Thread regarding Chevron Corp. layoffs

My closest friends I met either in college or at work, at various places that I worked. I believe that many are you are confusing your current group of co-workers whom you have grown very close to, in some cases, as close friends. I mean, like ALL of them. Please don't do that and also blame it on your company. That happens whenever you have to leave a workplace and you are going to miss people. Sure, you will miss them. They will miss you. If you are lucky, you may have made some close friends. They will remain your friends. It has nothing to do with Chevron as a company, in particular. Chevron is not unique in that respect. If you think so, you have a lot of learning to do.

I called a "so called" friend and coworker about that and he said it was survivor's guilt and they had been warned not to communicate with us.

I worked with an amazing group of people in Bakersfield. We're still friends and see other often.

Throughout my career I developed lifelong friendships with people I met at work. It has to be the right type of people you connect with.... those rare individuals do exist in the workplace.

It's the spineless roaches I don't want to be friends with. Those who undermine people and have no morals. There are many among us, they thrive in the corporate sector.

I have many "work friends". Most have families like I do. But I don't think I could be real friends with any of them. Not that they are fake people or incompatible with my interests (music, art, idiology, etc). I think true friends get to know each other very well as a person (a confidant, just like family). It's that extra level of closeness that defines true friendship. A real friend understands and accepts your flaws and quirks. It's that "extra level" that prevents most office friends from becoming real friends. Most of us feel comfortable keeping our professional life from crossing into our personal life. It's that simple, I believe.

I agree w below. Fear or offending someone does impact teamwork and relationships. Lame

I can definitely relate to not having relationships with anyone at work, that is, Chevron work. I notice that almost 100% of the people I work with never speak to each other or have lunch or anything with each other. It must be the PC gestapo environment where anyone can have an anonymous complaint made against them. No one dares speak or have any contact with anyone. The conversationstock that do occur, usually in the break room, are consistently shallow and generally meaningless. This must be part of the Chevron Way and Human Energy and OE. Team work just does not exist. It is not that easy to develop friends outside of work unless you are single. Have a family?, then forget it.

I can't think of one person in the office I want to "hangout with" . I have never socialized with people I work with.

When this is over I'm gone, I have friends and family For company.

Don't get me wrong I work with some good people we just don't have a relationship outside the office.

I'm my own best friend. I'm loved by my wife and family and I get along with my neighbors very well. I used to have many so-called "friends" at the office when I worked for the company. After having left last year, only one colleague stays in touch with me once or twice monthly. We meet for lunch every two months to share information and life experiences. For me, I'm happy and glad to have the people that I have in my life. Thank you all and thank you, God.

I have been let go before, and that is when you know who your friends are. Some former coworkers would give me job leads they found to help out or invite me over for dinner or meet up for lunch or a couple of drinks. The truly good and decent people will have others checking up on them, the phony people will not. I have personally found work for several good friends of mine who lost their jobs. I often wonder how many divorces result from job loss and maybe some suicides, especially for older workers. This downturn is worse than most people recognize, and many more will lose their jobs.

@-2hbt, I am not the original poster but I can also tell that @-1bak revealed her deep down mean-spiritedness(sp?) under a guise of being compassionate as if to take that "better than thou" stance. It was arrogant and simply a jab at another poster, maybe assuming that one was rich, without merit. Then within the post he or she revealed her materialistic side, greed, and by accident, equating friends to money. You cannot "unread" that post. Don't be so naive. If you are that poster, which could very likely be the case, too bad. Such is life. If you think friends are money or a potential source, get new friends, and apologize to the ones you were using and manipulating.

2elj, I think you completely misunderstood what 1bak posted. 1bak was replying to the heartless comment by 1hxc by suggesting that 1hxc has no need for friends because that person may have plenty of money and does not need or want a support network. Being cut loose after many years of hard work and putting up with endless BS at work is a very lonely situation. What is needed is emotional support and empathy much more than money. I would guess that most of the mean spirited posts are from younger chevroid types or managers who believe they are too special. I do not take 1bak as being rude to those who have lost their job, or equating friendship with money.

Wow, I feel the same way about that poster @-1bak who equates friends to money. Then has the unmitigated gall to call someone else pathetic! I hope that I do not have the misfortune of making his/her acquaintance and certainly hope that is not the mindset of our current younger generation. No one on this board if you work for Chevron or did should really be in the poor house. And if you are you did it to yourself.

most people will be laid off within 1-3 years from now. Don't argue, just keep it in your mind. Whatever you say or think or how calculate your virtual money, it won't change the natural way of life, and collapse of your world is inevitable. Just remember this.

this kind of reminds me of the song "Somebody that I used to know"

After I was laid off my boss called me every week checking on me for about 4 months then it dwindled down to once every few weeks, then once a month.. I haven't talked to him now in a good number of months.. which is fine. Time goes by.. and so do people but I know I could call him up to this day and it'd be just like we talked last week. I know that we're friends regardless of talking all the time. I'm sorry others aren't able to say the same.

Wow, I have had the exact opposite experience.

I am contacted often by former coworkers. I sympathize with them, and let them know life is not over if they are let go. I do my best to keep their spirits up. I go to work every day and I am genuinely happy, something they cannot claim. I honestly feel bad for those that stayed.

Look what some person posted below:

"Maybe you are rich and have no need for genuine friends." So - to that person , friends are your financial support, and if you are rich, you don't need them. Or, the person's rationale is - If you are rich you can do without any genuine friends, because the only reason you would need "genuine" friends is if you have financial problems, otherwise you can just hang around with whomever.

Either way, to that person Genuine friends = Money. Everyday friends ≠ money.

I wouldn't know what that's even like. It must be hard to live a life where you judge people by their ability to be an income source. However, I have recognized that trait in some.

@GJfLtRN-1bak Thanks for posting such kind and compassionate words to those who are suffering and in need of support. Did you get that pseudo-compassion from being a liberal democrat? That's typical for them: "To 1hxc, you probably have no close friends and no network of anyone who would want to be your friend............. How pathetic."

Exactly right, @1nkv. I was cut last year but still have periodic contact with a few of my colleagues. We arrange to have lunch on work Fridays to catch up. Of course, they are happy to see each other and find out what's going on. Like you said, communication is a two-way street.

That communication thing goes both ways you know. Have you reached out to them? I was never the organizer, the one who set up social activities, but now I find I have fallen into that role. I made a point of staying in touch with my former colleagues of all generations. I extend invitations. Sometimes I'm turned down or blown off. Whatever. Building a social life is something of a numbers game, extend five invitations and only one is accepted? You're one ahead of zero. When you do get together, try not to be a sad sack. They feel bad enough that they made the cut and you didn't but it wasn't their fault. Talk about the good things about your new life. Make a fricking effort.

@1bii, you must still have a job. Remember that Thursday is coming up in 3 days. We don't want to hear you moaning later on either.

Stop your moaning

This is true of every company I have worked for. I think it is just human nature. Of course they are not real friends - just work friends which is neither good nor bad - it's just a thing. First, how many really feel qualified or comfortable contacting someone who recently lost their job? You have no idea what to say or what you will hear. Then you think in the back of your mind it could just as easily have been you (and still might be) so denial is a strong influence and it is easier to pretend things don't exist. Then there possibly is also the fear of reprisal if the company finds you contacted someone. But those that do contact you probably really were your friends and that is actually a positive. Up until the 70's, many companies had more of a "family" atmosphere. That mentality died with Reaganomics. Now only the share price matters.

To 1hxc, you probably have no close friends and no network of anyone who would want to be your friend. You will regret what you have said when you are the one in need and nobody will help you. Maybe you are rich and have no need for genuine friends. This is more than just about losing your job and livelihood. I feel sorry for your total lack of empathy. How pathetic.

Good Grief. Do you guys think that happens only at Chevron? What are you, in Junior High? Please people. There's nothing special or unique about Chevron with regards to people who you erroneously thought were your friends but turned out to sluff you off or worse. Chevron didn't "Create" that. That's at every company. It's just as much the fault of the gullible fools who thought that the posers were their friends. Get over yourselves. Please. You're not in high school anymore and this shouldn't be your first square dance and it won't be the last. You will get blown off by people at your next company, I can assure you.

Check out the post about the layoff employees get together and join the group. No current employees allowed, because there will definitely be spies for management.

OP - welcome to Chevron. True colors come out at times like this.

This post really hit a nerve. I left the company - unvoluntarily - last year. Chevron colleagues I had known for years and had considered friends are keeping their distance from me as if I had the plague. You really learn who your true friends are. Most of the "office friends" vanish into thin air as soon as you are gone. Genuine friends stay with you .

#GOLD POST

Out of Sight Out of Mind

It is amazing how quickly a laid off person becomes nonexistent. No one will contact you to see how you are doing. None of your so-called friends and coworkers will mention your name. A manager in my group joked about all the empty offices being available for the new college grads. What have we become? Remember, you are on your own. Don't count on Facebook or LinkedIn to bail you out. Do your own job research. It is dog eat dog right now.

I agree mostly, but Sometimes there is daylight in that tunnel through. I have a group of a few younger employees(coworkers) whom I have lunch with occasionally now and we never did much before. They are still employed, I am not. They are apprehensive about the future. I have been around the block. I try to convey to them what you posted earlier "your job is not your life". Their children, etc. is. They are young enough to be my children and their children my granchildren. I have none. I try to encourage them. Career changes can be good for you.

After a few companies, layoffs, moves etc, you learn that every move makes you a richer, more diversified, more knowledgeable, better person. Way After. It takes a while after the fact for it to sink in. Sort of like, no pain, no gain.

My dog is my best friend..They will never turn their back on you,You will be surprised how many divorces will occur now..Once the money runs out the women will too.but of course its your fault for losing your job..

OP, who was the manager in your group who joked about all the empty offices? Not that I'm surprised by the comment. But, it would be appropriate to call out that arrogant bastard by name. I'm sure he was directly responsible for emptying at least half those office. Now the SOB makes jokes of offices that once were occupied with employees with families. I pray that assis tossed out this coming Thursday. Managers are people who aside from managing, should be leaders with good moral character. Your group's manager is a terd of a human being. Call him out by name, please!

Just goes to show you that true friends are few. If you really have 3 people in your life you can call "friends", you are fortunate. After leaving Chevron, I sent a text asking a colleague back at the office to get me some basic info during the last Open Enrollment period last October. All I got back were excuses he didn't have access to the requested info. I know that was BS. I haven't contacted him since. I'm a resourceful person. I finally found what I needed.

Yes, this is one of the hardest things about being laid off to me.

Let this be a reminder that your job is not your life. Creating a meaningful and enriching relatuinships requires consistent energy and effort outside the workplace.

This is very true. The gang of 4 colleagues that I worked with in the small department go to lunch everyday for the last one and half years. Once I was laid off from the department none of the 4 former colleagues ever write a short one sentence note to me. How cruel the world it is.