Thread regarding Dean Foods Co. layoffs

Here’s the thing with people stomping on others and just simply not caring. Sooner or later they will do themselves in. And they have. It’s a fact of life.

Dean Foods has changed a lot in the last 10 years. 10 years ago the majority of managers- and employees in general for that matter- were lifers who knew the dairy business inside and out. Not saying it was perfect back then because it wasn't, but the majority of people running things at the plant level respected the people who worked for them and knew what worked and what didn't work and were given a large amount of authority to run things as they saw fit. Totally different company now where money is tight- equipment isn't being properly maintained or replaced when worn out- still pays pretty well but that's because if Dean Foods didn't pay well no one would work for them- employees are all seen as being easily replaceable and the most important thing is accessing blame when things don't go well instead of taking steps to not repeat mistakes.

wow - Dean Foods isn't perfect, but they were a great company to work for, great benefits; however that was 10 years ago. I was "laid off" 9 days after my husband died, but all in all I have no complaints against a company who was very good to me throughout my working for them. They paid me a decent salary and for the most part, most employees appreciated the safe working enviornment.

Hearing DF management is interviewing restructuring legal and advisers... not a good sign

Makes you wonder if they are running out of cash.

Promised severance pay isn't being paid? Wow. That's something I'd like to hear more about. Depending on the amount of severance promised, it might not be worth hiring an attorney but it would likely be worth filing a wage and hour complaint with the state.

Promised severance pay isn't being paid out anyway. So I do agree don't give up your ethics for anyone because that money isn't coming. Walk away with pride not doing something they tell you to .

There are many corporations out there that make dumb decisions without taking their employees into consideration (I blame what they're teaching MBAs these days). Those corporations typically listen to their customers though. Dean has proven time and time again that they don't give a sh– about their employees or their customers and that's gotten us to where we are today. I'm still dumbfounded by that recent puff piece praising Dean Foods for cutting costs by making insurance benefits worse and harder to use. There were a lot of in the Affordable Care Act that prompted higher deductibles and increased costs, but I seriously think if the ACA wasn't law that Dean Foods would have stopped offering employee health insurance benefits by now.

Dean Foods has been pulling the old "Special Projects" routine for managers/directors/VPs for years and years. Used to almost always be followed about 6 months later with a publicly announced retirement (even when the person was going to work someplace else) that included severance (that was kept quiet).
Figured the severance agreements would end at some point. Guess we're finally past the days of directors/VPs tearing up retirement notifications and talking those managers planning to retire into sticking around a few more months so that they could give them severance and call them reductions when ordered to make the next round of cuts.

Could you expand on what unethical directive you refused to do?