsms7

Lost 3 team members. Was told AI and new workers from Pune India were going to help. HMH is a sinking ship, get out while you can. Guaranteed they skip bonuses again like in 2020. Can't wait to see their love of AI explode in their faces

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Post ID: @641+1k3nwsms7

My long ride at HMH ended earlier this morning. Let’s just see AI try to tackle what I’ve done there for so many years.

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Post ID: @633+1k3nwsms7

The cruel thing is you know it's coming because it's always right after the satisfaction survey

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Post ID: @62x+1k3nwsms7

And so it has come to pass....

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Post ID: @62w+1k3nwsms7

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